Lab Members

Isabela joined the Boerman lab in August 2023. She is originally from Brazil, where she obtained her B.S. in Biosystems Engineering from the São Paulo State University in January 2021 and her M.S. in Agribusiness and Development in May 2023. She found her passion for research and Extension during her undergraduate studies, where she participated in animal welfare projects to improve animal production. Throughout her Master’s degree, she worked with sanitary practices to improve the microbiological quality of milk from small producers. In the Boerman Lab, Isabela’s research involves improving feed consistency using video and data systems. During her free time, Isabela enjoys spending time with friends and family, watching TV series, and cooking.

Madi began her M.S. with Dr. Boerman in August of 2023, graduating in May 2025. Originally from Litchfield County, Connecticut, Madi grew up showing dairy cattle with her local 4H group and rode horses in the hunter jumper division. She attended Housatonic Valley Regional Highschool where she was heavily involved in agriscience education and the National FFA Organization. Madi received her American FFA Degree in Indianapolis in October 2022. Madi graduated from the University of Vermont with a B.S. in Food Systems and a concentration in Animal Science. During her time at UVM, she was employed by the UVM Dairy, was a member of the UVM CREAM program, and served as Co-President of the UVM Dairy Challenge team. Madi's research in Dr. Boerman's lab is focusing on utilizing digital imaging to record and track individual cow intake in group housing. Outside the lab she enjoys spending time with her family, friends, and her dog Hank. Madi is currently working for Poulin Grain as a dairy cattle nutritionist in New England. 

Sam joined the Boerman lab in January 2023 and graduated in August 2024. Being born and raised in Newton County, Indiana, she was introduced to the dairy industry early in her life and was an active 4-H and FFA member. She received her undergraduate degree in Animal Sciences from Purdue University in May 2022. During her undergraduate career, she worked as a student employee at the Purdue Dairy where she discovered her passion for dairy cattle. In the Boerman Lab, Sam’s research involves various aspects of dairy management such as monitoring the changes in body composition throughout lactation, using video cameras to automatically detect lameness, and integrating data from multiple sources to improve management practices. During her free time, Sam enjoys riding horses, spending time with her friends and family, and exploring outdoors. Sam is currently working at Benton Group as a dairy herd manager. 

Kyrstin began her MS with Dr. Boerman in August 2022, graduating in August 2024. Originally from Wabash County, Indiana, she attended Purdue University for her BS in Animal Sciences and graduated in May 2022. During her time as an undergrad she found a passion for research by working as an undergraduate research assistant in a dairy lab on campus, as well as an animal care technician taking care of lab animals such as mice and rats. In the Boerman Lab, Kyrstin’s research focused on the transition period in dairy cattle and evaluating how prepartum muscle reserves and branched-chain volatile acid supplementation impacts the cows during their transition based on health and production parameters, as well as monitoring tissue mobilization to better understand muscle mobilization implications in the cow. Outside of the lab, Kyrstin enjoys spending time with friends and family, especially her cat, Pumpkin, and getting involved on campus and in the community. Kyrstin is currently in a PhD program at Michigan State University working in dairy cattle nutrition. 

María began her MS with Dr. Boerman in January 2021. She is originally from Mexico, where she completed her undergraduate studies in Agronomy in June 2020. María is interested in integrating, analyzing, and translating the data from dairy farm monitoring systems to management practices to improve the units' efficiency and animal welfare. Her project used the data from automated milk feeders to characterize biological and environmental factors' effect on feeding behavior. She applied social network analysis to feeding reports to better understand the social behavior of calves. María is currently in a PhD program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison working on technology applied to dairy farms.