Name: Phil Tong
Institution: ADPI (American Dairy Products Institute)
Current role with ADSA: Foundation Board chair
Twitter: Phil Tong
- How long have you been involved with ADSA, and what compelled you to join the association?
I first became involved with ADSA as a graduate student in 1981, and I have been a member ever since.
- What do you enjoy most about being a board member?
Being part of the leadership of an organization that is committed to bringing science and technology to dairy field.
- Why is it important for the dairy science community to participate in the association?
It’s one of the best ways to get a good sense of the pulse of dairy science, and it provides a way to get to better know the people involved in this field.
- What do you think is the most important resource that ADSA provides the scientific community?
The Journal of Dairy Science. The annual meeting is a close second and Discover conferences are not too far behind.
- What strategic initiative of ADSA are you most passionate about and why?
Grow and Advance the Profession: The future depends on bringing new members with new ideas to maintain the relevance of ADSA as the premier scientific society for the dairy sector.
- What is one pressing challenge for the future of the dairy industry and how is ADSA addressing that through its new strategic plan?
The major challenge is consolidation of dairy sector and loss of “dairy-focused identity” within the food industry. One of its strategic goals is to unite the profession and industry. By building better linkages and networking opportunities, relationships can be improved to achieve better alignment of science providers (academia and other institutions) with science users (industry and government)