Interview | Prof. Dr. John J. Kennelly for Dairy
John J. Kennelly, Professor Emeritus of University of Alberta, Canada, accepted our interview recently. The interview was conducted by Prof. Dr. Burim Ametaj, Editor-in-Chief of journal Dairy. The purpose of this interview was to honor and learn from distinguished scientists in the area of Dairy Science.
Prof. Dr. John J. Kennelly obtained his BAgrSc (First Class Hons) from University College Dublin in 1976 and his Ph.D. from the University of Alberta in 1980. His career at the University of Alberta spanned a period of 40 years, including seven years as the Chair of the Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Sciences and 10 years as the Dean of the Faculty of Agricultural, Life & Environmental Sciences (ALES). His research has focused on the nutrition and lactation physiology of dairy cattle. His publications include over 150 peer-reviewed journal articles as well as numerous book chapters, conference proceedings and extension articles.
The journal Dairy (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/dairy) has 81 prominent editorial board members (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/dairy/editors) from all over the world. It covers all areas of dairy science. Although the journal Dairy is a new journal, it is growing rapidly and has published multiple articles from renowned researchers from different countries.
Work–Life Balance and Main Fields of Interest
1. How did you get involved in dairy science?
I grew up in Ireland on a dairy farm. I was the second eldest of a family of eleven and I ended up dropping out of school at the age of 12 as my father needed help on the farm. I worked full time on the home farm until I was 21. I then took up a job on a dairy farm outside Cork City in Ireland. This allowed me to go to night school to complete my high school credits over two winters. I was admitted to the Science program at University College Cork in 1972, even though I was missing the required physics and chemistry courses. This requirement was waived on the basis that I was a mature student, however, it made for a challenging first year of university as I struggled to get up to speed on chemistry and physics. After spending the first two years at University College Cork, I then transferred to University College Dublin for the final two years as it had the only BSc agriculture program in Ireland. I graduated in 1976 with a BSc (Agr), first class honors.
Despite my best efforts, I was unable to get a job in my field upon graduation, so I decided to pursue graduate work in Canada where I obtained a scholarship from the University of Alberta. I arrived in Edmonton on January 1st 1977 on a greyhound bus from Vancouver, where I had spent Christmas. It was −37 °C with howling winds and snow on my arrival. I decided then and there that I would complete my Ph.D. as quickly as possible and get out of Edmonton as I could not understand anyone living in those extreme weather conditions.
I completed my Ph.D. (Animal Nutrition) at the UofA in 1980. The Dairy Science Professor (Ross Grieve) in the Department of Animal Science retired that year, so I applied for his job. I did not really expect to get the job as my Ph.D. work was related to fibre utilization (microbial fermentation) in the hind gut of pigs. I was surprised to find that I was offered the job, I guess the university was not so picky in those days. I accepted the job fully expecting that I would only stay a few years and return to the balmier weather in Ireland.
2. What are some of the most exciting aspects of your work in dairy science?
I was very fortunate to have had the opportunity to start my academic career at the University of Alberta where senior faculty and staff were supportive of young faculty members like myself. It was also a time when there was superb funding for animal science research, so that within a couple of years we had an excellent group of graduate students, post docs and technicians to support our teaching, research and outreach programs. Perhaps the most exciting part of the research is that I was able to work with some wonderful people who helped build an integrated research program that spanned nutrition, ruminal fermentation and lactation physiology.
3. What key dairy initiatives had you pursued at your faculty?
My initial research focused on dairy cattle nutrition with an emphasis on enhancing the utilization of forages, grains and oilseeds grown in Alberta. Over the years, this research broadened to include ruminal digestion and the impacts of the end products of ruminal digestion on milk composition with particular emphasis on the fatty acid composition of milk. Research highlighting the important role that fatty acids, such as conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), play in human health inspired our research on the role of nutrition in enhancing these fatty acids in milk.
4. What is happening in your country in terms of dairy science?
Canadian dairy scientists have access to some of the best equipped dairy facilities in the world that are located across the university sector as well as at Agriculture and Agri-food Canada. The significant investment in infrastructure over the past decade has provided a platform for dairy scientist that has enabled them to be at the forefront of many innovations in dairy science. Canada also has had a long history of working closely with dairy producers, and other dairy stakeholders. This has helped ensure that research innovations are effectively transferred to the end user. With many institutions facing substantial budget cuts, it will be difficult for Canada to maintain its leadership position in the years ahead.
