Legacy Episode: Dr. Charlie Staples, University of Florida with Dr. Ric Grummer, University of Wisconsin; Dr. José Santos, University of Florida; Dr. Marcus Zenobi, Balchem

In the Real Science Exchange Legacy Series, we celebrate the pioneers who have shaped the dairy industry. In this episode, we honor Dr. Charlie Staples, a distinguished professor at the University of Florida, whose groundbreaking work in dairy nutrition and mentorship touched countless lives. From his 35 years of research mentoring 23 graduate students to earning the American Dairy Science Association's Fellow Award, Dr. Staple's legacy continues to inspire. Join us as we explore his contributions and enduring impact on our industry.

Guests introduce themselves and how they knew Dr. Staples. (1:05)

Dr. Grummer shares when he and Dr. Staples were applying and interviewing for university jobs in the same pool, and how they eventually landed jobs at universities where the other was not in the pool. (7:22)

Drs. Santos, Grummer and Zenobi share about Dr. Staples’ early life, his undergraduate and graduate career, and his family and faith. (10:42)

Dr. Staples took a sabbatical at the University of Wisconsin in Dr. Grummer’s lab. He shares a story about taking Charlie smelt fishing, where the tradition is the newbie has to bite the head off a smelt. (18:04)

Dr. Zenobi and Dr. Santos talk about Dr. Staples as a teacher and mentor, giving examples of his caring nature and thorough teaching style. (22:30)

Dr. Grummer and Dr. Santos give a broad overview of Dr. Staples’ research career, including pioneering work in nutrition-reproduction interactions, fat supplementation and the separation of the energy effect and the fatty acid effect on reproductive performance, heat stress and choline supplementation. All panelists emphasized the collaborative and interdisciplinary nature of Dr. Staples’ work. (27:52)

Dr. Grummer shares about the fatty acid research he and Dr. Staples collaborated on during Charlie’s sabbatical, as well as the choline research he worked on with Dr. Staples when Dr. Grummer worked for Balchem. The panelists talk about how Dr. Staples was not afraid to reach out to experts in other areas of expertise to ask questions and how thorough he was in literature searches. They talk about a symposium paper he presented summarizing 30-plus years of choline research. (36:12)

The panelists talk more about the legacy Dr. Staples left behind - he was unassuming, humble, kind, collaborative and a man of principles. (44:14)

Panelists share their take-home thoughts about Dr. Staples’ dedication to dairy science, mentorship and innovation. (54:51)

The University of Florida established the Charles R. Staples Lecture Endowment to support the Charles R. Staples Lectureship Series. Each year, an invited speaker gives a seminar and meets with graduate students. If you'd like to support the endowment, you can do so by visiting the UF/IFAS Animal Sciences giving web page: https://give.ifas.ufl.edu/animal-sciences-giving/

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