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University science classes usually feature petri dishes of microbes or maybe a dissection of a small animal, not a sensory evaluation of a pale, sour or stout.

The Digital Agriculture, Food and Wine (DAFW) group in the School of Agriculture and Food has been awarded the inaugural Australian Grains Pest Innovation Program seed grant for a project to increase the efficiency of anti-pest chemical applications and a Bayer United States of America innovation challenge grant.

When she was considering what to study and where, Danielle Tang (China) knew the University of Melbourne was prestigious, that it offered a pathway to the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine through her chosen degree, the Bachelor of Agriculture, and that Melbourne was a liveable and diverse city.

Leading meat scientist Professor Robyn Warner discussed the science challenges around the nutritional value, sustainability and consumer acceptance of the “burger of the future”, whether it is produced from meat, plants or cells in a recent Dean’s Research Seminar.

Primary school students have found a rare virus that turns its victims from grey to iridescent purple while taking part in a Bush Blitz Backyard Species Discovery project with the help of a University of Melbourne PhD researcher.

The Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences is delighted to offer 12 scholarships for agricultural study in 2021.

Curiosity led Cathy McAuley into a career in food safety.

In a recent Dean’s Research Seminar,agricultural economist Professor Bill Malcolm discusses challenges in boosting agricultural productivity.

In the 29th Annual GW Leeper Memorial Lecture, Professor Caixian Tang reported on his team’s research on the impacts of soil acidity (pH) on soil organic matter dynamics.

As the busy Head of Veterinary Services at Zoos Victoria, Dr Michael Lynch (BVSc(Hons) 1989, MVS 1994) is not given to wistfulness. Even as he pedals to work, his head is filled with the tasks, clinical and administrative, that lie ahead of him each day.

The University of Melbourne will receive $11 million in funding from the Victorian State Government, through Agriculture Victoria, for upgrades to its Dookie campus in the Goulburn Valley.

How alum Michael Halverson's studies at Dookie and hard work are paying dividends.

Graduating with just 50 other Year 12 students on Phillip Island did not prevent Saxon Taylor-Le Page from seeing how agriculture contributes to the big picture.

Two staff of the Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences were successful in applications for the Australian Research Council's (ARC) 2021 Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) scheme.

Subtle shifts in the way light interacts with crops plus changes in plant temperature are just two of the early signs of infection used to detect some of the most threatening plant diseases for Australian agriculture. Read more via the Melbourne School of Engineering.

In a recent Dean’s Research Seminar, Professor Frank Dunshea discussed the challenge of heat stress in livestock in a changing climate, and how a range of options to mitigate it through feeds and additives.

Good nutrition is vital for healthy development, and creating a “healthy food environment” also helps young people to develop habits that will set them up for a healthy life, says Senior Lecturer (Human Nutrition) Dr Anita Lawrence.

Researchers from the University of Melbourne and University of Pittsburgh, USA, have found that diseases that affect frogs can be detected in environmental samples like soil and water, helping conservationists in their efforts to address declining amphibian populations.

Are you concerned about the nutritional quality of processed foods? Like to learn more about how governments and the corporations that produce these foods are responding to these health concerns?

The Dungala Kaiela Oration, annually co-hosted by the Kaiela Institute and the University of Melbourne, is this year delivered by Dr Lois Peeler AM, a proud Yorta Yorta woman whose distinguished and varied experience exemplifies the invincible spirit of her people.

Animals health affects our health: around 60 per cent of emerging human infectious diseases spread to us from animals. More than 70 per cent of these are from wild animal populations. That means graduates of animal health degrees like the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine have a role to play in public health.

Agriculture and food science is in the middle of a technological revolution, enabled by drones, remote sensing and machine learning.

Climate-neutral agriculture is within our reach. Professor Richard Eckard, who teaches in the Bachelor of Agriculture and Master of Agricultural Sciences, leads the Primary Industries Climate Challenges Centre, where scientists work to understand climate impacts and how farmers can mitigate against them.

Our agricultural campus at Dookie, our veterinary campus at Werribee and our fantastic new teaching spaces at Parkville are some of our greatest assets. Take a virtual tour here.

Associate Professor Helen Suter has been accepted into veski’s STEM sidebyside, a selective leadership program for women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

Indigenous author and advocate Bruce Pascoe has joined the University of Melbourne as Melbourne Enterprise Professor in Indigenous Agriculture in the Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences (FVAS).

In this Dean’s Research Seminar, Professor Chris Whitton discussed research led by his team at the U-Vet Equine Centre to develop world-first training guidelines for Thoroughbreds that reduce the risk of injuries and improve detection of issues that may lead to an injury and loss of performance.

The Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences was happy to offer selected 2020 Diploma in General Studies (DiGS) students a Destination Australia Scholarship valued at $15,000 per year.

Upgrades will be made to the University of Melbourne’s Dookie campus thanks to a $2 million funding boost announced today by the Minister for Training and Skills and Higher Education Gayle Tierney.

