Dr. Yoshinori Mine
University of Guelph

The American Egg Board Research Award winning manuscript is titled "Effect of food protein supplements on Salmonella enteritidis infection and prevention in laying hens," (Poult. Sci. 83: 753-760, 2004) authored by Z. G. Kassaify and Yoshinori Mine. Results of this study showed that feeding 5.0% nonimmunized egg yolk powder eliminated and prevented Salmonella enteritidis (SE) colonization in laying hens, suggesting that yolk contains novel anti-adhesive or immunomodulatory components that may act to prevent SE infection.

Dr. Mine received a M.S. degree in 1987 from Faculty of Agricultural Science (Food Science), Shinshu University, Japan and a Ph.D. degree in Biochemistry from Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo, Japan in 1993. He joined the University of Guelph in 1995 as a faculty member at Department of Food Science. Currently, he is Professor and an Industrial Research Chair in Egg Material Science. He has been appointed to a Director of Food Research Program, The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Foods in 2003. He is a recipient of The Premier's Research Excellence Award in 2000. He has published 1 book, 9 book chapters, 10 review articles, and 89 original papers in peerreviewed international journals and holds 1 patent.

Dr. Mine's primary research interest is molecular approaches to the study of structure-function relationships of egg and milk derived bio-active proteins/peptides and egg allergy, to enhance human intestinal health. He is also exploring the use of egg yolk antibody as therapeutics in enteric infectious disease. The egg is the largest biological cell known that originates from one cell division and is composed of various important chemical substances that form the basis of life. Therefore, the avian egg is considered to be a store house of nutrients such as proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, enzymes and various biologically active substances including growth promoting factors and defenses against bacterial and viral invasion. Milk is also recognized to contain an array of bioactivities that dramatically extended the range of influence of mother over young beyond simple nutrition. His group is characterizing the bio-physiological functions of egg and milk components and seeking novel biologically active substances. Egg and milk proteins have numerous potential for releasing biologically functional peptides due to degradation by pepsin, trypsin or chymotrypsin in the gut. His group is studying two major functions of immunomodulators that enhance our immune system through mimicking peptides and mucosal defensin-like peptides, which inhibit adhesion of food-borne pathogens (Salmonella and E. coli) to intestinal epithelial cells and their mechanism at a molecular level. Food allergy is a major human health concern. His lab is working on the fine mapping of allergenic epitopes of ovomucoid and ovalbumin, dominant allergens of egg white and structurefunction studies of allergenic epitopes using site-directed mutagenesis for engineering food allergens to reduce their allergenicity. He is also interested in the engineering of food allergens. His research group is also studying a mechanism of intestinal transportation of food allergens across epithelial cells and examining effective anti-allergenic agents from natural foods to prevent such allergic reactions. They are also working on the molecular design of recombinant chimerical epitopes of human rotavirus to induce a specific antibody as vaccine candidates and also passive immunity using hen's egg yolk antibody.

Dr. Olayiwola Adeola
Purdue University

Dr. Olayiwola (Layi) Adeola is a Professor of Animal Science at Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN. Born in Nigeria in 1960, Dr. Adeola received the Bachelor of Agriculture degree in Animal Science with first class honors from the University of Ife, Nigeria in 1982. He earned both the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees with distinction from the University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada in 1986 and 1989, respectively. In November 1991, he accepted a faculty position as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Animal Sciences at Purdue University. He was promoted to Associate Professor in 1996 and Full Professor in 2001. He was a visiting professor at the University of Saskatchewan, Canada in 1998. He currently serves as nonruminant nutrition section editor for the Journal of Animal Science and has served on the editorial board of Poultry Science.

Dr. Adeola's research program emphasizes nutrient and energy utilization by nonruminant animals with the objective of developing strategies to enhance production efficiency, better health, and sound environmental stewardship. He has developed research programs to investigate ways to promote efficient utilization and minimize excretion of dietary nutrients. Specific research thrusts include amino acid-energy relationships, intestinal nutrient transport, mineral utilization, and feed ingredient evaluation. The foremost goal of his research is to improve the efficiency of lean meat production and to minimize the flow of potentially detrimental levels of dietary nutrients from animal waste into the environment. Dr. Adeola developed tube-feeding and harness-aided excreta collection methods that provide the means of precisely feeding known amounts of ingredients and accurately collecting contaminant- free excreta, which are essential for obtaining reliable values in poultry metabolizable energy assays. The technique presents a viable alternative to pan collection of excreta and is currently being used to provide data on metabolizable energy and amino acid digestibility values for a variety of feed ingredients and coproducts. Dr. Adeola teaches Monogastric Nutrition and Proteins and Amino Acids in Nutrition. Dr. Adeola has authored or coauthored 196 publications, including 74 refereed papers, 5 book chapters, 79 abstracts, and 38 conference proceedings or technical articles. Eleven students have received advanced degrees under his direction and currently four others are pursing advanced degrees in his laboratory. Dr. Adeola and his wife, Mopelola, are blessed with one son, Oluwatola.

Dr. William E. Huff
University of Arkansas

Dr. William E. Huff graduated from the University of Central Florida with a B.S. degree in microbiology in 1972. He completed his M.S. degree working with Dr. Pat B. Hamilton at North Carolina State University in 1975 and his Ph.D. in 1979. During his graduate program, Dr. Huff worked in the area of mycotoxicology, with emphasis on the effects of the mycotoxin ochratoxin A in poultry. Joining the Poultry Research Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service (ARS), USDA in Georgetown, DE in 1978, he continued his work on the effects of mycotoxins on poultry health. Over a 27 year career with the ARS, Dr. Huff has demonstrated his leadership in building several research programs. In 1984, he moved to College Station, TX, to establish and head a Mycotoxicology Research Unit serving as the Research Leader of this group of scientists. The group concentrated its research efforts on ways to reduce the toxicity of mycotoxins to poultry and on the characterization of mycotoxin interactions. In 1991, Dr. Huff moved to Fayetteville, AR, to establish the Poultry Production and Product Safety Research Unit, within the Center of Excellence for Poultry Science on the University of Arkansas campus, and is presently a research scientist in the Unit. Dr. Huff has published over 340 publications with ~190 of these being peer-reviewed manuscripts, proceedings or book chapters. Dr. Huff was one of the first scientists to recognize the importance of mycotoxin interactions to poultry health; he established the efficacy of density segregation to detoxify mycotoxin- contaminated grain, helped to establish the efficacy of hydrated sodium calcium aluminosilicate to reduce the toxicity of the mycotoxin aflatoxin and worked to establish the hypobaric model to study ascites in poultry. In recent years, Dr. Huff has become recognized internationally for his research on therapeutic utilization of bacteriophages to reduce pathogens in poultry.

