ANSC ANNUAL GRADUATE STUDENT AWARDS
THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2024
THE LOUJA GRADUATE TRAVEL AWARDS were established to provide grants to Animal Sciences Graduate students, presenting outstanding research papers based upon original research and excellence of presentation. The LOUJA Graduate Travel Awards were established in honor of the leadership and dedication to the animal industry of Dr. and Mrs. J.L. Krider. Dr. Krider served as Head of Purdue's Department of Animal Sciences from 1963 to 1971 and Professor until his retirement in 1979. Previously he had served on the staffs of Cornell University and University of Illinois as well as on administrative assignments with Central Soya. He was very active in many organizations serving as President of the American society of Animal Science and as a consultant to several organizations and countries.
Each year, Dr. Jake Krider and his wife, Louise, provide travel funds to a few Animal Science graduate students to attend scientific meetings. Eligible students must be the author or a co-author on the abstract and must be the presenter at the meeting. Meetings can be regional, national, or international as long as the proceedings are published to public acquisition or viewing.
Mrs. Krider passed away 2000 and Dr. Krider passed in 2005.
2024 LOUJA AWARD WINNERS:
From left to right: Lester Nolasco, Yuechi Fu, Emmanuel Alagbe, Jenna Schober, Dr. Paul Ebner (interim department head), Isabel Turner, Hayley Sutherland, Alyssa Smith. Shown separately: Kayode Balogun.
Lester Nolasco - Effects of antimicrobial feeding on the ruminant gastrointestinal tract microbiome
Yuechi Fu - Maternal live yeast supplementation protects newly weaned piglets against lipopolysaccharide challenge by regulating immune-associated milk proteins
Emmanuel Alagbe - Optimizing sample size for accurate measurements and prediction equations for intestinal morphology in broiler chickens
Jenna Schober - Pekino semi-open water sources increase body weight and relative uropygial gland size but reduce body condition welfare scores in Pekin ducks.
Isabel Turner - Acute and chronic response to stress following weaning and transportation in the average piglet
Hayley Sutherland - Bugging out: Northern fowl mite infestation levels and their relationship with cage-free laying hen welfare
Alyssa Smith - Fetal hypothyroidism dysregulates local hepatic and renal renin-angiotensin systems in a temporal manner
Kayode Balogun - Porcine embryo development in Well of the Well culture dishes
BOOK-HARMON LEADERSHIP SCHOLARSHIP
The Book Harmon Leadership Scholarship was established in 2005 by Bob Book and Bud Harmon in recognition of their efforts to provide and promote leadership in animal agriculture. Each year, the Book-Harmon Leadership Scholarship provides a $1,000 scholarship to reward a graduate student in Animal Sciences that has displayed outstanding leadership skills and efforts.
Criteria for receiving the scholarship:
- Major in Animal Sciences
- Have and maintain a minimum overall GPA of 3.0
- Possess good communication and leadership skills
- Be involved with department, university and national organizations
- Have an up-to-date Progress Report from their Graduate Advisory Committee
The Book-Harmon Leadership Scholarship is awarded to Opeadura Osunbami.
Opeadura accepting the award from Dr. Zoltan Machaty, Chair of the Graduate Program Committee at the Department of Animal Sciences
Opeadura is a Ph.D. student in Dr. Layi Adeola’s laboratory. She studies mineral nutrition in broiler chickens and has an impeccable 4.0 GPA. She previously was vice president of the Animal Sciences Graduate Student Association (GSA) and currently serves as senator for the Purdue Graduate Student Government (PGSG). Opeadura is also an active member of the Purdue chapter of MANRRS (Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences) and in that role she acts as a resource for undergraduate students, inspiring them to pursue graduate studies. In addition, she is an active member of the Nigerian Student Association at Purdue (NSAP) and earlier served as social chair of the organization.
Congratulations, Opeadura!
THE W.R. FEATHERSTON AWARDS
The W.R. Featherston Awards were established to recognize the outstanding achievements of graduate students in the Department of Animal Sciences. These awards were established in honor of the leadership and dedication to graduate students exhibited by Professor W.R. Featherston. Professor Featherston was on the staff from July 1962 to June 3, 1980, the date of his untimely death. Professor Featherston's teaching and research activities were a source of guidance, encouragement and inspiration to the graduate students.