Simon Gardner Lee, Director and Chief Operating Officer at Raedyne Systems and Enterprise Fellow (Water and Organics Management) in the School of Agriculture and Food, believes that the future of research is in a healthy engagement with industry.University of Melbourne Enterprise Fellows are industry leaders and experts who enrich and offer valuable contributions to the University’s teaching, research and engagement activities through their industry knowledge, expertise and practice.

A Master of Veterinary Public Health gave Emily Glass (Australia) the knowledge and skills to prepare against disease outbreaks that affect animals, humans and the environment.

“Sustainable food production is about making use of resources in a way that benefits you as a farmer, but also benefits the environment,” says Master of Agricultural Sciences graduate Ogotlhe (OG) Ntsie (Botswana).

Xeglyze™ has been approved by the US FDA for the treatment of head lice. The topical lotion was developed by Hatchtech based on University of Melbourne research.

Mehtaab Singh (Australia) says his connection to agriculture is “almost genetic.”

Guidelines for mitigating the effects of future bushfires and protecting animals from suffering and pain are the focus of a new study launched this week.

“Growing up in a rural setting, I loved being around animals, especially livestock,” says Emily Attard (Australia), now in the second year of her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) at the University of Melbourne.

In this Dean’s Research Seminar, Professor Deli Chen highlights the research findings of his team and the grand challenge of the unsustainable use of nitrogen in agriculture.

Maria Becerril Roman (Mexico) was drawn to the Master of Food and Packaging Innovation by her curiosity about food and drive to improve the health and sustainability of our food systems.

A new research project will apply expertise from the School of Agriculture and Food to assist farmers in Pacific nations sustainably intensify agricultural production and adapt to a changing climate.

Smart farming technologies will require agricultural graduates who can combine knowledge of farm systems with next generation digital tools.

When Alex Lovel learned he would be taking his Diploma in General Studies (DiGS) classes from home due to social distancing, he was worried he’d find it hard to stay on top of study.

An internationally recognised standard for managing wildlife trade based on known disease risks should be established to prevent the outbreak of new infectious diseases such as SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes coronavirus (COVID-19), experts say.

Keen to hear the latest research into actions we can take to build the resilience of Melbourne’s fresh food supply? Why we should protect farmland on the city fringe and ensure secure water sources? And some practical ways in which consumers and households can help sustain our local food supply?

Vet school was a journey requiring hard work and commitment for Qiao Yoke, but it helped her fulfil her childhood dream.

Moving to Australia to study the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine was a decision Michelle made using her instincts... and turned out to be one of the smartest decisions she's made.

Many students value the applied, outcomes-driven nature of agriculture. Most professionals in the industry need to understand how changes in farming will affect the local environment and businesses’ bottom line, from farmers on a small property, to policymakers making decisions that will affect a region, to researchers developing new breeds of crops.

The University of Melbourne has advanced in all three main fields of the Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences in the 2020 Academic Rankings of World Universities’ (ARWU) per-subject measurement of university quality.

Thanks to her father, Emily Furzer (Australia) knew the scope and depth of studying agricultural science at the University of Melbourne.

Have you ever wondered what makes sourdough special? Dr Kate Howell, who teaches in the Master of Food Science, explains the science behind our latest obsession in this bite-sized lecture.

Professor Rebecca Traub’s research over the last decade has been instrumental in demonstrating that the dog hookworm Ancylostoma ceylanicum commonly infects people throughout the Asia Pacific. The parasite spreads between dogs and people through ingestion or penetration of the worm’s larvae through the skin.

Parasitologist Dr Vito Colella has been awarded a fellowship to fund work to deliver an innovative solution to parasites that infect children and dogs in Cambodia.

A Bachelor of Agriculture can lead to a wide range of careers, from research to banking, but Emma Tadday (Australia) has known she wanted to work directly with animals on farms since before she started school.

From 10–11 June, a series of online sessions gave Faculty academic staff and graduate researchers opportunities to further develop important skills for  your research career, with a focus on research partnerships.

After working for five years at agribusiness companies in Argentina, finance and planning professional Angel Rossi saw the Master of Agricultural Sciences as the way to future-proof his career.

Professor Elizabeth Tudor has been named a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for significant service to veterinary science, tertiary education and animal welfare in the 2020 Queens Birthday Honours.

The apparent simplicity of tiny mycoplasma bacteria belies their complex relationship with their hosts and their importance as chronic pathogens of animals and plants, says Professor Glenn Browning in this online seminar recording.

Ruby Meston’s University of Melbourne journey has taken her from the inner city, to a regional farm, to wineries and, she hopes one day, to a Western Australian sheep station.

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s National Reconciliation Week theme – In this together – is particularly relevant. Within this setting, Dr Cam Raw, Palawa man, veterinary science alum and Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences PhD candidate, reflects on the importance of heritage and culture and its relevance to his research, the One Health approach, and the West Arnhem Land Dog Health Program (WALDHeP).