Dr. Gisela F. Erf
University of Arkansas

Dr. Gisela F. Erf, professor at the University of Arkansas (U of A), is the 2005 recipient of the Helene Cecil Leadership Award. Dr. Erf received her B.S. and M.S. from the University of Guelph and the Ph.D. in immunology from Cornell University where she conducted research on thyroid-immune interactions in poultry. Prior to joining the Poultry Science faculty at the University of Arkansas in 1994, Dr. Erf was Assistant Professor in Biological Sciences at Smith College, a liberal arts college for women. At Smith College, she taught five courses annually, developed a research collaboration with Dr. J. Robert Smyth, Jr. at the University of Massachusetts on autoimmune vitiligo in the Smyth line of chickens, and provided opportunities for more than 40 undergraduate students to gain hands-on research experience. In 1992, Dr. Erf received a Young Investigator Award from the Pan-American Society for Pigment Cell Research for her work on the Smyth line of chickens. At the U of A, she teaches graduate immunology lecture and laboratory courses and an undergraduate laboratory research course and serves as academic advisor and mentor. Her teaching efforts have been recognized through several teaching awards at the college, university and national level, including the Purina Mills Teaching Award in 1999. Dr. Erf continues her work with the Smyth line of chickens and has established an integrated research program in poultry immunology. At the U of A, Dr. Erf guided 3 honors, 10 M.S. and 4 Ph.D. students through their programs; served on 19 M.S. and 35 Ph.D. committees; and hosted 2 visiting scientists. She is director of the Cell Characterization and Isolation Facility and is a member of the inter-college Cell and Molecular Biology program and the College Honors program. She is PI/Co-PI on research grants totaling more than 2 million dollars in external funding from NIH, NSF, USDA, state and industry, and she is coinventor on one patent. She has published 2 book-chapters, 51 refereed manuscripts, 18 proceedings, and 95 abstracts. She has been an invited speaker at national and international meetings and served on various NIH, NSF, and USDA grant panels. In addition to serving PSA and other professional societies at many levels, Dr. Erf has served two terms as associate editor of Poultry Science and is currently section editor for Immunology, Health and Disease. Dr. Erf very much regrets never having met Dr. Helene Cecil and is deeply honored to be chosen as recipient for this most meaningful award.

Dr. Yupaporn Chaiseha
Suranaree University of Technology, Thailand

Dr. Yupaporn Chaiseha obtained her B.S. (biology, 1986) and M.S. (zoology, 1988) degrees from Khon Kaen and Chulalongkorn Universities, respectively, in Thailand. She received a scholarship from the Royal Thai Government to study for her Ph.D. degree in the United States. She joined the Department of Animal Science at the University of Minnesota where she obtained her Ph.D. degree in animal physiology under the direction of Dr. M. E. El Halawani in 1998. She joined Suranaree University of Technology, Thailand as a faculty member in the same year. She came back to the University of Minnesota for her postdoctoral training in Dr. El Halawani's laboratory during 1999-2000. Currently, she is an Assistant Professor at School of Biology, Institute of Science, Suranaree University of Technology, Thailand.

Dr. Chaiseha's research interest is in reproductive neuroendocrinology with emphasis on the regulation of the vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP)/prolactin system by dopamine. Her main finding showed that dopamine was a potent stimulator of VIP/prolactin release. The finding was quite novel in that dopamine is a potent inhibitor of prolactin secretion in mammals. This finding was later extended to demonstrate that dopamine has both stimulatory and inhibitory influences on prolactin secretion in turkeys. It stimulates prolactin secretion by stimulating VIP at the hypothalamic level via D₁ dopamine receptors and inhibits prolactin by antagonizing VIP at the pituitary level via D₂ dopamine receptors. Her research showed for the first time that the differential expression of D₁ and D₂ dopamine receptor subtypes by vasoactive intestinal peptide neurons in the hypothalamus determined the state of prolactinemia and explained why the overall effect of dopamine on prolactin secretion is stimulatory. D₁ dopamine receptors are six times more abundant in the hypothalamus than D₂ dopamine receptors. However, she found the reverse in the pituitary, where D₂ receptors, which mediate the inhibitory effect of dopamine, were more abundant than D₁ dopamine receptors, especially during the state of hypoprolactinemia (short day and photorefractory turkeys). Now we know that intracellular Ca²⁺ represents a common signal transduction pathway through which VIP and dopamine can exert antagonistic control on PRL synthesis and release in avian (turkey) lactotrophs. She also demonstrated that the changes in the expression of VIP receptors at the pituitary level were, in part, regulating the variations in prolactin secretion as well. This is a major conceptual advance in the understanding of prolactin regulation in avian species. Dr. Chaiseha's other research interests are heat stress, lighting, VIP/GnRH regulation, and maternal recognition.

She has several international collaborators in the United States (Dr. Porter and Dr. El Halawani), Japan (Dr. Shimada), and Israel (Dr. Rozenboim). Currently, her research model is the native Thai chicken with major financial support from the Thailand Research Fund. She advises four graduate students supported by fellowships from the Royal Golden Jubilee Ph.D. Program. She has published 1 book chapter, 1 review article, and 20 original research papers in peer-reviewed international journals.

Lisa M. Donalson
Texas A&M University

Lisa Donalson, a recent graduate of Texas A&M University, earned her M. S. in poultry science with a thesis titled "The in vivo and in vitro effect of a fructooligosaccharide prebiotic combined with alfalfa molt diets on egg production and Salmonella in laying hens." Lisa graduated from Waller High School in Waller, TX, a rural community just outside Houston. Upon graduation, Lisa earned her B. S. from Sam Houston State University with a major in animal science and a minor in agribusiness. As a student at Sam Houston State, Lisa was involved in many organizations, such as Collegiate FFA, Horticulture Club, Delta Tau Alpha Agricultural Honor Society, Golden Key Honor Society and Alpha Chi Honor Society. To further her knowledge in agriculture, more specifically poultry science, Lisa enrolled at Texas A&M University to receive her M. S. degree.

At Texas A&M, Lisa was involved in several projects relating to the poultry industry. The majority of her work focused on dietary alternatives to feed withdrawal molting and the reduction of salmonella during a molt. She also researched the effects of molting on bone strength with colleagues. Lisa conducted both in vitro and in vivo experiments to determine if alfalfa was a suitable dietary treatment to be fed to hens during a molt. The addition of fructooligosaccharide (FOS) prebiotics was combined with the alfalfa diets upon finding alfalfa as a suitable molt diet. The FOS addition was shown to increase fermentation in vitro as well as in vivo. In addition, FOS was believed to decrease pathogenic bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract. This research proved to be successful in addressing food safety as well as animal welfare issues. Through her research, Lisa has gained a greater knowledge of anatomy and physiology of the hen as well as microbiology.

