Elanco Animal Health will fund two undergraduate and graduate scholarships for students pursuing degrees in poultry science or food science at Auburn University’s College of Agriculture. This will be the second year for Elanco’s scholarship program.
The Elanco Undergraduate Leadership Annual Award is a $500 award presented to one underclassman (freshman or sophomore) and one upperclassman (junior or senior) each year. Recipients are selected based on demonstrated leadership capability and financial need.
The Elanco Graduate Seminar Scholar Annual Award is a $500 award presented to two students in the Auburn University Graduate School departmental graduate seminar series and pursuing a degree in poultry science or food science. The program presents one award in the spring and a second award in the fall.
Five awards funded by Elanco have been presented to Auburn University students. Recipients of the Elanco Graduate Seminar Scholar Annual Award are Kurt Perryman, spring 2014; and Kate Meloche, fall 2014. The Elanco Undergraduate Leadership Annual Award upperclassman recipients are Kasey Blore, 2014-15; and Karri Fievet, 2015-16. Austin Lock is the recipient of the 2015-16 underclassman award.
Donald Conner, PhD, professor and department head of Auburn University’s Department of Poultry Science said the awards recognize excellence in students pursuing careers in poultry and food science. “Our department’s mission is to educate and equip students to be future leaders and problem solvers for the global food system. These Elanco awards have provided a great means to achieve this goal and the initial recipients represent student excellence in the classroom and beyond. We are grateful to partner with Elanco to make these awards possible,” he said.
According to Dr. Francene Van Sambeek, DVM, MAM, ACPV, associate technical advisor at Elanco, the financial awards complement a long and robust partnership between Elanco and Auburn University’s College of Agriculture. “Alabama ranks third in the nation in U.S. poultry production and Auburn University plays an integral role in developing future poultry and food science professionals,” she said. “We are committed to supporting a legacy of outstanding students committed to helping the world’s poultry producers meet a growing global demand for protein.”
Rob Aukerman, Elanco’s president of U.S. and Canada operations, remarked that universities such as Auburn support Elanco’s commitment to serving as a total solutions provider. “The ongoing research and field studies conducted at universities support Elanco’s efforts to introduce innovative solutions that meet the needs of producers across the poultry chain,” Aukerman said.
Elanco has committed to funding both awards annually.