A large team is developing a proposal for the establishment of the One Basin Cooperative Research Centre (CRC), which will seek funding under the Federal Government’s forthcoming call for new research centre bids, expected later this year.

Researchers have investigated the impact of heat stress in Australian dairy cows grazing summer pastures, revealing high temperature and humidity leads to a significant drop in milk production, but that this can be rectified through the provision of shade and more water troughs.

Associate Professor Lee Berger, whose research upended scientists’ understanding of the role of disease in extinctions and conservation, has been elected a fellow of the Australian Academy of Science.

Food is essential for life and healthy, sustainably produced food is essential to building a healthy society, says Shibo Ma (China), a first-year Master of Food Science student at the University of Melbourne.

A new review shows Australian farmers will need support and greater clarity on the benefits of mitigation options to reach zero emissions.

Today’s agriculture students understand that as the world’s population grows towards 10 billion people over the next 30 years, farming will need to become a climate neutral, or even beneficial, industry.

As the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic continues to unfold, University of Melbourne researchers are joining part of a consortium of veterinary scientists established to train a new generation of ‘animal disease detectives’ in 11 countries across Southeast Asia and the Pacific.

Friday 24 April 2020 marks 100 years since the birth of Professor Douglas Charles Blood (1920–2013), the founding Dean of the Melbourne Veterinary School on its re-establishment in 1962.

From 2–6 March, Bachelor of Agriculture students were given the opportunity to commence their degree with a strong sense of community and of the global impact of agricultural practice at Agriculture Discovery Week.

Aerial hyperspectral imaging and modelling techniques in development at the University of Melbourne have allowed researchers to rapidly measure the individual health of each tree in a 1000-hectare orchard.

Meredith Dairy, founded by a University of Melbourne veterinary alum, showed how science and sustainability had fuelled its success on a recent ABC Landline profile.

An award has enabled final year Doctor of Veterinary Medicine student Peter Richardson to take part in a research project to improve the health and welfare of animals in Myanmar, and the lives of the farmers that rely on them.

Australian and Indian agriculture face many of the same challenges from animal heat stress, particularly in the context of increasing frequency of heatwaves and a changing climate.

A new generation of secondary school students learned about innovative research and career opportunities in agricultural science at Ag Science in Action at the University of Melbourne’s Dookie campus on 25 February.

The devastating bushfires in Victoria and across Australia have affected many in our regional and rural areas and our University community is doing what it can to support relief efforts.

Amid the horrors of Australia’s bushfire crisis, one of the first things on our mind is how best to care for injured wildlife. So, if you’ve come across a hurt or sick animal, what should you do?

Life on the land is ever evolving for the de Purys.

Work placements give students hands-on experience and confidence.

The McCarthy family decided now was the time to help budding scientists, allowing final-year veterinary student Chez Viall to fast-track her interest in equine fertility.

Sometimes revolutionary dairy herd health technology is based on computer models and data collection, but sometimes it's based on enamel paint, as Professor Emeritus Norm Williamson's career shows.

In this public lecture Mike Grundy, leader of CSIRO’s Soil and Landscape Program, outlines two possible futures for Australia’s soil – the foundation of all food and fibre production.

Four respected panellists share their views on the current and future challenges of climate change in this Research Week 2019 event.

A new book by Associate Professor Helen Billman-Jacobe and Dr Ann Westmore reveals the expectations, experiences and aspirations of the first classes of young women to study at Dookie Agricultural College from 1943–1965.

Professors Michael Goddard, Jizheng (Jim) He and Pablo Zarco-Tejada have been named as among the world's most influential researchers in their fields in 2019 by analytics company Web of Science.

A research project by Dr Pangzhen (Pange) Zhang has identified several grapevine rootstocks that may offer advantages in timing of flowering, canopy and plant nutrients for Pinot Noir growers. Read more on Wine Australia.

Eminent agricultural scientist Professor Timothy Reeves addressed the grand challenge of feeding a growing global population in the context of climate change during Research Week 2019.

The Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences (FVAS) has been awarded funding to provide 18 Destination Australia Scholarships at its Dookie campus by the Australian Department of Education.

Professor Joanne Devlin, Australian Research Council (ARC) Future Fellow and Associate Dean (Research) in the Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, has been invited to join the ARC’s College of Experts (CoE) in 2020.

Laureate Professor Marshall Lightowlers reveals the path he and his team took to achieve what had seemed like an impossible task: developing a vaccine against a parasite which would greatly reduce epilepsy in developing countries.

In this Dean's Research Seminar, Professor Ruth Nettle, Agriculture Domain leader and Leader, Rural Innovation Research Group, discusses the imperative for engaged research along with insights into engaged research approaches and impacts from the work of the Rural Innovation Research Group.

Final year students in the Bachelor of Agriculture complete a capstone subject, Professional Practice for Agriculture, which allows students to apply the theoretical and practical knowledge they acquire during their degree to analyse large-scale challenges confronting agricultural industries.

Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) students and wildlife academics discuss a recent field trip and how these exercises help to protect biodiversity.