Dr. K.A. Schat
Cornell University

Dr. Schat received his D.V.M. degree from The State University of Utrecht, The Netherlands in 1970. After graduation he joined the Dutch International Technical Assistance Program of the Dutch State Department to assist the Mexican Government with the development of a program on Marek's disease from 1971 to 1975. In preparation for his work at the Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Pecuarias in Mexico City, he trained with Dr. Bart Rispens (of the Rispens vaccine) at the Central Veterinary Institute. In 1975 he joined the Marek's disease program of Dr. Bruce Calnek at Cornell University as a graduate student. During this period he isolated and characterized the SB-1 vaccine strain of Marek's disease. After receiving his Ph.D. degree in 1978, he joined the faculty at the College of Veterinary Medicine, where he currently is a professor of Avian Virology and Immunology. His research career has focused on the pathogenesis, virology and immunology of avian diseases, especially Marek's disease and more recently chicken infectious anemia virus. His work has resulted in more than 130 papers in peerreviewed journals, 20 book chapters and numerous papers in proceedings. In addition he serves on numerous editorial boards and has served in the past on the editorial board of Poultry Science. His work has been recognized by his peers with the Beecham Award for Research Excellence, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University and the Upjohn Achievement Award of the American Association of Avian Pathologists in 1986, the Dr. Bart Rispens Research Award of the World Veterinary Poultry Association in 1987, and the Pfizer Award for Excellence in Poultry Research from the AVMA in 1999.

Dr. Jeanna L. Wilson
University of Georgia

A native of southwestern Virginia, Dr. Wilson received her B.S. in poultry science and M.S. in broiler management from Virginia Tech and her Ph.D. in avian physiology from Auburn University. She has served on the faculty in the Department of Poultry Science at the University of Georgia since 1988. Through her extension program at the University of Georgia, Dr. Wilson has assisted broiler breeder managers with rooster management programs that have increased flock fertility. Her applied research program has highlighted feed restriction methods to encourage good mating activity and semen quality of broiler breeder roosters. She is recognized as an international authority on management of male broiler breeders. Her teaching efforts include team teaching the Advanced Breeder & Hatchery Management course to seniors, advising undergraduate students, and mentoring graduate students.

Dr. Wilson has coauthored more than 150 peer-reviewed manuscripts and abstracts. She has published more than 85 extension and trade journal articles. In addition, her extension role has provided the opportunity to speak at more than 160 national, international, state and regional meetings. She has been a member of PSA and World's Poultry Science since 1980. Dr. Wilson has served PSA as session chair and graduate student evaluator at many of the annual PSA meetings. Her committee work includes scientific program chair for the 2005 PSA meeting, member and chair of the PSA Membership committee and member of the Helene Cecil Leadership Award Selection committee. She served as subject editor for The Journal of Applied Poultry Research (1995-2001) and as an Associate Editor for Poultry Science (1999-2000).

Dr. William W. Saylor
University of Delaware

Dr. William Saylor is a native of Butler County, Pennsylvania. He attended the Pennsylvania State University where he received a B.S. degree in dairy science, M.S. degree in animal nutrition in the Animal Science Department, and a Ph.D. in poultry nutrition under the mentorship of Dr. Roland M. Leach. In 1978, he joined the faculty of the then Department of Animal Science and Agricultural Biochemistry at the University of Delaware. He served for three years as assistant department chairperson, and from 1992-1999, as Associate Dean for Research of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources and the Associate Director of the Delaware Agricultural Experiment Station.

During his 27-year tenure at Delaware, Dr. Saylor has been responsible for teaching the sophomore-level introductory nutrition course for all animal science majors, Livestock Nutrition and Feeding, in which he has had more than 1400 students enrolled. The course has evolved from a typical lecture format to a lecture plus recitation to allow time each week for problem solving and discussion. The course has been highly rated by students because of the opportunity Dr. Saylor provides for hands-on experiences in the recitation/laboratory portion of the course. Here, students are allowed to formulate, mix and feed their diets to diverse poultry species, record pertinent data weekly, and to discuss and interpret the influence of their diet's ingredient and nutrient composition on their birds' growth and well-being. This cooperative, active learning experience serves to reinforce the nutrition and metabolism principles offered in lecture. A separate honors section of the course was added in 2000 and has served 63 honors students. Dr. Saylor also teaches a graduate level course in nonruminant nutrition and metabolism, a first year experience course for majors, Mastering the Freshman Year, and co-teaches the department's Sophomore Seminar. He has provided lectures in the department's freshman survey course, Introduction to Animal Science, and teaches the nutrition section of the Poultry Production course. In 2004, Dr. Saylor co-led a group of 22 students to Charles Sturt University in New South Wales, Australia on a five-week study abroad experience where he offered a course on Australian Livestock Production. Beyond the formal classroom setting, Dr. Saylor has served as mentor for 10 Science and Engineering Scholars, a summer research internship for sophomores; 3 Degree with Distinction recipients; and 15 graduate and post-doctoral students. He served for seven years as faculty advisor to Alpha Zeta, five years as advisor to the Animal Science Club, and currently advises the Agricultural College Council. In recognition for his teaching activities, Dr. Saylor was awarded the College of Agriculture Alumni Association Excellence in Teaching Award in 2004. He is a Fellow of the University of Delaware Institute for Transforming Undergraduate Education.

Dr. Saylor carries a 60% research appointment, in which he has most recently focused his efforts on improving nutrient utilization in poultry to reduce the impact of animal production on the environment. For the last four years, he has led an interdisciplinary, multi-institutional team in a USDA-IFAFS grant to improve phosphorus utilization through dietary modification to reduce phosphorus emissions to the environment.

Dr. Saylor joined the Poultry Science Association in 1978. His service efforts began as a member, then chair, of the Membership Committee. He has also served on the Resolutions, Constitution, Nominating and Finance Committees. From 1988 to 1991 he served as Secretary-Treasurer; he has served two terms as associate editor of Poultry Science, chaired the Nutrition Section of the 1995 Annual Meeting, and was Host Committee Chair of the 2002 Annual Meeting in Delaware. He served as 2nd and 1st Vice President and then President of the Association in 2001. Currently, he is Chair of the Strategic Planning Committee, is on the editorial board of The Journal of Applied Poultry Research, and is a member of the PSA Foundation Board of Directors.

Dr. Patricia A. Curtis
Auburn University

Dr. Patricia (Pat) A. Curtis received a B.S. in home economics education from Texas Woman's University, a M.S. and Ph.D. in food science and technology from Texas A&M University. Dr. Curtis joined the Department of Poultry Science at Auburn University in 2002 as Professor and the Director of the Poultry Products Safety and Quality Peaks of Excellence Program. Prior to coming to Auburn she was a faculty member in the Department of Food Science at North Carolina State University and the Department of Animal and Food Science at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls.

