The Poultry Science Association Foundation (PSA Foundation) announced the Award of the 2017 Ph.D. Fellowship from Merck Animal Health during the International Production and Processing Expo (IPPE) in Atlanta. Merck Animal Health’s generous gift will support the Poultry Research Fellowship of Maria Arendt in the Department of Animal Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
The Merck Animal Health Fellowship awarded to Arendt is the second of three which will support the research of doctoral students in poultry sciences for three years with the third fellowship to be awarded in 2018. Students interested in innovative applied and basic poultry science research related to intestinal health, immunology, poultry pathology and disease, molecular biology, or vaccine technology and development will be considered for the Merck Animal Health Fellowships.
Merck Animal Health’s grant for the education of talented graduate students pursuing a career in poultry science was made through the PSA Foundation Capital Campaign (Charting Our Course – Securing Future Leadership for Poultry).
“We are thrilled to support Maria’s research as part of our ongoing commitment to advancing the future of poultry science,” said Delair Angelo Bolis, head of the Global Poultry Business Unit at Merck Animal Health. Scott Bormann, Vice President of U.S. Commercial Operations at Merck Animal Health, was also present for the award presentation.
“Merck Animal Health is committed to supporting future generations of industry scientists,” said Shannon Kellner, Associate Vice President, Food Animal Business, Merck Animal Health. “We want to encourage standout students like Maria to explore the scientific realms of possibility, as research like hers can help contribute to important advancements in poultry health and performance.”
Nationwide student recruitment for the Merck Animal Health Fellowships for 2018 is anticipated to begin in early September and the application process will be completed in the fall of 2017. Merck Animal Health and the PSA Foundation will announce the 2018 recipient during next year’s IPPE.