In a public lecture and editorial, eminent agricultural scientist Emeritus Professor Lindsay Falvey says the historic contributions of agricultural research shows the important role a new generation of scientists will play in international development.

Associate Professor Lee Skerratt has been awarded a 2019 Australian Research Council (ARC) Future Fellowship that will aid his biotechnology research into disease immunity. The research aims to save dwindling frog populations while proving the value of synthetic biology in restoring threatened wildlife populations.

University of Melbourne staff have helped to establish a laboratory with advanced diagnostic tests to detect poultry diseases at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) in Indonesia as part of a recently-completed project.

Agricultural research and development organisation the Crawford Fund has selected Professor Lindsay Falvey as the awardee for the prestigious 2019 Crawford Fund Medal for his practical and passionate commitment to the international contributions agricultural science makes to food security.

Researchers from the Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences will collaborate with India’s ICAR-National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology to host workshops on mitigation of heat stress in cattle, sheep, goat, and pigs.

In this Dean’s Research Seminar Professor Richard Eckard, Director of the Primary Industries Climate Challenges Centre, explores how grazing industries including wool, dairy and beef are adapting to climate change.

The University of Melbourne is tackling herbicide resistance head-on thanks to the invention of a device by Faculty of Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences’ Doctor Graham Brodie that uses microwaves to kill weeds and treat soil.

Dookie Day explores the future of agriculture and the Goulburn Valley region’s Indigenous heritage.

Farmers are interested in sustainability and enduring profitability, with a particular emphasis on regenerative production systems, writes Dookie campus Professor in Residence Timothy Reeves in September’s Dookie Diary.

Professor Caroline Mansfield explores the potential to alleviate disease in companion animals by manipulating the gastrointestinal microbiome in this research seminar.

Coal is almost never considered a way to reduce our climate impact, but a new $7 million Cooperative Research Centres Project will seek to prove the agricultural and economic viability of using brown coal to process agricultural waste into fertiliser, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and costs to farmers.

First year Animal Welfare Science Centre graduate researcher Carmen Glanville has won third place in the international Visualise your Thesis (VYT) competition for her presentation, “Protecting Pets by Changing People."

Water was the focus of Professor in Residence Timothy Reeves’ latest Dookie Diary, a monthly column for the Country News covering activities at the University of Melbourne’s Dookie agricultural campus.

The One Health PhD Program will provide graduate researchers with a training and support framework to develop the skills to apply an interdisciplinary focus to solve issues affecting health of humans, other species and the environment.

Professor Timothy Reeves has been awarded the William Farrer Memorial Medal by the Farrer Memorial Trust for distinguished service in agricultural science.

In this seminar Professor Anna Meredith, Head of the Melbourne Veterinary School, shares examples of her wildlife surveillance and emerging infectious disease research and discusses her aspirations for future wildlife health research in the School.

Bacchus Beef founder Victoria Green loved being able to apply what she was learning in her Master of Agricultural Sciences degree to grow her business.

Three Faculty staff received awards, and many more shared their knowledge through presentations, at Science Week in July.

Three new Australian Research Council Linkage Projects will allow Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences staff to explore new approaches to protect livestock from disease and improve our understanding of and protection against socioeconomically important parasites.

The excellence of industry-engaged research by the School of Agriculture and Food’s social science research group has been recognised with the Award for Excellence in Industry-Engaged Research.

In the latest Dookie Diary, Professor in Residence Timothy Reeves discusses the Dookie agricultural campus’ 270-hectare bush reserve, the latest Dookie careers event and research to protect Australian lentils from disease.

We regret to announce the death of Associate Professor Philip Francis Markham, who passed away on Monday 8 July, 2019.

Professor Rebecca Traub is applying innovative solutions to improve public health of both humans and animals in developing nations, and conducting research that has earned her the Bancroft-Mackerras Medal for Excellence in parasitology.

Dr Vito Colella received the Odile Bain Memorial Prize at the 27th Conference of the World Association for the Advancement of Veterinary Parasitology, which took place 7-11 July 2019 in Madison, Wisconsin, the United States.

One of Australia’s oldest lions is on the road to recovery after a remarkable surgery success by Dr Stewart Ryan, Senior Lecturer in Small Animal Surgery at the Melbourne Veterinary School.

Professor Paul Hemsworth has been announced as the 2019 winner of the Universities Federation for Animal Welfare Medal for Outstanding Contributions to Animal Welfare Science.

Professor Jim He discusses how molecular biotechnology methods are shedding light on the secret world beneath our feet.

The Foodprint Melbourne research project is helping government to secure Melbourne’s fresh food supply while increasing public awareness, earning the team the University of Melbourne’s Award for Excellence in Engagement – Research.

Help improve our understanding of wildlife health in Victoria by completing this survey on sarcoptic mange for the Wildlife Health Victoria: Surveillance group.

Dr Natalie Courtman has been awarded the Veterinarians in Education Research and Academia (VERA) Excellence in Teaching Award, the premier teaching award of the Australian Veterinary Association (AVA).