W.R. FEATHERSTON EARLY GRADUATE CAREER AWARD
The Featherston Early Graduate Career Award was established in memory of Professor W.R. Featherston to annually recognize the outstanding M.S. or Ph.D. student within his/her first two years of graduate study. The award consists of $650, plus a certificate of award, individual plaque and her/his name will be added to the permanent plaque maintained within the department. This year's recipient is Emmanuel Alagbe.
Emmanuel receiving the award from Dr. Zoltan Machaty
Emmanuel is a Ph.D. student under the supervision of Dr. Layi Adeola. He started his studies in 2022 and ever since he has maintained an outstanding academic record with a perfect GPA of 4.0. His research focuses on exploring bioactive feed additives to mitigate the impact of coccidiosis in broiler chickens and post-weaning intestinal disruptions in piglets. In a relatively short time, Emmanuel has published 3 refereed journal papers and a book chapter, with another paper in review. In addition, Emmanuel has presented his work at 5 Poultry and Animal Science conferences. In a 2021 Soy Innovative Competition organized by the Indiana Soybean Association, Emmanuel led a team of 3 students to develop an innovative growth-promoting biostimulant product for plants, derived solely from soybean. The team that Emmanuel led won first place in the competition.
Way to go, Emmanuel!
W.R. FEATHERSTON OUTSTANDING GRADUATE TEACHING AWARD
The Featherston Outstanding Graduate Teaching Award was established in memory of Professor W.R. Featherston to annually recognize the outstanding teaching by an M.S. or Ph.D. student within the Department. The award consists of $850, plus a certificate of award, an individual plaque and their name will be added to a permanent plaque maintained within the Department. This year's recipient is Tanner Wise.
Tanner receiving the award from Dr. Zoltan Machaty
Tanner is a Ph.D. student in the non-ruminant nutrition laboratory of Dr. Layi Adeola. He is an exceptional student who has distinguished himself in the laboratory. His primary research is focused on the use of exogenous enzymes to improve nutrient digestibility for broilers and pigs. His work has led to new knowledge that would help refine the use of phytases and proteases in swine and poultry diets. He is the author of 5 published journal articles, 1 article in review and 4 under preparation. In 2023, he was part of a group of 5 teaching assistants responsible to teach the class Applied Non-ruminant Nutrition (ANSC 32600) following the departure of the former instructor. Because he demonstrated exceptional leadership and effectiveness in the classroom as a TA, he was subsequently asked to teach the course in 2024 as the sole instructor.
Congratulations, Tanner!
W.R. FEATHERSTON OFF-CAMPUS TRAINING FELLOWSHIP
The Featherston Off-Campus Training Fellowship was established in memory of Professor W.R. Featherston to annually provide financial support for a M.S. or Ph.D. degree student in the Department of Animal Sciences to attend a formal career development training program, organized workshop, or course off campus. The recipient will be given a check for reimbursement of the expenses, certificate of award, individual plaque and her/his name will be added to the permanent plaque maintained within the Department. This year the recipient of this award is Yuechi Fu.
Yuechi accepting the award from Dr. Machaty
Yuechi joined the laboratory of Dr. Kola Ajuwon in the spring of 2022 for her Ph.D. in nutritional biochemistry and physiology. Her research investigates the effect of maternal live yeast supplementation on piglet development. From her M.S. work, she has published 4 manuscripts and presented 8 talks at multiple conferences; from her current Ph.D. research she is the author of 1 manuscript and is currently working on two additional ones. Her current research involves the collection and analysis of multiple omics data (proteomics, microbiome, and metabolomics). For the off-campus training, Yuechi is planning to attend the 2024 Bruce Weir Summer Institute in Statistical Genetics (SISG) course in Atlanta. This course is designed for early career researchers to learn modern statistical analysis methods; the training opportunity will enhance her skills in omics data analysis and basic pathway enrichment analysis.
Congratulations, Yuechi!