Dr. Curtis' research and extension/outreach programs on poultry and egg safety and quality have generated numerous invited presentations in regional, national and international meetings. Multiple book chapters, journal articles, abstracts, trade magazines articles, extension publications, and three patents provide insight of her scientific productivity and various areas of her efforts and time. Her areas of research expertise include applied research on poultry and egg products relating to microbial safety, processing technology, quality control, waste water and water reuse. She has also served as chair of the S-292 Multi-State Research Project and Associate Editor for Poultry Science. Other areas of interest include food laws and regulations, plant-employee safety, and consumer perceptions of food safety and acceptance of new technologies.

She has taught courses, both in traditional classrooms and in online distance education format. Dr. Curtis' academic work has been recognized, including the American Egg Board Research Award (2003), PSA Helene Cecil Leadership Award (2002), American Distance Education Council's Excellence in Distance Education Award (2000), North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service Leadership Award (1997), and Wisconsin Teaching Fellow (1987).

Phillip J. Clauer
Penn State University

Phillip J. Clauer was born in Waukesha, WI, and received his B.S. in poultry science (1983) and M.S. in continuing and vocational education (1985) from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. In 1985, he began his career in the Poultry Science Department at Virginia Tech as a Poultry Extension Specialist. His primary focus was the development, coordination, and implementation of educational programs and technical assistance for 4-H/youth and small/specialty poultry flock owners. He also taught "Poultry Evaluation and Selection", guest lectured, and taught labs for various other courses and coached the Intercollegiate Poultry Judging Team.

Clauer joined the Department of Poultry Science at Penn State in 2001 as a Senior Extension Associate with a 30% teaching and 70% extension appointment. His current job responsibilities include student recruitment, poultry youth education, and small flock outreach. He is a key recruiter for both the Poultry Science program and the Animal Sciences (AN SC) undergraduate major, which is co-sponsored by the Department of Poultry Science and the Department of Dairy and Animal Science. Phil also serves as the internship coordinator for the AN SC major, co-advisor of the Penn State Poultry Science Club, and is coach of the recently reestablished Penn State Intercollegiate Poultry Judging Team. He advises undergraduate students and co-teaches Poultry Evaluation and Selection (AN SC 421) and Advanced Judging and Selection (AN SC 426).

Phil has done an outstanding job in leading the efforts to rebuild an undergraduate poultry program as well as the AN SC major at Penn State. The major has grown steadily and is currently the largest undergraduate program in the College of Agricultural Sciences.

Through the employment of a multi-faceted recruiting strategy, which was supported in part by the successful procurement of competitive recruiting funds from the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association (USPEA) Education Fund Grant Program, there are now more poultry-interest students at Penn State than ever before, and membership in the Poultry Science Club is at an all-time high. As a result, during the past five years the number of poultry science scholarship recipients has tripled and the amount of scholarship monies awarded has doubled. In addition, due to the growth in the program, the Poultry Science Department launched a new minor in poultry and avian science in January 2005.

The success in the recruiting arena has come about primarily as a result of Phil's leadership in initiating and overseeing strategies such as encouraging and facilitating campus visits by potential recruits and their families, prompt response to information requests, personalized correspondence/contact with prospective students, maintenance of a database of prospective students, increasing the number of freshman scholarships, expanded poultry youth programming, establishment of annual internship scholarship program, establishment of a mentoring program, and planning a fall and spring industry tour for undergraduates. He has also worked hard to increase visibility at industry, youth, and college events through the designing and purchasing of clothing with departmental logos, large floor and tabletop displays advertising the program and the various career opportunities in poultry science. Clauer reestablished the PSU Intercollegiate Poultry Judging Team, which has increased Penn State's visibility both nationally and locally with youth actively involved in FFA and 4-H judging programs. In addition, several PSU undergraduates have helped to facilitate Pennsylvania state contests and training activities, thereby putting them in close contact with potential student recruits.

Phil provided leadership in securing a grant and writing the two 4HCCS teacher manuals for the national 4-H "Embryology in the Classroom" program in 2001. He developed the supporting poster and national support web site and helped revise the 4HCCS Poultry Series publications. Phil has chaired the National 4-H Poultry Judging Contest since 1990 and maintains several highly visible web sites, including the Poultry Extension Resource Site: http://Poultryextension.psu.edu, National 4-H Embryology site: http://4Hembryology.psu.edu, and National 4-H Poultry and Egg Conference site: http://National4HPoultryandEgg.psu.edu.

Over his 20-year career, Clauer has developed numerous Power- Point presentations, web-based resources, slide sets, training videos, newsletters, extension publications, and fact sheets to help support his extension programs. He has given 277 workshops/ presentations to 5664 participants since 1986. Phillip and Vickie Clauer have been married for 14 years and have 2 children: Ashley (12) and Ryan (8).

JoAnna Foegeding
North Carolina State University

JoAnna Foegeding, a graduate of North Carolina State University and The University of Virginia, has worked as a research technician in the Department of Food Science at NC State for over 25 years. Her research in the poultry field began in 1996 under the direction of Dr. Pat Curtis. Over the past 10 years, JoAnna has been an integral contributor to the poultry research, extension and teaching efforts of the department. Her research areas have included cryogenic egg processing, egg and shell quality, and poultry and egg washers. She has authored or coauthored five publications, one book chapter, and five abstracts. In addition, she has presented these results at the PSA meetings and international conferences including the European Symposium on the Quality of Eggs and Egg Products (Bologna, Italy) and 2nd International Symposium on Egg Nutrition for Health (Banff, Canada). Another credit to her excellent technical skills is the fact that she developed methodology for measuring vitelline membrane strength of shell eggs using Texture Analyzer instrumentation. This method is now a standard method included in the Texture Analyzer reference materials. More recently, she has taken on a large role in the Department's on-line education program in developing, programming and managing courses that are part of the Food Safety Certificate Program targeted to the poultry and meat industry.

JoAnna feels the most important and rewarding aspect of her job has been mentoring the scores of graduate and undergraduate students that have worked in her lab. Her exemplary service has been recognized with other awards including the Award of Excellence from the college of Ag and Life Sciences in 1997 and the Outstanding Faculty/Staff Award from the College of Ag and Life Sciences Alumni Society in 2001. She also earned the C. E. Howes Award of Excellence for the highest score on the certification exam at the 1999 National Egg Quality School.