Professor Ted Whittem has succeeded Professor Peter Mansell as President of Victoria’s veterinary regulatory body.

The AgriFutures Horizon Scholarship supports students studying agriculture degrees with a bursary, work placements, professional development and networking opportunities.

Professor Paul Hemsworth has been named a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the Queen’s Birthday 2019 Honours List for significant service to agricultural science, and to animal welfare.

On Monday 3 June, around 160 alumni, academics, clients and industry partners gathered to celebrate the opening of the new Melbourne Veterinary School Learning and Teaching building and extension to U-Vet Werribee Animal Hospital.

Packaging is the first impression consumers have of food products that influences the likelihood of purchasing.

In this story, Drs Charlie El-Hage and Dr Peta Hitchens share their experience providing veterinary care and veterinary training on the Gili Islands and Lombok, Indonesia.

In his latest column, Dookie Professor in Residence Timothy Reeves explores how rainfall has changed over time, and adaptations to a drier climate.

The University of Melbourne has opened a new $63 million Learning and Teaching building and U-Vet Werribee Animal Hospital extension, strengthening its veterinary campus in Werribee.

Wine vintages in Australia and internationally are maturing earlier, at around one day per year over the last 25 years.

A new column showcases the teaching, research and people at our Dookie campus.

The American Society of Agronomy (ASA) has announced that Professor Deli Chen will be the recipient of the Kingenta Agricultural Science Award.

Rice, one of the world’s most common dietary staples and has been identified as an important crop requiring a collaborative approach to maintain global food production.

Around 350 staff, students and friends of the Faculty gathered to celebrate student success on Wednesday 17 April.

The University of Melbourne has opened a $100 million life sciences complex, offering Australia’s most sophisticated STEMM teaching laboratories and facilities and strengthening the global status of Melbourne’s biomedical precinct.

An inaugural science day was recently held for all postgraduate and doctoral scholars at the University of Melbourne’s agricultural campus.

Xia (Emma) Liang has received a prestigious 2018 Chinese Government Award for Outstanding Self-financed Students Abroad from the China Scholarship Council.

44 Year 11 and 12 students explored how science is applied to benefit agriculture, veterinary medicine and land management at the University of Melbourne’s Dookie campus on Tuesday 26 February.

From Monday 11 March – Friday 15 March, four academics from the University of Manchester will be visiting the Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences (FVAS) and the Melbourne School of Engineering (MSE).

Doctor of Veterinary Medicine students from the University of Melbourne hosted delegates from around Australia and overseas at the 58th Australasian Veterinary Student Conference (AVSC).

Microbiologist Anne Watt has received the Australian Pork Ltd Award at the 2019 Science and Innovation Awards for Young People in Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.

Professor Duncan Maskell says the agricultural teaching and research campus provides fantastic opportunities for students interested in the industry.

The University of Melbourne, Australasian Pork Research Institute Limited (APRIL), SunPork Solutions and Rivalea Australia have successfully secured an Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage grant to support a million dollar research project to improve pig welfare by modulating stress resilience.

Professor Anna Meredith, Head of Melbourne Veterinary School, has been appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the Queen’s New Year 2019 Honours List for services to Animal Welfare.

An enthusiastic group of veterinary students led by Dr Charles El-Hage and Dr Peta Hitchens recently headed to the Gili Islands, Indonesia to volunteer their time to the local pony colony in need of assistance.

Precision agriculture is harnessing the power of new technology and ‘big data’ to improve production.

Four staff in the Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences have been promoted to Professor in 2018 in recognition of their contributions to veterinary public health, cattle medicine, gastroenterology and agricultural extension and engagement.

On 12-16 November 2018, researchers in the Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences came together at the University of Melbourne’s Parkville campus to celebrate research impact and share lessons on collaborating within and across disciplines at Research Week 2018.

At the 2018 Professor GW Leeper Memorial Lecture, Professor G. Philip Robertson from Michigan State University explored the sustainability promise of switchgrass as both a biofuel and a carbon sink.

Australia’s first peoples practised agriculture for thousands of years prior to the continent’s European colonialization. Despite these practices being recorded by early explorers, they have been almost absent from Australian historical records until recently.

A panel of experts in science, industry and public policy delivered advice for academic researchers on collaboration across disciplines on projects, working with industry and managing intellectual property in a panel discussion.

Australian Indigenous people, like so many peoples around the world, enjoy the companionship and other benefits of dog ownership. Many people in remote Indigenous communities are dog owners, and say their dogs are valuable for hunting, that they keep their home safe at night from intruders and that they are playmates for their children.

The Wildlife Disease Association’s Australasian section (WDA-A) has awarded Dr Pam Whiteley the prestigious Dave Spratt Award in recognition of her long-term service and commitment to wildlife health.

On Thursday 18 October, the work of our third year Bachelor of Agriculture students was on display at their Capstone Project Showcase.

The University of Melbourne’s More Profit from Nitrogen (MFfN) dairy team have successfully secured a prestigious Marie Sklodowska Curie Global Fellowship under the EU’s Horizon 2020 Programme.

