Alltech continues its commitment of more than 20 years of supporting the Poultry Science Association (PSA) and student research with the Alltech Student Research Manuscript Award. This year’s award was presented virtually to Victoria Ayres, who is currently working toward her Ph.D. at West Virginia University. This award is given to a student who is the senior author of an outstanding research manuscript published in Poultry Science or The Journal of Applied Poultry Research.
"Alltech is proud to support students, their research and advancements in poultry production through this award, as innovation is the core of our business," said Dr. Kayla Price, Canadian technical manager for Alltech. “We encourage students to publish and share their research, as they are influencing the future of the poultry industry.”
The award was presented virtually to Ayres on Jan. 26, 2021, during the Southern Poultry Science Society (SPSS) business meeting. Ayres’ winning paper, entitled “The effects of two corn-expressed phytases on broiler growth performance and tibia mineralization,” was published by the Poultry Science Association.
Ayres is originally from Grove City, Ohio. She received her bachelor’s degree in animal science from Ohio State University in the spring of 2017. In the fall of that year, she began working toward her master’s degree with Dr. Joseph Moritz at West Virginia University. Her master’s thesis focused on evaluating the effects of exogenous enzyme supplementation on broiler growth. After successfully defending her thesis in 2019, she continued working with Dr. Moritz toward her Ph.D., focusing on the effects of exogenous enzymes and the use of a novel wood furnace heating system on litter quality, broiler performance and immune status. Ayres anticipates completing her doctoral research and graduating from the program in the spring of 2022.
Alltech has sponsored the Alltech Student Research Manuscript Award since 2000, recognizing young leaders in scientific innovation for their commitment to publishing and sharing their work in the poultry sector. For more information, visit poultryscience.org.
