COLUMBUS, Ohio - Inside the Multispecies Animal Learning Complex (MALC), Ohio's next generation of animal scientists, veterinarians and agricultural innovators will be suiting up - not just to learn, but to lead.

Opening Jan. 29 at The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES), the MALC is more than a barn. It is a hands-on launchpad for careers in one of the state's most essential and evolving industries.

Think robotic milkers, automated feeders and robotic vacuums that scrape up and clean manure. Think real-time data, high-stakes biosecurity and direct work with swine, sheep, cattle, poultry, goats and horses. The MALC will be where curiosity meets career training - and where agriculture will get redefined for the next generation of students.

Located at CFAES' Waterman Agricultural and Natural Resources Laboratory in Columbus, just across from the Innovation District at Ohio State, the complex is built for real-world impact. It will welcome K-12 students for guided tours and interactive field trips, immersing them in livestock care, food systems and ag technology through biosecure viewing corridors and hands-on exhibits.

These structured school visits will offer clear views into livestock housing and care, with educational displays explaining everything from air handling to animal welfare. Interactive features will connect science and engineering concepts to real-world careers.

"The MALC and Waterman dairy are designed to establish a talent pipeline for Ohio's animal agriculture and veterinary sectors," said Pasha Lyvers, chair of the CFAES Department of Animal Sciences. "We're sparking early STEM interest, building job-ready skills and showing how agriculture impacts everything from food security to the economy."

For undergraduates, the MALC will flip the script on traditional animal science education, providing students with an integrated, high-tech complex. Students will now move seamlessly between lecture halls, wet labs and working animal units - all in one complex.

Elizabeth Lott, an animal sciences senior and president of the Poultry Science Club, sees the facility as a catalyst for connection across animal species and among students.

"Many students get placed into informal 'bubbles' like poultry or dairy," Lott said. "The MALC will open up cross-species exposure, which can help us discover new interests and better understand how the entire industry works together. That's huge for career development."

It will also boost student clubs and leadership opportunities. For Lott, having poultry on campus means more frequent and meaningful activities for club members.

"Students join clubs for experience," she said. "With the MALC, we will be able to do more events and more hands-on learning right here on campus." The integrated facility will also support precision livestock production and environmental management, giving students experience with the technologies and decision-making tools they'll encounter in professional settings.

Maurice Eastridge, professor and senior associate chair in the Department of Animal Sciences, said the benefits to students are immediate.

"They'll interpret data from real-time systems, understand the importance of animal well-being and learn to manage modern, sustainable operations," Eastridge said. "These are skills that employers are actively looking for today."

That level of preparation is especially critical, he said, because many CFAES students come from nonagricultural backgrounds.

"The MALC will help recruit and prepare them for critical careers in food production systems and associated industries," he said. "It's so exciting to watch students learn about career options in the animal industry they didn't even know existed before coming to Ohio State."

Through public tours, Ohio 4-H and FFA activities, and Ohio State University Extension-led youth programs, the MALC will position CFAES students as educators and ambassadors for the future of agriculture. OSU Extension is CFAES' outreach arm, with Ohio 4-H as Extension's youth development arm.

"It flips the 'not in my backyard' mindset," Lyvers said. "We will show agriculture as innovative, essential and right here in the heart of Columbus."

At its core, the MALC will be about readiness - for students, for industry and for the future of animal agriculture in Ohio.

"Our graduates will enter the workforce with an education shaped by the latest technologies and a deep understanding of agriculture's role in society," Lyvers said. "That's the future we're building."