W.R. FEATHERSTON OUTSTANDING M.S. AWARD
The Featherston Outstanding M.S. Award was established in memory of Professor W.R. Featherston to annually recognize the Outstanding M.S. student within the department. The award consists of $500, certificate of award, an individual plaque and the recipient's name will be added to a permanent plaque maintained within the department. The Featherston Outstanding M.S. Award is presented to Melanie Bergman.
Melanie accepting the award from Dr. Zoltan Machaty
Melanie has been in Dr. Greg Fraley’s lab since September, 2022. Her primary research project examines how changes in the environment, including environmental enrichment, impact the neurobiology and physiology of birds as they relate to reproductive performance and their state of wellbeing. Melanie’s exceptional productivity is demonstrated by the fact that she has given 7 scientific presentations in less than two years and will be giving two more at the Poultry Science Annual Meeting. She has 1 first author manuscript published, and has 2 more that will be submitted in the next couple of months. In addition, Melanie’s efforts and assistance in other projects have earned her authorship on another 3 peer-reviewed publications.
Congratulations, Melanie!
W.R. FEATHERSTON OUTSTANDING Ph.D. AWARD
The Featherston Outstanding Ph.D. Award was established in memory of Professor W.R. Featherston to annually recognize the outstanding Ph.D. student within the department. This award is considered an extremely high honor in the Graduate Program and serves to reward excellence. The award consists of $1,000, a certificate of award, an individual plaque and the recipient's name will be added to a permanent plaque maintained within the Department. The Featherston Outstanding Ph.D. Award is presented to Jung Sung.
Jung accepting the award from Dr. Zoltan Machaty
Jung earned a B.S. and M.S. degree in Animal Science at Konkuk University, Seoul, Republic of Korea. His excellent academic record earned him a Ross Fellowship when he started in the Ph.D. program in Dr. Layi Adeola’s lab in 2020. The dedication and hard work of Jung show through in his research productivity as exemplified by his accomplishment of 22 publications and 36 abstracts of scientific presentations. He has published 14 articles and 17 abstracts since starting at Purdue University - an outstanding record for someone at an early stage in their career. Earlier this year, he received the prestigious Animal Science Young Scholar Award at the American Society of Animal Science Annual Midwest Meeting in Madison, WI. As a teaching assistant, Jung has actively contributed to ANSC 32600 and ANSC 52200 through preparing and giving lectures, setting exam questions, proctoring and grading exams, as well as leading laboratory sessions. In addition, Jung is also an active member of the ANSC Graduate Student Association.
Congratulations, Jung!
G. W. FRIARS INTERNATIONAL GRADUATE STUDENT FELLOWSHIP
The purpose of the Gerry W. Friars Fellowship is to alleviate some of the monetary stress of foreign students at Purdue University. Dr. Gerry Friars completed his Ph.D. at Purdue University in 1961, while on leave from the Ontario Agricultural College; the College later became part of the University of Guelph. Dr. Friars' career at Guelph from 1951 to 1985 involved teaching and research in poultry and fish genetics and breeding. From 1985 to 1995, he was the Chief Scientist at the Atlantic Salmon Federation with a cross appointment at the University of New Brunswick. His long association with graduate students cultivated an awareness of the financial needs of these students. An annual award of $1,000 is awarded to an international M.S. or Ph.D. student studying quantitative poultry or fish genetics in the Department of Animal Sciences. This year's recipient is Rick Hernandez.
Rick receiving the award from Dr. Zoltan Machaty
Rick is a native of Colombia. He is a second-year Ph.D. student in Dr. Luiz Brito’s laboratory and is working on a research project entitled “Environmental and genetic strategies for improving leg health and walking ability of commercial turkeys”. In less than two years Rick has completed all his course work while maintaining an excellent GPA, served as a teaching assistant in the ANSC 31100 course (Animal Breeding and Genetics) and passed his preliminary exam. So far, he has authored or coauthored 5 peer-reviewed papers, 2 book chapters, 8 abstracts, and he has given 3 invited talks at conferences. This year, he has submitted two manuscripts for publication, has one under review, and is currently preparing two additional ones.
Congratulations, Rick!