The USPOULTRY Foundation awarded a $7,000 student recruiting grant to the University of Delaware. The grant was made possible in part by an endowing Foundation gift from Valley Proteins and was presented by Barbara Jenkins, executive director of the USPOULTRY Foundation, to Robert Alphin, senior instructor and laboratory manager for the university’s Department of Animal and Food Sciences.
A portion of the funds will be used to further the poultry program’s existing efforts to recruit and educate students on the opportunities available within the poultry industry. The university hosts an annual Animal Agriculture Seminar series, which allows students to hear from various speakers from a variety of companies and organizations within the poultry industry. Other learning experiences include tours of the Delmarva broiler industry and trips to various judging events.
The remaining funds will be used to support further education about the poultry industry among the university’s agriculture students. This includes participating in USPOULTRY’s College Student Career Program at the International Poultry Expo, part of the International Production & Processing Expo, where the students can interview for full-time careers and internship opportunities.
In September 2019, the USPOULTRY Foundation board approved student recruiting grants totaling $383,577 to 35 colleges and universities across the United States with a poultry science department or industry-related degree program. The USPOULTRY Foundation provides annual recruiting funds to colleges and universities to attract students to their poultry programs. The grants are made possible by gifts to the Foundation from companies, individuals and families, in addition to funds earned over the years at the International Poultry Expo.