5. How do you see your work in dairy being applied today or in the future?
Research is always a work in progress where scientists build on the work of their predecessors. Thus, other scientists have built on our work as the understanding of animal biology has evolved. One of the areas that I have always been interested in has been helping to ensure that the knowledge gained through research is transferred to dairy producers, and others within the industry, without undue delay so that the efficiency, sustainability and profitability of this important sector is enhanced. Thus, in 1982, I took the initiative to set up the Western Canadian Dairy Seminar (WCDS) and I served as Program Director for the first 26 years of the conference. The WCDS will celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2022 and it is recognized as one of the premier dairy conferences in the world. Every year the seminar attracts over 700 people from all sectors of the dairy industry to Red Deer, Alberta, where the foremost experts from around the world present the latest information on all things dairy. I believe that the WCDS has been a major contributor to ensuring that Alberta, and indeed Canada, is at the leading edge of innovation in the dairy sector.
6. As you see it, what are dairy science’s greatest strengths?
Perhaps, the greatest strength of dairy science is that milk is such a fundamental product from a human health perspective. For thousands of years, milk has contributed nutrients to sustain human life and this continues today with the vast array of dairy products consumed by billions of people on a daily basis. One of the most fascinating aspects of dairy science is that it encompasses such a broad spectrum of research that includes production efficiency, metabolism, lactation physiology, food science as well as the role of milk and milk components in human nutrition and health. As our understanding of the link between nutrition and health has grown, so also has the key role that dairy products can play as part of a healthy diet.
7. What do you see as the greatest barriers for dairy research?
The costs associated with dairy cattle research tend to be higher than most other animal science research. This can be attributed to the high cost of housing for dairy cattle as well as to the long generation interval that often requires multi-year studies. As government funding for universities has declined, universities have difficulty supporting the costs associated with dairy research facilities. Working collaboratively with dairy producers to access their facilities is an option that has been successfully used by many scientists. However, there are significant limitations with respect to the type of research that can be conducted on commercial farms. Thus, in the absence of well equipped dairy facilities, it will be challenging to attract the next generation of dairy scientists.
8. What improvements, technological or otherwise, need to take place for dairy science to push it to the next level?
In recent years, there has been a growing body of research on the mechanisms underlying feed utilization, milk synthesis and overall efficiency and health of dairy cattle. Whether it is an understanding of the genetic basis for feed efficiency, milk yield, or milk composition, an understanding of the underlying mechanisms is the key to helping ensure the long-term sustainability and profitability of this sector. Over the past 30 years, there have been tremendous advances in terms of milk yield, however, this has come at a price in terms of animal health as reflected in indicators such as reproductive efficiency and incidence of metabolic diseases. Future productivity advances will require that we successfully address the interaction between increased milk yield, reproductive efficiency and animal health.
9. How does the future look in terms of funding for dairy science?
Securing appropriate funding has often been a challenge for dairy scientists. Dairy research is quite expensive, especially at the production level, due to the cost of maintaining a dairy research herd and the long generation interval that can require multiple years to complete experiments. Thus, securing adequate research funding continues to be a challenge for many dairy scientists. The direct involvement of dairy producers in funding research has really helped as this funding can also leverage other sources of funding.
10. Do you have any other comments that you wish to share about dairy science?
Milk is a highly nutritious food that has helped sustain humankind for thousands of years. Understanding the process by which the cow converts feed into a highly nutritious product is a fascinating journey that spans the complexity of ruminal digestion, nutrient transport and lactation physiology. Intensive genetic selection has resulted in cows that have an extraordinary ability to sustain high levels of milk yield. However, this has often come at a price in terms of reproductive fitness and overall animal health. This area certainly warrants greater research emphasis in the future.
11. What do you think are the most important characteristics of talented researchers? Do you have any suggestions to share with the young researchers?
I believe the most important characteristic of scientists is curiosity and a passion for their particular area of research. Understanding the underlying biology of ruminal digestion, lactation physiology, milk synthesis and its influence on animal health is certainly an exciting area that is ripe for new discoveries in the years and decades ahead.
12. Do you have any suggestions on the new journal “Dairy”?
Congratulations on launching a new Dairy journal. The future success of the Dairy journal will depend on the scientific credibility of the journal in terms of the rigor of its review process as well as the timeliness and efficiency of its publication process. It certainly looks like the journal is off to a good start and I wish you all the best in your role of communicating the latest advances in dairy science.
13. How do you see the future development of Open Access in academic publishing?
I very much welcome the development of Open Access journals as it provides greater choice for scientists.