The USPOULTRY Foundation awarded a $6,918 student recruiting grant to Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU). The grant was made possible in part by an endowing Foundation gift from the Hubbard Farms Charitable Foundation. The grant check was presented by Barbara Jenkins, executive director of the USPOULTRY Foundation, to Dr. Kevin Downs, associate professor at MTSU. Joining in the presentation were Dale Barnett, executive director of the Tennessee Poultry Association, MTSU students and USPOULTRY staff members Paul Bredwell, vice president of environmental programs; Lisette Reyes, administrative assistant; and Denise Oberlton, meetings and events manager.
The funds will be used to develop three additional poultry courses, host the first annual Middle Tennessee Junior Market Broiler program, create a new MTSU Poultry Science Club and develop a MTSU collegiate poultry judging team.
The USPOULTRY Foundation awarded recruiting grants totaling $328,300 for the 2018-19 school year to 34 colleges and universities across the United States with either a poultry science department or a poultry studies program. The student recruiting program dates to 1994 when the USPOULTRY board of directors established the Foundation to provide annual recruiting funds to attract students to poultry studies and ultimately into careers in the poultry industry.
