Dr. Robert Hagevoort, a native of The Netherlands, is Professor and Extension Dairy Specialist and the holder of the Topliff Dairy Chair at New Mexico State University. Prior to joining NMSU in November of 2005, Dr. Hagevoort served for over 10 years as an independent dairy management consultant in California. As an Extension Specialist, he works closely with the dairy industry on many emerging issues. To rebuild a dairy program at NMSU, Hagevoort is the co-founder of the U.S. Dairy Education & Training Consortium. His current focus is the development and implementation of a comprehensive dairy workforce training and education program, focused on training effectiveness. Training programs in dairy safety awareness, animal handling, mid-level leadership and others are being developed, evaluated and delivered. In 2022 Dr. Hagevoort took over the reins of the New Mexico AgrAbility Project which goal is to support success in agriculture for people with disabilities and improve quality of life through participation in agricultural production.