AMES, Iowa – The Department of Animal Science at Iowa State University has received a student recruitment and retention grant from the USPOULTRY Foundation through a donation from Iowa’s own West Liberty Foods.
Tara Lindsay, Chief Talent and Culture Officer at West Liberty Foods said, “Many of our owners, team members, and third-party service providers are proud Cyclones. We recognize the importance of continuing to attract talented young people into the poultry industry, and we know that they will receive a first-rate education at Iowa State.”
Iowa State has been a recipient of grants from this program for several years. Grant funds help recruit students with a poultry interest and further develop them to become future leaders in the industry. One example of student development includes enabling students to travel to the International Processing and Products Expo in Atlanta, Georgia, home to the College Student Career Program.
“These trips allow students to engage with the industry and observe new trends in poultry production and processing,” said Dawn Koltes, Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Animal Science and Poultry Interest Group advisor.
Grant funds also help host the annual FFA Poultry Career Development and Educational Competition, and assist with the ‘Flock to Your Future’ event, which is held in conjunction with the Iowa Egg Symposium. Funds also helped revive the poultry judging team at Iowa State in 2017 led by Cameron Hall, allowing them to begin competing again for the first time since the 1950s.
With the recent completion of the Robert T. Hamilton Poultry Teaching & Research Facility and the upcoming state-of-the-art turkey facility to be built in 2021, this is an exciting time for students with an interest in poultry to join the department.
Left to right: Paul Hill – West Liberty Foods and USPOULTRY Board of Representative; Morgan Minnehan - Iowa Turkey Federation Director of Communications; Katelyn Boeding – Student and Poultry Interest Group President; Dawn Koltes – Iowa State Department of Animal Science Adjunct Assistant Professor; Camille Maurer – Student, Grace Mercer – Student
Read the press release from the USPOULTRY Foundation here.