Purdue Animal Sciences honors 2026 graduate student award recipients

The Purdue University Department of Animal Sciences recently recognized graduate students with its annual awards, including the LOUJA, Bauman-Doolittle, John Rogler, Book-Harmon, W.R. Featherston and Gerry W. Friars awards.

LOUJA Graduate Travel Award

The LOUJA Graduate Travel Awards support animal sciences graduate students who present exceptional research based on original work and excellence in presentation. Established in honor of Jake L. Krider, Ph.D., and his wife, Louise, the awards recognize their leadership and dedication to the animal industry.

Jake Krider, Ph.D., served as head of the Purdue University Department of Animal Sciences from 1963 to 1971 and continued as a professor until his retirement in 1979. Prior to his time at Purdue, he held academic positions at Cornell University and the University of Illinois and also worked in administrative roles at Central Soya. He was actively involved in numerous professional organizations, serving as president of the American Society of Animal Science and acting as a consultant to various organizations and international entities.

Each year, the Kriders generously funded travel grants for select animal sciences graduate students to attend scientific conferences. To be eligible, students must be the author or co-author of an abstract and serve as the presenter at the meeting. Supported conferences may be regional, national or international, provided the proceedings are publicly accessible.

Louise Krider died in 2000, and Jake Krider, Ph.D., died in 2005.

Brittney Emmert - “Use of novel methodology to simulate external and internal keel tip fractures and assess keel tip strength.”

Hayley Sutherland - “Optimizing the sample size for northern fowl mite population assessment in laying hens.”

Lester Nolasco - “Effects of low-dose antimicrobial feeding on the ruminant gastrointestinal tract bile acid profile over time.”

Vitor Santos Haetinger - “Evaluation of a phosphorus depletion and repletion strategy to optimize mineral nutrition efficiency in broiler chickens.”

Olumide Olowe - “The potential of phytase in mitigating dexamethasone-induced fatty liver in broiler chickens.”

Saud Ur Rehman - “Assessing bison meat spoilage through microbial and metabolomic signatures in meat exudate and tissue.”

Bauman-Doolittle Travel Award

The Bauman-Doolittle Travel Award provides travel support to graduate students who present their research at the LOUJA contest, enabling them to attend professional conferences.

Maha Abdelhaseib - “Exudate Metabolomics reveals muscle-specific spoilage signatures during postmortem aging under temperature abuse.”

Adebisi Ogunbawo - “Optimizing computational efficiency in genomic selection: Development of a reduced-density SNP panel for Nellore cattle using multiple SNP selection strategies.”

Xinyue Lu - “Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Mitigate In Vitro Skeletal Muscle Wasting Induced by Colorectal Cancer via a Lipoxygenase (LOX)-dependent Pathway.”

Hamood Ur Rehman - “Modulating Inflammation via Annexin A1/FPR2 Signaling to Promote Skeletal Muscle Regeneration in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.”

John Rogler Travel Award

Graduate students who present poultry research at the LOUJA contest are eligible to receive the John Rogler Travel Award, which supports travel to professional conferences.

Iqra Nazir - “Barriers and facilitators to the adoption of biosecurity practices and antibiotic alternatives in poultry production in Pakistan.”

Harliqueen Jacinto - “Warmed perches for mitigating cold stress in laying hens: Impact on welfare and perching behavior.”

Jared Trask - “Analyzing egg yolk color scores: Statistical and colorimetric evidence from the DSM YolkFan™.”

Gideon Ajibola - “Turkey behavioral activity levels are influenced by age and walking ability, and minimally by environmental enrichment.”

Book-Harmon Leadership Scholarship

The Book-Harmon Leadership Scholarship was established in 2005 by Bob Book and Bud Harmon to honor their commitment to fostering leadership in animal agriculture. Each year, this $1,000 scholarship is awarded to a graduate student in animal sciences who has demonstrated exceptional leadership abilities.

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

Saud Ur Rehman is the recipient of the 2026 Book-Harmon Leadership Scholarship.

W.R. Featherston Awards

The W.R. Featherston Awards were created to honor the exceptional accomplishments of graduate students in the Department of Animal Sciences. These awards commemorate the leadership and dedication of Professor W.R. Featherston, who served on the faculty from July 1962 until his death on June 3, 1980. Featherston’s teaching and research provided invaluable guidance, support and inspiration to graduate students throughout his career.

W.R. Featherston Early Graduate Career Award

The Featherston Early Graduate Career Award was established in memory of Professor W.R. Featherston to annually honor an exceptional M.S. or Ph.D. student within the first two years of their graduate studies. The award includes a $650 cash prize, a certificate, a personal plaque and the recipient’s name inscribed on a permanent plaque displayed within the department. The 2026 W.R. Featherston Early Graduate Career Award recipient is Jong Ho Lee.

W.R. Featherston Outstanding Graduate Teaching Award

The Featherston Outstanding Graduate Teaching Award was created in memory of Professor W.R. Featherston to annually recognize exceptional teaching by an M.S. or Ph.D. student within the Department of Animal Sciences. The award includes an $850 cash prize, a certificate, an individual plaque and the recipient’s name added to a permanent plaque displayed in the department. Abiola Lawal is the recipient of the 2026 W.R. Featherston Outstanding Graduate Teaching Award.

W.R. Featherston Off-Campus Training Fellowship

The Featherston Off-Campus Training Fellowship was established in memory of Professor W.R. Featherston to provide annual financial support to an M.S. or Ph.D. student in the Department of Animal Sciences for participation in a formal off-campus career development program, organized workshop or course. The recipient receives reimbursement for related expenses, a certificate of award, a personal plaque and their name is added to a permanent plaque displayed in the department. The 2026 W.R. Featherston Off-Campus Training Fellowship recipient is Gideon Ajibola.

W.R. Featherston Outstanding M.S. Award

The Featherston Outstanding M.S. Award was established in memory of Professor W.R. Featherston to annually honor the most outstanding M.S. student in the Department of Animal Sciences. The award includes a $500 cash prize, a certificate, an individual plaque and the recipient’s name inscribed on a permanent plaque displayed in the department. Isabella von Seggern is the recipient of the 2026 W.R. Featherston Outstanding M.S. Award.

W.R. Featherston Outstanding Ph.D. Award

The Featherston Outstanding Ph.D. Award was established in memory of Professor W.R. Featherston to annually honor the most outstanding Ph.D. student in the Department of Animal Sciences. Regarded as one of the highest distinctions in the graduate program, this award recognizes exceptional achievement and excellence. It includes a $1,000 cash prize, a certificate, a personal plaque and the recipient’s name will be added to a permanent plaque displayed in the department. The 2026 W.R. Featherston Outstanding Ph.D. Award recipient is Vitor Santos Haetinger.

Gerry W. Friars International Graduate Student Fellowship

The Gerry W. Friars Fellowship was established to help ease the financial burden faced by international students at Purdue University. Gerry Friars earned his Ph.D. from Purdue in 1961 while on leave from the Ontario Agricultural College, which later became part of the University of Guelph. His career at Guelph, spanning from 1951 to 1985, focused on teaching and research in poultry and fish genetics and breeding. From 1985 to 1995, he served as chief scientist at the Atlantic Salmon Federation, with a cross-appointment at the University of New Brunswick. 

Through his longstanding work with graduate students, Friars developed a deep understanding of their financial challenges. In his honor, an annual $1,000 award is presented to an international M.S. or Ph.D. student in the Department of Animal Sciences who is studying quantitative poultry or fish genetics. This year’s recipient is Mariah Castro Durval.