Skip to Main Content

Graduate Student Spotlight: Gideon Ajibola

Gideon Ajibola is a Ph.D. student in the Purdue Animal Sciences Department, and he also received his master’s degree from the department. His advisor is Marisa Erasmus, Ph.D.

Ajibola, a native of Nigeria, received his bachelor’s degree in animal science at Osun State University.

a man standing outside

According to Ajibola, his passion for animal sciences came from his experiences with animals at a young age.

“My love for animal agriculture stems from my role as an ‘unofficial’ associate farm manager on our family farm while in elementary school,” Ajibola said. “I was fascinated by the reproductive biology of laying hens, particularly their ability to produce eggs almost every day. Simply, I wanted to understand the science behind our income.”

Ajibola also said he chose to pursue graduate degrees at Purdue for three reasons: Purdue’s reputation, the quality of professors in the animal sciences program and the community of international students the university has.

Ajibola's research focuses on using environmental strategies and technological tools, particularly computer vision, to enhance poultry welfare by tracking cage-free hen behavior. He is also interested in the intersection of animal welfare and AI, exploring how it can improve both livestock productivity and well-being.

“My experience as a graduate research assistant has been beautiful,” Ajibola said. “I have had the opportunity to collaborate with fellow graduate students and work with different types of poultry. Furthermore, I have had the opportunity to train and mentor undergraduate assistants, improve my research and problem-solving skills and communicate our research findings to the scientific community.”

a man holding a chicken

Ajibola has been involved in various clubs and organizations during his time as a graduate student at Purdue: MANRRS Purdue University, Animal Welfare Judging Team, Graduate Student Association in Animal Sciences, Nigerian Students Association at Purdue (NSAP) and African Christian Fellowship.

Ajibola received the 2024 AAAP Foundation Poultry Scholarship, but he said his greatest accomplishment as a graduate student has been completing challenging behavioral tracking and annotation for his master’s degree.

Ajibola shared what he thought are the strengths of the Purdue Animal Sciences graduate program.

“I particularly love the science communication component of the program,” Ajibola said. “I learn from the weekly seminars, where grad students get to present science with unique approaches. Secondly, the program is structured to encourage multi-disciplinary training, positioning the grad students for the ever-evolving and dynamic world out there.”

Ajibola also shared some advice for incoming graduate students.

“Seek mentors, be excited and take advantage of both academic and professional resources available on campus,” Ajibola said.

Featured Stories

Bill and CD Young at a table in front of greenery in the Spirit and Elephant restaurant.
Purdue hosts new plant-based product development competition

A generous gift from the Young Family will drive food innovation at Purdue University over the...

Read More
Austin Grant with colleagues during his summer internship with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
FNR Field Report: Austin Grant

Austin Grant, a senior majoring in aquatic sciences with a minor in military science and...

Read More
Kingsly Ambrose in front of the solar system model in Discovery Park on campus.
ABE professor recognized for advancing ag safety and health

Kingsly Ambrose, a professor in the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, was...

Read More
Rice inspects insects in the lab
When passions connect: insect biology meets history

Her love for insects started early. “From the moment I could walk, I was outside looking at...

Read More
Student wearing a white T-shirt works on a laptop covered in Purdue stickers while sitting at a table with a notebook open. The background shows other students studying in a large, well-lit space.
2025–26 Animal Sciences scholarship recipients announced

Purdue Animal Sciences awarded $72,200 in scholarships to students for the 2025–26 school...

Read More
Seedlings growing in a slash-and-burn agricultural field in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Africa. Credit: © FAO / Giulio Napolitano
Mobilizing AI to monitor forest growth and carbon sequestration

More than 1.6 million square miles of forests have disappeared since 1990, according to the Food...

Read More
To Top