From a DeKalb farm to Purina, Dr. Katie Boesche is all about dairy.
“Growing up in the dairy industry I always appreciated the dedication, perseverance and tenacity of dairy farmers and I knew I wanted to support this business in some way,” said Katie Boesche, Ph.D. “My family’s dairy farm helped me relate to the dairy producers I’m helping today.”
Katie is a dairy technical support consultant with the Purina Animal Nutrition Research Center in the St. Louis vicinity. She serves as a liaison between research, sales and marketing teams for dairy.
“Receiving the Farm Bureau scholarships (Ag Discipline and Senior Scholarship) was extremely valuable as I would not have been able to obtain my position without my degrees. It was a great opportunity for a financially insecure student just starting out!”
Specifically, she provides input on research trial design, creates content for technical or sales bulletins and articles, and hosts training seminars on products or nutrition concepts.
“I love my job and envisioned a position like this before I knew it was an actual opportunity,” said Katie. “I realized during graduate school I am not cut out for running experiments in a lab every day, but with that training and background I believe I’m now better equipped to translate scientific information and make a practical difference.”
Katie values her education which helped shape her career. The DeKalb High School graduate chose Midwest colleges for her higher education path. She earned her bachelor’s degree in animal science from the University of Illinois and her master’s degree in mammory growth and development from The Ohio State University. She completed her Ph.D. from Purdue University studying fatty acid and metabolism.
Now, 33, Katie looks back on her educational pursuits. “Receiving the Farm Bureau scholarships (Ag Discipline and Senior Scholarship) was extremely vauable as I would not have been able to obtain my position without my degrees. It was a great opportunity for a financially insecure student just starting out!”
The dairy girl also reflects back on her days as an intern with the DeKalb County Farm Bureau. She says her two college summers at Farm Bureau assisting with ag literacy and the Ag in the Classroom program had a big influence on her. The internship was a natural fit for her with her dairy farm background, leadership experiences in 4-H and FFA, and as an Ag in the Classroom presenter during her high school years.
Her parents are DeKalb farmers Jim and Carol Boesche and she has one sister, Angie. Katie currently resides in St. Louis, MO. Her fiancé Mat also works in the ag industry as a senior project manager at GSI. Katie exudes a sense of pride knowing that she is helping dairy farmers every day at Purina.