Dr. Shuen-Ei Chen
Texas A&M University

Dr. Shuen-Ei Chen, of Texas A&M University, is the recipient of the Alltech Student Research Manuscript Award for his paper "Overfeeding-induced ovarian dysfunction in broiler breeder hens is associated with lipotoxicity." The co-authors are R. L. Walzem and J. P. McMurtry. Chen was born in Nan-Tou County, Taiwan, R.O.C. He completed his B.S. degree in animal science at the National Chung-Hsing University, Taiwan, R.O.C. in 1991. He served as a sergeant in the Army during 1991 to 1993. After the service, he joined the Institute of Biomedical Science, Academia Sinica, Taiwan, R.O.C. working in cell signaling. In 1995, Chen entered the Department of Animal Sciences, the Ohio State University, and worked in poultry lipid metabolism under the direction of Dr. W. L. Bacon. He finished his M.S. degree in 1997 and thereafter returned to Taiwan. During 1997-1998, he worked for the Physiological Chemistry Laboratory in the National Chung-Hsing University. In 1999, Chen entered the Ph.D. program in the Department of Poultry Science at the Texas A&M University to continue his interests in lipid metabolism with Dr. R. L. Walzem. He constructed a fundamental mechanism to elucidate rapid growth-associated reproductive dysfunctions in modern broiler hens in his Ph.D studies. During his studies, Chen became a member of the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi and Gamma Sigma Delta and was awarded a Student Certificate of Excellence from the PSA. He completed his Ph.D. degree in May 2004. Currently, Dr. Chen is a postdoctoral associate in the Baylor College of Medicine working in myogenesis.

 

Craig D. Coufal
Texas A&M University

Craig D. Coufal, Texas A&M University, is the recipient of a Certificate of Excellence in the Environment and Management section for his paper "Effects of season on nitrogen mass balance of broilers" coauthored by C. Chavez, P. R. Niemeyer, and J. B. Carey (advisor).

Coufal received a B.S. in poultry science from Texas A&M University in 1997. After working for one year in the commercial egg industry, he returned to Texas A&M and completed an M.S. in 2000. Coufal then worked at Texas A&M as an extension associate until December of 2003. He returned to graduate school to work on a doctoral degree, which will be awarded in August of 2005. Past research work has included projects with broilers, hatching egg sanitation and incubation, turkeys, and laying hens.

His research has demonstrated that seasonal variation mainly due to temperature) significantly affects many parameters of broiler production and the resulting nitrogen volatilization from broiler facilities. Therefore, producers and scientists need to take this variation into consideration when measuring ammonia loss and developing strategies to mitigate ammonia emissions from commercial facilities.

Marc De Beer
University of Arkansas

Marc de Beer, University of Arkansas, is the recipient of a Certificate of Excellence in the Poster section for his paper "The effect of feed restriction programs on body weight, frame size, flock uniformity, and in vitro lipogenesis of broiler breeder hens" coauthored by Craig N. Coon. de Beer is from Cape Town, South Africa, and he has been working on a Ph.D. in poultry nutrition at the University of Arkansas for the last two years under the supervision of Dr. Craig Coon. de Beer completed B.S. and M.S. degrees cum laude at the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa. Upon graduating in 2000, he received the AFMA award for the top animal science student in South Africa.

de Beer's research involves broiler breeder hens and focuses on the various feed restriction programs used in rearing. He is currently investigating the effects of feed restriction on various metabolic parameters as well as stress. His work also includes research into the various physiological and metabolic effects of carnitine supplementation on breeder hen performance and subsequent nutrient transfer and chick performance.

Amy L. Doernte
Auburn University

Amy L. Doernte, Auburn University, is the recipient of a Certificate of Excellence in the Physiology section for her paper "Spontaneously occurring fibroid tumors of the laying hen oviduct" coauthored by Lindsay Stevenson, Suzanne H. Oates, and Wallace D. Berry (advisor).

Doernte graduated from Poquoson High School in Poquoson, VA, and received a B.S. in animal and poultry sciences from Virginia Tech in 2004. She is currently working toward an M.S. in the Department of Poultry Science at Auburn University under the guidance of Dr. Wallace Berry in the area of reproductive physiology. Doernte has remained active in clubs, organizations, and the community throughout her undergraduate and graduate degrees. She is presently a member of the graduate student council serving as vice president for the 2005-2006 school year. She is also a member of the Auburn University Campus Health and Wellness and Concessions committees. Recently, Doernte joined the volunteer team at the Southeastern Raptor Center, the oldest and only full-service medical and surgical wildlife rehabilitation facility in the southeast dedicated solely to birds of prey. She is a member of the Poultry Science Club and the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society and will enter Veterinary School in the fall of 2006 and pursue equine medicine specializing in reproductive physiology.

Doernte is currently investigating the effects of overfeeding current broiler breeder stocks on reproduction, fitness, and livability. Because stocks are constantly changing, it is essential that producers as well as primary breeding companies understand the growth and reproductive potential of these strains. It is also important to understand what happens when these birds are overfed to help determine proper growth curves and feeding schemes for these strains.

Ondulla T. Foye-Jackson
North Carolina State University

Ondulla T. Foye-Jackson, North Carolina State University, is the recipient of a Certificate of Excellence and a Graduate Student Paper Award for Turkey Research in the Nutrition section for her paper "The effects of in ovo feeding of β-hydroxybeta- methylbutyrate (HMB) and arginine on jejunal expression and function in turkeys" coauthored by P. R. Ferket (advisor) and Z. Uni.

Foye is a North Carolina native and currently resides in Lowell, MA. In 1994, she graduated from North Carolina State University with a B.S. in biochemistry and a B.A. in chemistry. While in college, she competed in numerous Miss America preliminary pageants and won several academic scholarships. In 2000, Foye completed an M.S. in physiology at North Carolina State University in the Department of Zoology under the direction of Dr. Betty Black. In the spring of 2005, she completed a Ph.D. in nutrition at North Carolina State University in the Department of Poultry Science under the direction of Dr. Peter Ferket. In July 2005, Foye began a postdoctoral fellowship in the Mucosal Immunology Laboratory of Pediatric Gastroenterology at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School under the supervision of Dr. Allan Walker and Dr. Hai Ning Shi.

For the last four years, Foye has studied the biochemical and molecular effects of amnionic nutrient administration, in ovo feeding on intestinal development and function, and carbohydrate metabolism in turkey embryos and poults. Nutrients such as arginine, HMB, carbohydrates, and proteins were administered into the amnion of a developing turkey embryo, which naturally consumed the amnion and the administered nutrients. Thus in ovo feeding is basically feeding the embryo. Unlike the mammalian fetus, the avian embryo develops in a closed environment; thus, a more direct correlation between nutrients and physiological parameters could be made. In her research, Foye examined the effects of in ovo feeding on the small intestine expression and activity of the sodium glucose transporter (SGLT-1), peptide transporter (Pept-1), brush border enzymes (sucrase-isomaltase and leucine aminopeptidase), and gut morphology during embryonic development through 2 weeks after hatching. Additionally, she examined the effects of in ovo feeding on carbohydrate metabolism (glycogen status, hepatic gluconeogenesis) and plasma insulin-like growth factors.

 

Jacquelyn B. Hoffman
University of Georgia

Jacquelyn B. Hoffman, University of Georgia, is the recipient of a Certificate of Excellence in the Physiology section for her paper "Expression of the activin type IA and type IB receptors during follicular development in broiler breeder hens" coauthored by A. J. Davis (advisor) and M. L. Freeman.