In a special lecture, Professor Timothy Reeves argues sustainable agriculture must be considered as part of a nexus with food, nutrition and human health.

Each year, the University of Melbourne hosts a range of wellbeing events across its campuses to mark R U OK? Day.R U OK? Day is Australia’s national day of action to remind everyone that any day is the day to ask: ‘Are you OK?’ and be mindful of the physical and mental health of others.In 2018, this awareness-raising day celebrated its milestone tenth anniversary of promoting healthy conversations.

The Faculty has awarded over $600,000 worth of scholarships to coursework and graduate research students this year.

Around 640 prospective students, alumni and members of the Goulburn Valley community explored the University of Melbourne's Dookie agricultural campus on Sunday 9 September.

Seven projects proposed by staff at the Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences were funded for almost $160,000 in the 2018 Learning and Teaching Initiatives (LTI) grants round at the University of Melbourne.

A single gram of soil contains seven billion microorganisms, as many as there are people on Earth – the soil under our feet is a complex world unto itself with wide-ranging implications for our lives, and especially for how we grow our food.

The University of Melbourne will open its gates to the community and local industry for Dookie Day 2018 on Sunday 9 September 2018.

On a crisp Sunday morning in July, Melbourne Veterinary School staff members led a group of eager students on an outing to the Werribee Open Range Zoo.

Do you know of a dog with a spinal cord injury that has resulted in severe neurological issues like loss of hindlimb mobility or paraplegia, loss of feeling or bowel and bladder dysfunction? We are exploring a new treatment for dogs based on the latest human medicine research, and you may be able to help.

On Thursday 2 August 2018, Professor Norman Williamson delivered the 2018 DC Blood Oration, part of the Faculty's Dean's Lecture Series.

Professor Glenn Browning has received one of the University of Melbourne’s highest recognitions of academic excellence, the title of Redmond Barry Distinguished Professor.

Participate in our University of Melbourne U-Vet Hospital research study and learn how to perform CPR on your dog for free

A substantial number of Melbourne Veterinary School staff sat membership examinations, delivered presentations or otherwise contributed to Science Week, the Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists' (ANZCVS) annual education conference.

Ongoing uncertainty around the long term future of Melbourne’s surrounding agricultural land limits investment in Melbourne’s foodbowl and fuels speculative investment in farmland, driving up land prices and undermining farm viability, a new report has found.

The Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences has appointed Professor Timothy Reeves as its first Professor in Residence at the Dookie agricultural campus in the Goulburn Valley.

The next Head of the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences at the Melbourne Veterinary School will be equine infectious disease expert Professor Josh Slater.

What happens after you leave university? Will you end up doing exactly what you trained for, or something else entirely?

Vets at the University of Melbourne’s U-Vet Hospital in Werribee say an emergency dog-to-cat blood transfusion highlights the need to have cat blood on hand for cats like Rex, who would have died waiting an hour for the next available feline donor.

A breakthrough that lead to better health programs for cattle launched Norm Williamson’s multi-faceted career

Dr Shu Kee (Raymond) Lam, a Research Fellow in Climate Change and Biogeochemistry in the School of Agriculture and Food, has received an ICM Agrifood Award from the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering (ATSE).

Equine veterinarian Dr Angus McKinnon has received a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for services to veterinary science, particularly equine reproduction.

Professors Glenn Browning and Amir Noormohammadi conducted veterinary student seminars, workshops and round-table meetings in Indonesia with researchers and their poultry industry partners as part of an ongoing project led by Dr Nadeeka Wawegama.

Leading plant scientist Professor Herbert Kronzucker has joined the Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences as Head of the School of Agriculture and Food.

The University of Melbourne’s U-Vet Animal Hospital in Werribee has launched a life-saving new feline blood bank.

More than 180 first and second-year Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) students took a welcome opportunity to unwind, relax and enjoy canine companionship as part of the 2018 University Mental Health Day.

The Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences hosted 190 secondary school students from northern Victoria at its Dookie campus on Friday 25 May, giving them the opportunity to explore careers in agriculture and its support industries.

Look out for the apple truck near Union House, Parkville Campus on Thursday 24 May, 10am-4pm (unless sold out).

Diet has a significant impact on pet health, just as it does in humans.

On Thursday 26 April, Professor Mark Howden delivered a public lecture to a full auditorium on how agriculture is changing in the 21st century, and what changes are still needed to limit and adapt to climate change.

The University of Melbourne’s Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences has sponsored two murals in Goorambat, a town between Dookie and Benalla in the Goulburn Valley, as part of an art project celebrating the local environment and heritage.

Professor Eleanor Mackie has been selected as Chair of the Biological and Biotechnological Sciences Research Evaluation Committee by the Australian Research Council (ARC).

A new program designed to improve animal welfare standards on Australian farms is being launched tomorrow at the Australian Cattle Veterinarians conference in Fremantle, Western Australia.

