Virtual Reality Meets Veterinary Medicine: CSU Researchers Tackle Food Animal Vet Shortages With USDA Grant

Food animal veterinarians are becoming increasingly rare. In 2025, they accounted for just 3.1 percent of clinical veterinarians in the United States, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association. Two researchers at Colorado State University believe immersive technology could help change that.

Associate Professor Sangeeta Rao and Professor Pedro Boscan of CSU’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital and Department of Clinical Sciences have received a $250,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA NIFA) to expand their work using virtual reality (VR) to educate and inspire future food animal veterinarians.

The grant is part of NIFA’s Veterinary Services Grant Program, which supports education, training, and outreach initiatives aimed at addressing veterinary shortages—particularly in food animal and rural practice.

Using VR to Reimagine Livestock Education

The project was built around a simple idea: improve education by meeting learners where they are. Research has shown that virtual reality enhances engagement, attention, and performance in educational settings, making it a promising tool for teaching complex, hands-on skills.

Each VR module places users inside realistic livestock care scenarios, allowing them to actively engage with the environment rather than passively observe.

From Dairy Safety to Multilingual Training

The initiative has evolved through multiple phases and has now received three separate grants. Early modules focused on dairy worker safety, supported by the High Plains Intermountain Center for Agricultural Health and Safety at CSU. Another module, funded by CSU’s College Research Council, explored safe and hygienic milk feeding practices for calves.

As the team tested the modules on working dairy farms, they uncovered real-world training gaps—such as inconsistent understanding of personal protective equipment among workers. Farm visits also generated valuable feedback that directly shaped the program’s development.

Going forward, all new modules will include at least English and Spanish options.

Expanding the Vision

With the new USDA funding, Rao and Boscan plan to develop three to four additional VR modules, potentially covering other areas of food animal medicine, including poultry production. While final allocations are still being determined, accessibility and scalability remain top priorities.

The project is highly interdisciplinary. Visual development has been led by Cyane Tornatzky, professor of electronic art in CSU’s Department of Art and Art History, while Marie Vans, associate professor of systems engineering, has contributed technical and computer expertise.

Inspiring the Next Generation

Beyond veterinary education, the VR modules have been used as outreach tools at schools, county and state fairs, CSU Ag Day, and other public events. Children, middle schoolers, and high school students have all had the chance to interact with the technology—and the response has been enthusiastic.

Participants complete pre- and post-surveys to assess changes in knowledge and interest in agriculture and livestock careers, helping researchers measure the technology’s impact.

The VR experiences are currently available across CSU locations, including the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, CSU Spur, and the Sci on the Fly Mobile Outreach Learning Lab.