Jackie graduated summa cum laude with a B.S.A. in biological sciences from the University of Georgia in 2002. She is starting the third year of the Ph.D. program at the University of Georgia under the direction of Dr. Adam Davis in the poultry science department. She is an NSF fellow in the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences where she teaches at Madison County High School to improve science education in Georgia's public schools.

Her research has focused primarily on the roles of inhibin and activin in regulating ovarian function and follicular development. She is interested in the differential expression and production of these hormones in animals with normal and abnormal follicular development and ovulation. Hoffman has studied activin and inhibin in a variety of species including turkeys, broiler breeder hens, leghorn hens, and African and Asian elephants. In the future, she would like to continue to identify how these hormones act to elicit normal ovarian function in domestic and wild species.

 

Brian H. Kiepper
University of Georgia

Brian H. Kiepper, University of Georgia, is the recipient of a Certificate of Excellence in the Environment and Management section for his paper "Effects of slaughter plant and time on gross composition of poultry processing wastewater particulate matter" coauthored by W. C. Merka and D. L. Fletcher (advisor).

Kiepper received a B.S. in agriculture, majoring in animal science, from Tennessee Technological University in 1985. In early 1990s, he began a career in municipal and industrial water and wastewater treatment as an industrial pretreatment coordinator for the city of Conyers, Georgia/Rockdale County Water Resources Department. During his tenure in Rockdale County, Kiepper was promoted to assistant director of water distribution and wastewater treatment. In 1998, he joined the University of Georgia (UGA) Engineering Outreach Service (Biology and Agricultural Engineering Department) as a research engineer to provide technical assistance to municipal and industrial Georgia clients in the areas of water use and conservation, wastewater assessment, and treatment. Since 2000, his major focus area has been wastewater generation and treatment in poultry processing. While at UGA, he earned an M.S. in food science in 2003 with a thesis titled "Characterization of poultry processing operations, wastewater generation, and wastewater treatment using mail survey and nutrient discharge monitoring methods." Kiepper entered the Ph.D. program in the Department of Poultry Science at UGA in 2004.

Kiepper's research focus is in the area of fine particulate matter remaining in poultry processing wastewater after traditional physical screening steps. Current chemical and biological wastewater treatment technologies can recover this offal, but the recovered solids are adulterated, thus reducing uses and value. Environmental and economic pressures have made the development, evaluation, and application of advanced physical separation technologies feasible for the recovery of these solids as unadulterated primary offal from poultry processing wastewater streams. Research projects are underway or planned in the areas of laboratory wet sieving and proximate analysis, particle size distribution and analysis by laser diffraction, and pilot-scale applied tertiary physical screening within currently operating poultry processing wastewater treatment systems.

Vanessa Kretzschmar-McCluskey
Auburn University

Vanessa K. Kretzschmar-McClusky, Auburn University, is the recipient of a Certificate of Excellence in the Processing and Products section for her paper "Influence of hen age on the shell egg exterior, interior, and contents of microflora and Salmonella prevalence during a single production cycle" coauthored by K. Anderson, P. Curtis (advisor), and L. Kerth.

Vanessa K. Kretzschmar- McCluskey, graduated from Cleveland High School in Cleveland, AL, and received a B.S. in poultry science with a minor in Spanish from Auburn University. Vanessa entered into her Ph.D. research immediately after graduation with her B.S, and is currently perusing her studies at Auburn under the direction of Dr. Patricia A. Curtis. Her research focuses on the natural prevalence of Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) and other microflora on the exterior, in the interior shell, and in the contents of shell eggs. Vanessa manages the Auburn University Egg Quality Lab, where research is done on the functional properties of eggs. She is a senator to the Graduate Student Council, representing the poultry science department, where she serves on the Traffic Appeals Board and the University Scholarship Committee. Vanessa is a member of the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) and will be serving as the 2005-2006 secretary for IAFP's Student Professional Development Group. She is also a member of the Poultry Science Association. In the future, Vanessa hopes to work in an educational or research and development field focusing on food safety.

Vanessa's research focuses on the natural occurrence of SE in the shell eggs of laying hens from the 35th North Carolina Layer Performance and Management Test. Eggs from Hy-Line W36 and W-98 strains were used to perform the microbial portion of her study, and frozen samples from those strains will be used for analyses of proteins, fats, and fatty acids. Investigation of Salmonella spp.was done on the exterior shell, in the interior shell, and in the contents of the eggs. Samples were preenriched, enriched, and plated on selective media, and biochemical tests were performed. Positive suspect samples were stored in cryovials and will be tested using agglutination and ribotyping. Proximate analysis will be performed on frozen yolk and albumen samples for completion of the study.

Erin Hoerl Leone
University of Maryland

Erin Hoerl Leone, University of Maryland, is the recipient of a Certificate of Excellence in the Poster section for her paper "Behavioral response of broilers to competition with different feeder sizes and locations" coauthored by I. Estevez (advisor) and M. C. Christman.

A native of Delaware, Leone received a B.S. in psychology in 2001 from the College of William and Mary. In 2004 she received an M.S. in animal science from the University of Maryland, College Park, where she is now a Ph.D. student. Leone currently has papers under review in the journals Animal Behavior and Applied Animal Behavior Science and has had one manuscript accepted for publication in Applied Animal Behavior Science. Leone is an 1980/1994 minority fellow at the University of Maryland and in May 2005 was the recipient of the Outstanding Graduate Student of the Year Award.

Leone is currently interested in the independent effects of various environmental factors, specifically pen attributes, on behavior and movement in broiler fowl. This work entails deciphering the different and unique effects of factors above and beyond pen area, such as total perimeter space as well as perimeter per animal, farthest distance to walls and corners, and general shape.

Brigid A. McCrea
Auburn University

Brigid A. McCrea, Auburn University, is the recipient of a Certificate of Excellence in the Environment and Management section for her paper "Recovery of Campylobacter jejuni from broiler house samples during four consecutive flocks: isolate distribution" coauthored by K. S. Macklin, R. A. Norton, J. B. Hess, and S. F. Bilgili (advisor).

McCrea received a B.S. in avian sciences in 1999 and an M.S. in 2002, both from the University of California, Davis. Her M.S. research was performed under the guidance of Dr. Joan (Jeffrey) Schrader. She is currently nearing completion of her doctoral degree at Auburn University under the guidance of Dr. S. F. Bilgili. She plans to pursue a career in extension. She is a member of Poultry Science Association, World's Poultry Science Association, American Poultry Historical Society, Alpha Zeta, and Gamma Sigma Delta.