For the first time, Australian frog cells have been successfully frozen and re-grown in culture, offering hope of a new technique to safeguard endangered amphibians.

The Faculty is now ranked 15 in the world for veterinary science, and 28 for agriculture.

Melbourne Veterinary School researcher and tutor Christina Marth received the Dairy Australia Award at the ABARES Outlook 2018 conference for research to help producers identify cows that may have difficulty falling pregnant.

The Gili Islands, a growing tourist destination, lie just off the coast off Bali. Part of their appeal lies in the fact that there is no motorised transport.

With an employment rate near 90 per cent for graduates, there’s a career for everyone in agriculture.

Professor Anna Meredith will assume the role of Head of the Melbourne Veterinary School in July 2018.

The Goulburn Valley Equine Hospital has been purchased by the University of Melbourne to enhance the clinical experience in equine medicine, surgery and reproduction for students completing the internationally recognised Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program.

A new research project aims to reduce food waste while decreasing the economic and environmental cost of lamb and sheep meat production.

Whether you are a student, farmer, corporate person, or policy maker, you are most likely aware that the Earth is changing, and not always for the better. Take the rise of the Earth’s global surface temperature since 1880 through today as an example. Our Earth is “redder” and “most of the warming has occurred in the past 35 years”.

Tony O'Donnell explained the unusual character of Western Australia's Yilgarn Craton – one of the world’s oldest land masses and the site of the state's wheat belt – and its effects on the soil microbiology in the 2017 Professor G.W. Leeper Memorial Lecture. Listen to the lecture below.

Three staff of the Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences at the University of Melbourne have been promoted to full professor.

The "Bertie" 2016 Shiraz, made by students under the supervision of experienced viticulturists at the Dookie campus winery, has taken the gold medal at the 2017 Rutherglen Wine Show.

An internship is an opportunity for both the company and the intern. That has been the lesson for both Lisa Boyle, a senior scientist in Mondelēz Australia's Consumer Science division, and her intern-turned-employee, Mei Kuang.

On 27 September 2017, a dynamic panel of experts explored whether food labelling could help create more sustainable food systems through case studies of food labelling for sustainably sourced fish, free range animal products and products containing palm oil.

In a new project, staff at the Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, University of Melbourne, will collaborate with Indonesian poultry experts to develop diagnostic technologies that can be transferred from the Faculty into Indonesian laboratories.

Redmond Barry Distinguished Professor Robin Gasser gave a well-attended Dean’s Lecture on Thursday 26 October at Trinity College Gateway Building, titled Molecular Biology of Parasites and its Implications.

The Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences hosted a community open day at the Dookie campus on Wednesday 18 October 2017 to engage the local community, industry and stakeholders in the Goulburn Valley.

The Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences hosted a community open day at the Dookie campus on Wednesday 18 October 2017 to engage the local community, industry and stakeholders in the Goulburn Valley.

A $63 million redevelopment will enhance facilities for pet treatment and training for future veterinarians at the University of Melbourne’s U-Vet Werribee Animal Hospital and Werribee campus.

Over 70 people attended a seminar day on investment in agriculture hosted by the Mackinnon Project at the University of Melbourne’s Werribee campus on 28 September.

In this DC Blood Oration, Professor Michael Lairmore, the Dean of the School of Veterinary Medicine at University of California - Davis, examines how an emerging approach termed One Health is uniting veterinarians, physicians, scientists, and other health and environmental professionals to address complex problems that recognise the vast interrelationships between human, animal and environmental health.

The Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences hosted key agricultural stakeholders on Tuesday 22 August to provide an update on the new Bachelor of Agriculture and seek support for further industry engagement in the curriculum.

Staff in the Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences were successful in four Learning and Teaching Initiative (LTI) grant applications in the 2017 round.

Professor Robin Gasser has been awarded the title of Redmond Barry Distinguished Professor for his outstanding contribution to research at the University of Melbourne.

The Board of the Animal Welfare Science Centre (AWSC) is pleased to announce that Professor Andrew Fisher has accepted its invitation to become Director and is confident the Centre will continue to thrive and grow in esteem under his leadership.

They are the figures behind the Faculty’s important research work. Marshall Lightowlers, Robin Gasser and Rebecca Traub and their teams have worked for years to develop effective treatments and strategies to control parasites. Each of them has a distinctive story.

Alumni from the Faculty's Melbourne Veterinary School and School of Agriculture and Food received Queen’s Birthday Honours.

Over 40 University of Melbourne Bachelor of Veterinary Science (BVSc) and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) alumni met in Melbourne for a reception during the 2017 AVA Annual Conference

A new research centre led by University of Melbourne scientists aims to solve the challenges pollution and soil degradation poses to food production around the world.

A family’s commitment to helping others has enabled a young student to focus on her studies

Irene Myrtle Lowe took pride in telling her children she was the first woman in the southern hemisphere to complete a degree in agricultural science, writes her daughter Judy Thomson for the Invisible Farmer Project.

Dr Liz Walker has found a position she loves, as Chief Executive Officer of RSPCA Victoria.

