DAFVM Spotlight Employee: Robert Oakley
Robert Oakley
Laboratory Animal Technician
College of Veterinary Medicine
Time at MSU: 11 years
Time in position: 7 years
It’s not every day that you get to hang out with unique animals like an alpaca or a camel, but for Robert Oakley, it’s one of the perks of his job. As the Laboratory Animal Technician at the College of Veterinary Medicine at Mississippi State University, Oakley works with ruminant and food animals.
“Keeping the stalls sanitary is important to reduce the spread of diseases, and it also keeps the animals comfortable,” said Oakley.
A love for animals is where Oakley’s professional and personal lives intertwine. He grew up on a dairy and cattle farm in the Oktoc Community on the outskirts of Starkville, where he and his family live today.
“It’s just where my roots are; it’s what I've always wanted to do,” said Oakley.
In 1998, Oakley, his father and brother shut down their family’s dairy. Following that, his father and brother got out of farming entirely in 2000 by selling off their beef cattle, but Oakley continued the farming tradition.
“I wanted to pass it on to my children. It's a lifestyle that I enjoy. Cattle are stressful at times, but they’re also peaceful animals,” said Oakley.
His career at MSU started at the Horse Park before he transitioned to a role with the Mississippi Department of Agriculture where he worked for 12 years. Seven years ago, he came back to MSU to work in his current role.
“I really enjoy being around the vet school students. I don’t work with them directly, but I love to see when the light turns on and they get a grasp of caring for large animals. Many of them are reluctant to handle large animals when they first start, but they want to learn,” said Oakley.
Oakley and his wife, Susan, who is a veterinarian, have been married for 37 years. They have a son and a daughter and four grandchildren. Their son, Graham Oakley, an agronomy doctoral student in the MSU College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and project manager with the Mississippi Water Resources Research Institute, is one of 25 students from across the U.S. in the sixth cohort selected for the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research Program.
“He’s done well despite me,” Oakley said with a chuckle, “He plans on staying around here, just like I did.”
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