Research interests include environmental and food microbiology in broilers, turkeys, and niche market poultry with an emphasis on a farm to fork approach. Her M.S. degree research used bacterial cultures with surveys to determine management techniques that led to an increase or decrease in the levels of Campylobacter and Salmonella in birds produced for the Asian live fowl market as well as free-range broilers. Molecular techniques have been incorporated into research to improve biosecurity and HACCP plans for squab, poussin, duck, quail, guinea fowl, and free-range broiler producers. Her Ph.D. research has used automated ribotyping to determine the longitudinal relationships and trends of Escherichia coli, Campylobacter, and Salmonella during four consecutive broiler flocks. Work in the area of 4-H and FFA poultry youth programs and poultry department recruitment has been ongoing.

Hilary O. Pavlidis 
University of Arkansas

Hilary O. Pavlidis, University of Arkansas, is the recipient of a Certificate of Excellence in the Genetics / Pathology / Immunology section for her paper "Broiler growth and development as influenced by divergent selection for ascites" coauthored by L. K. Stamps, J. M. Balog, and N. B. Anthony (advisor).

Pavlidis is a native of Virginia Beach, VA, and graduated from Floyd E. Kellam High School. Upon graduation, she attended Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, VA, where she received a B.S. in animal and poultry sciences in May 2001. As an undergraduate, she worked with Dr. Paul B. Siegel and completed a research project entitled "Associations between egg production and clutch length in four selected lines of chickens," which has been accepted for publication. Also, as an undergraduate she completed a summer Research and Development internship with Cobb-Vantress Inc., Siloam Springs, AR, where she evaluated various lines for incidence of tibial dyschondroplasia. After completion of a B.S., Hilary moved to Arkansas to complete an M.S. degree with Dr. Nicholas B. Anthony in poultry breeding and genetics at the University of Arkansas. In December 2003 she completed an M.S. degree with a thesis entitled "Correlated responses to divergent selection for ascites in broiler chickens." She is currently working on a Ph.D. in poultry breeding and genetics with Dr. Anthony at the University of Arkansas.

 

Arijit Saha
University of Arkansas 

Arijit Saha, University of Arkansas, is the recipient of a Certificate of Excellence in the Processing and Products section for his paper "Effect of chronic heat stress on meat quality parameters of two commercial broiler lines" coauthored by T. L. Wing and Casey Owens (advisor).

Saha is currently pursuing a Ph.D. degree at the University of Arkansas. After completion of an undergraduate degree in food science from University of Delhi, India, he decided to pursue an M.S. in a more specialized field. After Saha finished an M.S. in meat science from the University of Bristol, UK, he decided to take time off to travel around Europe for one year, before settling in the UK for some experience in the meat industry. While working in the industry he realized that he could contribute something to the meat industry that will not only benefit the industry directly but also contribute to the research already going on. That is how Saha landed in the United States and plans to stay for the next couple of years until his degree is completed. Saha's research is mainly in the field of marination.

Hiroko Taira
University of Nebraska

Hiroko Taira, University of Nebraska, is the recipient of a Certificate of Excellence in the Poster section for her presentation "Activity of 3β-HSD in granulosa cells treated in vitro with LH, FSH, PRL, or a combination" coauthored by M. M. Beck (advisor).

Taira was born in Lincoln, NE. When she was seven, her family returned to Japan, where she grew up. After completing a B.S. in zootechnical science at the Tokyo University of Agriculture in 1994, she worked for three years before coming back to Lincoln, NE, in 1997 to improve her English skills and to pursue graduate education. In 2001, she received an M.S. degree under the supervision of Dr. Mary Beck at the University of Nebraska. Her M.S. research was done with waterfowl in the Rainwater Basin of Nebraska. Taira is currently working toward a Ph.D. degree in avian physiology at the University of Nebraska.

Effects of the heat stress on reproduction of males and females is the focus of her research; the current focus is on the enzyme 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3β- HSD). 3β-HSD is one of the key enzymes in the steroidogenic pathway that is responsible for producing progesterone and testosterone, and in female layers and male quail, heat stress reduces activity of β-HSD in granulosa cells and Leydig cells, respectively.

Strain differences have been found in females as such: granulosa cells of heat-stressed Hy-Line W98 retain the highest activity of β-HSD, those of Hy-Line Browns have the lowest enzyme activity, and the granulosa cells of Hy-Line W36 are intermediate in activity. This research examines the response to hormone treatments of granulosa cells of three strains of Hy-Line laying hens. Activity of β-HSD was increased when LH or LH + FSH were added, whereas treatment with FSH or prolactin (PRL) decreased the enzyme activity in granulosa cells. Neither LH + PRL nor LH + FSH + PRL had an effect on enzyme activity, suggesting that PRL has an inhibitory effect. The results of this study suggest a mechanism by which reduced activity of β-HSD and progesterone by granulosa cells during the heat stress might be explained. Studies are being conducted to investigate the genomics of the 3β-HSD response to heat stress.

Kristina Thompson
Purdue University 

Kristi Thompson, Purdue University, is the recipient of a Certificate of Excellence in the Physiology section for her paper "Effect of feed withdrawal on mucus and morphology of the small intestine of broilers" coauthored by T. J. Applegate.

Kristi was born in Missouri and received a B.S. in animal science and an M.S. in poultry nutrition at the University of Missouri-Columbia. After obtaining an M.S. degree, she worked as an intern at British United Turkeys in the United Kingdom. She is now pursuing a Ph.D. in poultry nutrition at Purdue University.

Kristi is working toward characterizing the time course of intestinal changes during feed withdrawal periods in market-age broilers in order to better understand preharvest strategies to reduce carcass contamination. Aspects that are being measured include intestinal morphology, intestinal epithelial cell proliferation, and intestinal electrophysiology. Additionally, changes in the indigenous intestinal bacteria are being examined to better understand how the intestinal resident microbiota are affected during feed withdrawal. Finally, the roles of antibiotics, copper sulfate, oxyhalogens, and other antimicrobial compounds on intestinal morphology and intestinal microbiota are being characterized.

Melissa C. Torres
California Polytechnic State University

Melissa C. Torres is the recipient of a Certificate of Excellence in the Genetics / Pathology / Immunology section for her paper "Effect of broiler strain and sex on macrophage inflammatory responses in cell culture" coauthored by Elizabeth A. Koutsos.

Torres is currently finishing up her second year in graduate school at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, CA, where she also received a B.S. degree in animal science in 2003. Her extra curricular activities include raising two young children (ages one and three years old) with her husband. Before graduate school and kids, she enjoyed running, horseback riding, reading books, and target shooting. When Torres graduate, she plans to work in the agriculture industry in one capacity or another to ensure the safety of our food supply.

Her research has established a time and dose response curve for LPS in HD11 cells, a macrophage-like cell line. Next, experiments were run with peripheral blood monocytes isolated from broilers of different strains to determine if there was a difference in immune response (NO) between males and females and across strains. The plasma taken from these birds was then used to plate HD11 cells in an attempt to also determine whether or not HD11 nitric oxide production changed between those plated with male and female plasma or across strains.