Masters student Jemma McDougall believes she hit the jackpot when Nick Sher came into her life to offer guidance

Bachelor of Agriculture students explored the wide range of careers available to agriculture graduates in an industry event on 27 April 2017

Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences parasitology researcher Clare Anstead has received the Australian Wool Innovation Award at the 2017 Science Innovation Awards for Young People in Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry on 7 March.

Twenty early-and mid-career agricultural researchers learned how to build mobile apps for data collection in international development projects and how to pass these skills to their colleagues in a workshop at the University of Melbourne.

The Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences has appointed Professors Ted Whittem and Mohan Singh to lead the Melbourne Veterinary School (MVS) and School of Agriculture and Food (SAF), respectively.

Christmas can be exciting and full of treats for us, but full of new dangers for pets warns veterinarian Dr Leonie Richards from the University of Melbourne’s U-Vet clinic in Werribee.

Congratulations to Associate Professor Rebecca Traub, whose new Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation-funded research is expected to improve access to diagnosis in remote areas of developing countries at low cost.

Professor John Fazakerley, Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences delivered this public lecture at the University of Melbourne’s Parkville Campus on Thursday 22 September.

They may have graduated 16 years apart, but Melbourne veterinary science alumni Stephen Cutter and Ella Richardson found a shared interest in Australian wildlife and treating dogs in Indigenous communities in the north of Australia.

Alicia Cain and her brothers Peter and Matthew turned their father’s renowned oat farm into fields of gold when the trio saw the potential of his produce as an artisanal product.

A vaccine to combat tapeworms in pigs developed by the University of Melbourne’s Professor Marshall Lightowlers, Indian Immunological Limited and the Global Alliance for Veterinary Medicine, could also help reduce incidence of epilepsy in humans.

Professor Jan Thomas, a Melbourne Master of Veterinary Studies alum with an international reputation for her teaching, research and academic leadership will be the next vice-chancellor of Massey University in New Zealand.

The Weekly Review interviews women in the racing industry in its latest issue, including University of Melbourne veterinary medicine alum and former staff member Grace Forbes.

University of Melbourne students Dale Hinkley and Kate Methven have been awarded Rural Finance Scholarships in this year’s round. The scholarship gives Victorian agriculture students financial and mentoring support.

If you break your leg, it will be painful and debilitating but in most cases you can recover with treatment. Horses aren’t so lucky; for them a severe leg injury will usually result in death.

The University of Melbourne hosted the first Australian intervarsity Animal Welfare Judging Competition in September 2016.

Growing up on his family’s cropping farm in Freshwater Creek, Xavier Carew always knew he’d pursue a career in the industry.

Professor Frank Dunshea has been awarded the title of Redmond Barry Distinguished Professor by the University of Melbourne.

Research by Evan Bittner (pictured above) has shown recordings of the cries and trumpets of female elephants can be played through speakers to prevent crops from being raided by bull elephants.

University of Melbourne researchers will seek to reduce the risk of racehorse fatalities on the track as part of a $5.25 million funding commitment from the Victorian Government and Racing Victoria.

“Men’s and women’s football teams made up of University of Melbourne and Marcus Oldham College agriculture students went toe-to-toe in two games in Parkville.”

University of Melbourne professor Kevin Smith spoke at the WAFarmers annual dairy conference last week about GM pasture research and the opportunity it presents for dairy farmers in Australia, as well as the potential issues in managing GM pastures.

Sam Nielsen is a first year University of Melbourne Bachelor of Agriculture student looking to the future of agriculture in Australia.

Claudia Gerbert undertook the Bachelor of Agriculture at Melbourne.

Melbourne University veterinary science student Daniel Mosele, a former Woodleigh student, is one of several young people who have registered a stud, Woolondoon, at Baxter.”

Current University of Melbourne Bachelor of Agriculture student Carl Young is one of the many who are benefiting.

Acclaimed virologist and academic Professor John Fazakerley has today commenced his role as Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences at the University of Melbourne.

Animal welfare policy has had a big boost to its evidence base, with two South Australian research partners joining the Animal Welfare Science Centre (AWSC) to make the Centre one of the world’s largest animal welfare focused research groups.

The two-and-a-half weeks old animal was able to stand for a short period of time after medical staff removed casts from its front legs.

The University of Melbourne team has taken the top prize in the tertiary division in Australian Wool Innovation’s National Merino Challenge (NMC).

In this University of Melbourne Free Public Lecture, nutrition and public health expert Professor Marion Nestle examines how lessons learned from soda advocacy are applicable to advocacy for additional aspects of healthier and more sustainable food systems.

The 24th G.W. Leeper Memorial Lecture was delivered by Professor Neal Menzies, Head of the University of Queensland’s School of Agriculture and Food Sciences

The University of Melbourne has today launched its new Bachelor of Agriculture degree, designed with industry experts to meet the high demand for agricultural scientists and prepare them for what is predicted to be a hugely productive century for Australian agriculture.