Our Team
Zelmar Rodriguez, DVM, PhD
Assistant Professor - Leading Investigator
I am an epidemiologist and dairy veterinarian serving as an Assistant Professor at Michigan State University. I lead the DRIVE Lab, an integrated research and extension team that supports dairy farmers, veterinarians, and industry stakeholders in addressing critical challenges in animal health and farm sustainability.
My work focuses on applying quantitative epidemiology to inform decision-making and improve dairy farm management. I teach graduate students to use advanced epidemiological tools for disease prevention and control, and I mentor graduate, DVM, undergraduate students, and visiting scholars, helping them build research skills and contribute to meaningful projects in dairy health and management.
Before joining MSU as faculty, I earned my DVM at the University of Uruguay (2013), I worked in animal health and dairy management in Uruguay and New Zealand (2013–2017), completed a PhD in veterinary epidemiology at the University of Minnesota (2021), and conducted postdoctoral research at Michigan State University (2021–2023).
Graduate students
Kakolee Mohanto
Keya is a graduate student working on qualitative research evaluating dairy producers’ perceptions of disease risk and how biosecurity practices. She holds a Master’s in Veterinary Medicine from Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University and has experience in animal nutrition, feed formulation, and animal health management. Her research broadly examines the intersection of human and animal decision-making in food systems.
Lucía Martinez Penedo
Lucía is a graduate student working on outbreak investigations and disease dynamics in dairy herds. She earned her degree in Veterinary Medicine from the University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain. Before joining Michigan State University, she studied fish reproduction and forensic genetics. Lucía is interested in applied research that improves animal health and disease prevention.
Isabel Leadbetter
Isabel is a graduate student evaluating the efficacy of teat disinfectants for udder health management in dairy cattle. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Animal Science from Michigan State University. Her background includes experience with both livestock and aquaculture, including research with Holstein calves and an internship at a rainbow trout farm.
Andrew John
Andrew John is a graduate student focused on Data Science. His graduate project focuses on the identification of individual dairy cows using computer vision techniques. He has background in Electronics and Communication Engineering from Vellore Institute of Technology. Before joining the DRIVE Lab, he worked at Deloitte as a Data Engineer, where he developed data pipelines, automated cloud workflows, and supported analytics teams. His interests include machine learning, big data systems, and the use of AI to enhance decision-making and efficiency in agriculture and public health.
Vaishnavi Sundaraganapathi
Vaishnavi is a graduate student in Data Science. Her current project at the DRIVE Lab focuses on wild bird detection on dairy farms using computer vision techniques. She has industry experience at Boeing and BorgWarner, where she worked on projects in data science, data engineering, and software engineering. Her interests include computer vision, machine learning, and the development of scalable AI-driven solutions for real-world applications.
Dev Arnab
Dev is an undergraduate student in Computer Science and Data Science with a minor in Business. His work in the DRIVE Lab focuses on machine learning based prediction of metabolic dysfunction in dairy cattle. His previous experience include computational biology and bioinformatics. At MSU, he serves as an Undergraduate Learning Assistant in the CMSE department and is the founding secretary of the MSU Data Science Club. His interests include machine learning, bioinformatics, and the application of AI to animal health and agriculture.
Current Undergraduate and DVM students
Andrea Juarez Casas (Bachelor An Sci. student - MSU)
Isabella Hebert (Bachelor An Sci. student - MSU)
Emma Palazzolo (Bachelor An Sci. student - MSU)
Coley Chamberlain (Bachelor An Sci. student - MSU)
Former lab members
2025
Andrew Plosky (3rd year Bachelor An Sci. student - MSU)
Isabella Stoutenburg (2nd year Bachelor An Sci. student - MSU)
Madison Jimenez (3rd year Bachelor An Sci. student - MSU)
Morgan Childers (2nd year Bachelor An Sci. student - MSU)
Grace Brown (2nd year Bachelor An Sci. student - MSU)
Sydney Duryee (2nd year Bachelor An Sci. student - MSU)
Elena Tanin (2nd year Bachelor An Sci. student - MSU)
Daniel Rodriguez Jurado; DVM (Visitor scholar - La Salle University; Colombia)
Riley Simmonds (DVM student; MSU Summer Research Program)
Nguyen, Uyen (2nd year DVM student CVM-MSU)
Emily Summers (3rd year DVM student CVM-MSU)
Presley Paperd (2nd year Veterinary nurse student – CVM-MSU)
Kassie Wilson (2nd year Bachelor An Sci. student - MSU)
2024
Toyin Showemimo (1st year DVM student; Summer Research Program)
Olivia Watkins (1st year An Sci. MSU student)
Meghan Perkins (1st year DVM student CVM-MSU)
Christina Whetsel (1st year DVM student CVM-MSU)
Kaylee Herrygers (2nd year DVM student CVM-MSU)
Kaitlyn Krus (4th year DVM student CVM-MSU)
Kara Mosier (2nd year DVM student CVM-MSU)
Hannah Frimodig (2nd year DVM student CVM-MSU)