Purdue Dairy Club combines competition, career development at Midwest ADSA-USD Meeting
Back row (left to right): Alaina Weaver, Bailey Haag, Isaiah Eisert, Aleah Rexing and Emma Townsend. Front row (left to right): Rhea Miller, Sydney Haag and Rachel Craun. The Purdue Dairy Club attended the 2026 Midwest American Dairy Science Association Undergraduate Student Division (ADSA-USD) Regional Meeting at the University of Wisconsin–Platteville, earning three first-place finishes, securing a regional leadership position and expanding its professional network.
The club placed first in the Club Scrapbook and Club Display competitions and claimed first place in the Dairy Quiz Bowl. The Quiz Bowl team included Emma Townsend, Alaina Weaver, Rachel Craun and Sydney Haag.
“The quiz bowl was competitive, with three elimination rounds where many teams came prepared and worked hard,” Haag, a Purdue Animal Sciences student, said. “Rachel Craun was our key player and has a wealth of knowledge in this area, which allowed us to succeed. It is always a happy experience to compete and win as a Boilermaker. With our whole team graduating this year, it is bittersweet.”
For Craun, the club’s success was especially meaningful.
“I am a very competitive person by nature, and I like to win,” Craun, a Purdue Agricultural and Biological Engineering student, said. “But at an event like ADSA where we can win as Purdue Dairy Club, it is even more rewarding. Being involved and having success at the regional level is one of the many things that keeps me excited about being in dairy club.”
First Place Dairy Quiz Bowl Team (left to right): Emma Townsend, Alaina Weaver, Rachel Craun and Sydney Haag. 
Rachel Craun represents the Purdue Dairy Club after the club earned first-place honors in the Club Display and Club Scrapbook competitions at the 2026 Midwest ADSA-USD Regional Meeting. Rhea Miller, a Purdue Animal Sciences student, was elected Second Vice President of the Midwest ADSA executive board, representing Purdue at the regional level.
"Being selected as the Midwest ADSA Second Vice President is an exciting opportunity. It gives me the chance to grow as a leader while giving back to an industry I’m truly passionate about," Miller said. "During my time on the executive board, I’m most looking forward to building new connections within the dairy industry and helping educate others about what the industry is, why it matters and the important role it plays in our lives."
Rhea Miller (center) stands with the other members of the Midwest ADSA-USD executive board at the annual meeting. Nine Purdue students attended the conference — an increase from six last year — including Townsend, Haag, Isaiah Eisert, Miller, Bailey Haag, Craun, Weaver and Aleah Rexing.
Beyond competition, the conference provided opportunities for professional development and industry exposure. Students networked with peers from other universities, heard from young professionals in the dairy industry and toured dairy farms. The group visited the university’s research dairy and competed in a Dairy Skillathon contest.
“This was my second time attending Midwest ADSA, and just like the first, it was very enjoyable,” said Isaiah Eisert, a Purdue Agricultural Economics student. “One of my favorite parts is reuniting with friends in the dairy industry from other schools and making new connections through networking events and breakout sessions.”
Additional presentations highlighted emerging technologies shaping the dairy industry, including precision pesticide application using drones, 3D printing with milk and the impact of weight loss medications on milk markets.
This marks the club’s second consecutive year attending the Midwest regional meeting.
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