¹ú²ú×ÔÅÄ receives US Poultry Foundation grant for fifth consecutive year
Article By: Staff
For the fifth year in a row, University of North Georgia (¹ú²ú×ÔÅÄ) has received a $7,000 grant from the U.S. Poultry Foundation.
The money supports education and recruitment for students interested in poultry science and general agriculture programs, said Linda Purvis, lecturer of biology at ¹ú²ú×ÔÅÄ.
"The funds can be for educational expenses," she said. "We use it for field trips, guest speakers and classroom materials."
Field trip destinations include a poultry processing plant in Gainesville, Georgia, the Georgia Poultry Diagnostic Laboratory and an international poultry expo in Atlanta, said Purvis, who has been at ¹ú²ú×ÔÅÄ since 2009. She said they help students meet poultry professionals face-to-face.
"So much of college is book knowledge," Purvis said. "Field trips help connect the classroom to the real world."
The grant also funds two outreach programs: Agriculture Career Day and Poultry 101.
Career day brings different poultry industry employers to campus for one-on-one time with students. The annual spring event is set for March 8 this year in the Student Center on ¹ú²ú×ÔÅÄ's Gainesville Campus.
Poultry 101 invites students from fifth grade through 12th grade from all across Georgia to the Gainesville campus for a one-day workshop focusing on poultry and highlighting careers in that industry.
Students research threatened fish
Three students are working with Dr. Andrew Taylor, a professor of biology, on research helping restore habitat connectivity for a federally-threatened fish species.
Students take part in research experiences
Students from ¹ú²ú×ÔÅÄ took part in a wide variety of National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates and similar programs this summer.
Students explore study away programs
Sixteen ¹ú²ú×ÔÅÄ students participated in two study away programs in the U.S., one in Iowa for agriculture and the other in South Carolina for archaeology.
Education abroad supports students' career goals
¹ú²ú×ÔÅÄ's education abroad program had students in Belize and Peru this summer, providing language skills to further their career aspirations.