Louisiana State University (LSU) received a $4,000 grant from the USPOULTRY Foundation. The grant was awarded to the university to aid in their efforts to recruit students interested in studying poultry science and was made possible in part from an endowing Foundation gift from Sanderson Farms. The recruiting grant check presentations were part of College Student Career Program activities at the 2018 International Poultry Expo, part of the International Production & Processing Expo. The check was presented to Dr. Dennis Ingram, LSU student advisor, with LSU students participating in the presentation.
The grant money will be used to continue the Summer Poultry Institute held annually at the university. The three-day institute is open to high school students and teaches poultry anatomy, embryology, biology, nutrition, grading and processing. The students who attend the institute also learn about opportunities in poultry science for undergraduate students at the university. Careers in the poultry industry are also covered.
The USPOULTRY Foundation awarded recruiting grants totaling $282,500 for the 2017-18 school year to 35 colleges and universities across the United States with either a poultry science department or a poultry studies program. The student recruiting program dates back 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.