R. Michael Akers, Ph.D., is the Horace E. and Elizabeth F. Alphin Professor of Dairy Science at Virginia Tech and Department Head of Dairy Science. He has received numerous university and professional society awards for research excellence including the Young Scientist, Borden, and Pharmacia and Upjohn Physiology Awards from the American Dairy Science Association and the Animal Growth and Development Award from the American Society of Animal Science.

D. Michael Denbow, Ph.D., is a professor of Animal Science at Virginia Tech and has received numerous awards for outstanding teaching including Purina Mills Award for Teaching Excellence, Teaching Award of Merit, National Association of Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture, and the W.E. Wine Award for Excellence in Teaching from Virginia Tech.