By Blake Jackson
Cornell CALS PRO-DAIRY’s Dairy Advancement Program has helped students gain valuable career experience through paid internships focused on environmental planning, dairy environmental systems and agricultural engineering.
Launched in 2022 with support from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the Environmental Protection Fund, the program connects students with real-world agricultural challenges.
For Madison McCall, the internship became the foundation for her career in agricultural engineering. After completing a Civil Engineering degree at Clarkson University and a Structural Engineering master’s degree at Cornell, McCall joined the engineering firm where she first gained experience as a PRO-DAIRY intern. She later returned to mentor new interns.
"One of our goals is to provide students with meaningful experiences that prepare them for careers while helping address industry needs," said Aaron Weiss, owner and agricultural engineer at A.Weiss Engineering PLLC.
"Madison embraced every opportunity, demonstrated her technical abilities, and built relationships that ultimately led to employment. That's exactly the kind of outcome we hope our internship program creates."
The program also supported interns Kelly Bliss and Taylynn Tryon as they contributed to a groundbreaking dairy infrastructure project. They documented New York’s first large-scale roller compacted concrete (RCC) feed storage pad installation, a project designed by Weiss and McCall.
The students worked alongside engineers, contractors, consultants and dairy producers, gaining practical experience through construction inspections, technical documentation, data collection and project evaluations. Their efforts later contributed to a PRO-DAIRY case study designed to support future agricultural infrastructure improvements.
"It was exciting to be involved from the planning stages through construction and then return to see how the project performed," Bliss said.
"The internship gave me experience that you simply can't get in a classroom. I was able to work with industry professionals, understand how engineering decisions are made and see how collaboration helps solve challenges on dairy farms."
Weiss emphasized that interns play an active role in industry projects.
"Our interns aren't observing from the sidelines," Weiss said. "They're collecting data, solving problems, communicating with professionals and contributing to projects that have a lasting impact on New York agriculture. Those experiences build confidence, develop technical skills and often create career opportunities."
The program continues preparing students for careers through hands-on learning, professional connections and innovative agricultural projects.
Photo Credit: gettyimages-jesp62
Categories: New York, Education, Livestock, Dairy Cattle