Michael F. Hutjens
Professor
Department of Animal Sciences
University of Illinois
Urbana, IL 61801-4734
hutjensm@uiuc.edu
Mike Hutjens was raised on a 313 acre, 70 cow grade Holstein farm near Green Bay, Wisconsin. He was active in 4-H completing 10 years with an achievement award trip to National 4-H Congress. In FFA, he received the Wisconsin State Farmer Award. His bachelor’s degree was completed in 1967 at the University of Wisconsin and was named the top graduating senior. His master’s degree involved mastitis detection at Wisconsin. In 1971, he earned his joint doctorate degree in dairy science and nutritional science with a minor in biochemistry at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Mike received the Ralston-Purina National Fellowship and two University of Wisconsin Fellowships. He also worked two summers as a 4-H youth assistant in Price and Marinette Counties, Wisconsin. In 1970, he received the American Dairy Science Association first place graduate paper award.
From 1971 to 1979, Dr. Hutjens was extension dairy specialist at the University of Minnesota. He taught two courses in dairy cattle judging and coached the national champion team in 1978 at the World Dairy Expo. Since 1979, he has been a member of the University of Illinois Dairy and Animal Sciences Departments as extension dairy specialist. He is the editor of the National Dairy Database and Illinois Dairy Report. Annually, he speaks at 90 to 100 meetings in Illinois and midwest states. He has spoken at conferences in 46 states, South Africa, Australia, Brazil, France, Argentina, Czech Republic, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Spain, China, Zimbabwe, and nine Canadian provinces. Mike writes feed columns for Hoard’s Dairyman, Dairy Today, Dairy Japan, Western Canadian Dairy Magazine, Wisconsin Agri-View, and Dairy Herd Management. He has authored 21 technical journal articles and abstracts, 540 popular press articles, 3 computer programs, 4 video tapes, and numerous slide sets. In 1989, he co-authored a textbook entitled “Principles of Dairy Science” with Drs. Schmidt (Ohio) and Van Vleek (Cornell). Mike has authored three Hoard’s Dairy Technical bulletins (Feed Guide, Transition Cow Management, and Feeding Systems). He teaches Principles of Dairy Science, Introduction to Animal Sciences, Principles of Dairy Science, and Advanced Dairy Management and Dairy Feeding and Management, two internet-based courses. He is a member of numerous organizations including Alpha Gamma Rho, Alpha Zeta American Dairy Science Association, American Society of Animal Scientists, Delta Gamma Sigma, Delta Theta Sigma, Epsilon Sigma Phi, Iron Cross, and Phi Kappa Phi. He was an official judge of the Hoard’s Dairyman Cow Contest, World Dairy Expo, and 16 state fairs.
Award recognitions include the Undergraduate Teaching Purina Award from the American Dairy Science Association in 2007, University of Illinois Campus Service Award, National DeLaval Extension Worker Award, ADSA Applied Nutrition Award, Young Extension Scientist (College of Agriculture, Illinois), Carlisle Extension Award (Animal Science Department), Midwest Regional Young Extension Award (Sponsored by ASAS), Paul A. Funk Outstanding Faculty Award (College of Agriculture), Outstanding Extramural Instructor (University wide award) in 1993 and 2000, two citations from the Minnesota Board of Regents, PDCA 1990 Superior Service Award, 1990 Dairy Person of the Year (IL Milk Producers Association), and Minnesota Holstein Association’s Person of the Year Award. Mike was president of the American Dairy Science Association (2004-2005) and served on the FASS board of directors (2004-2006). In 2008, he was select “Service Person of the Year” by World Dairy Expo for his contributions to the industry and was recognized as a Fellow by the American Dairy Science Association. In 2009, he received the Award of Honor from ADSA for his contributions to the dairy science society, the Land of Lincoln Agricultural Service Award from IL Farm Progress Show and Friend of Agriculture Award from the IL Commodity Groups.
He resides in Savoy, IL, with his wife, Carol and five children (3 sons and 2 daughters) and five grandchildren. Mike served six years in the U.S. Army Reserve ending as a specialist five with an honorable discharge.