Jeana M. Gilbert
Mississippi State University

Jeana M. Gilbert, Mississippi State University, is the recipient of a Certificate of Excellence for her poster "Dietary L-carnitine responses in broiler diets" coauthored by A. Corzo, C. M. Page, J. C. Woodworth, and M.T. Kidd (advisor) and presented in the Nutrition section. Gilbert is a from Brandon, MS, and is working on a B.S. in poultry science at Mississippi State University, Starkville.

Carlos Martinez
University of Illinois

Carlos Martinez, University of Illinois, is the recipient of a Certificate of Excellence in the Nutrition section for his presentation "Nutritional characteristics of corn distillers dried grain with solubles produced by different processing techniques" coauthored by Dr. Carl Parsons.

 

Patrick J. Ward
University of Alberta

Patrick J. Ward, University of Alberta, is the recipient of a Certificate of Excellence for his presentation "Broiler barn surface type and presence of organic material in- fluences the ability of disinfectants to reduce bacterial populations" coauthored by M. LaForge, S. Gibson, L. McMullen, and G. Fasenko (advisor). Currently an undergraduate at the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada, Ward is in his fourth year in the Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, majoring in animal sciences.

 

 

Ondulla T. Foye-Jackson
North Carolina State University

Ondulla T. Foye-Jackson, North Carolina State University, is the recipient of a Certificate of Excellence and a Graduate Student Paper Award for Turkey Research in the Nutrition section for her paper "The effects of in ovo feeding of β-hydroxybeta- methylbutyrate (HMB) and arginine on jejunal expression and function in turkeys" coauthored by P. R. Ferket (advisor) and Z. Uni.

Foye is a North Carolina native and currently resides in Lowell, MA. In 1994, she graduated from North Carolina State University with a B.S. in biochemistry and a B.A. in chemistry. While in college, she competed in numerous Miss America preliminary pageants and won several academic scholarships. In 2000, Foye completed an M.S. in physiology at North Carolina State University in the Department of Zoology under the direction of Dr. Betty Black. In the spring of 2005, she completed a Ph.D. in nutrition at North Carolina State University in the Department of Poultry Science under the direction of Dr. Peter Ferket. In July 2005, Foye began a postdoctoral fellowship in the Mucosal Immunology Laboratory of Pediatric Gastroenterology at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School under the supervision of Dr. Allan Walker and Dr. Hai Ning Shi.

For the last four years, Foye has studied the biochemical and molecular effects of amnionic nutrient administration, in ovo feeding on intestinal development and function, and carbohydrate metabolism in turkey embryos and poults. Nutrients such as arginine, HMB, carbohydrates, and proteins were administered into the amnion of a developing turkey embryo, which naturally consumed the amnion and the administered nutrients. Thus in ovo feeding is basically feeding the embryo. Unlike the mammalian fetus, the avian embryo develops in a closed environment; thus, a more direct correlation between nutrients and physiological parameters could be made. In her research, Foye examined the effects of in ovo feeding on the small intestine expression and activity of the sodium glucose transporter (SGLT-1), peptide transporter (Pept-1), brush border enzymes (sucrase-isomaltase and leucine aminopeptidase), and gut morphology during embryonic development through 2 weeks after hatching. Additionally, she examined the effects of in ovo feeding on carbohydrate metabolism (glycogen status, hepatic gluconeogenesis) and plasma insulin-like growth factors.

 

 

 

Daniel Lake Fletcher
University of Georgia

Dan Fletcher earned his B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Florida, majoring in zoology, food science, and poultry science/food science, respectively. He joined the faculty of the Poultry Science Department, University of Georgia, as an Assistant Professor in 1977. He was named an Associate Professor in 1984 and Full Professor in 1990. He holds a Courtesy Professor appointment in Food Science and Technology. Dr. Fletcher's appointment is 35 percent instruction and 65 percent research. He has taught numerous courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, including Introductory Poultry Science, Poultry Processing, Poultry Products Technology, Special Problems and Seminars. Dan was named Graduate Coordinator in 2001. Graduate students have completed 14 M.S. and 8 Ph.D. degrees under his guidance. He currently advises two M.S. and two Ph.D. students.

Research on egg yolk and broiler skin color work led to improved analyses of egg yolk and broiler skin color, and evaluation of pigment sources. His research into early rigor, ante-mortem stress and early processing factors (such as stunning and killing methods) contributed to the understanding of the effects of production and processing methods on poultry meat color, texture, shelf life and overall quality. They also address regulatory and animal welfare concerns in the poultry processing industry. Over one million dollars in research support and grants were awarded for his work. Dr. Fletcher has contributed 143 refereed journal articles, book chapters and reviews; 143 abstracts; 50 proceedings and invited papers; and 99 trade publication and research reports.

Dan has been active in professional societies. He served on editorial and review boards of nine journals, including Poultry Science. He was the PSA General Program Chair for 1993 and served on numerous other program, award, and supporting PSA committees. Dan was a director and the President of the USA Branch of the World's Poultry Science Association. He is an active member of the Institute of Food Technologists, American Meat Science Association, National Academic Advising Association, and the Georgia Poultry Federation.

Some of the major awards earned by Dan Fletcher include five through the PSA: a Graduate Student Certificate of Excellence Award in 1977, American Egg Board Research Award in 1980, Broiler Research Award in 1990, the Continental Grain Poultry Products Research Award in 1991, and the Merck Award for Achievement in Poultry Science in 1999. He has received 11 awards for teaching and research from his department and college.

Daniel Fletcher is highly regarded and respected by poultry instructors and researchers in industry, government and academia. His nominator, Dr. Nelson Cox (UDSA, ARS, Poultry Microbiological Research Unit) stated that, "My collaborations with Dan have been some of the most beneficial, worthwhile and rewarding of my career. He is an exceptional ... colleague."

Mary Ann Ottinger
University of Maryland

Mary Ann Ottinger was born in Aiken, SC, and graduated from high school in Black Mountain, NC. She attended the University of Maryland, where she received her B.S. degree in biology, M.S. degree in endocrinology, and Ph.D. in ethology (Department of Zoology). She was appointed Assistant Professor in the Poultry Science Department in 1978, and progressed to the rank of Full Professor.

Dr. Ottinger is a superb teacher, consistently receiving high ratings in evaluations from her students in reproductive physiology classes. She serves as an undergraduate advisor in the Animal Science and the Environmental Science and Policy programs. She has advised University Gemstone (group undergraduate research) projects. Her extensive contacts in agriculture and wildlife biology attract individuals with varied interests to work in her laboratory, students from high school through postdoctoral levels. Mary Ann has trained 19 M.S. and 12 Ph.D. students, and she currently advises 8 graduate students.

Mary Ann Ottinger is a highly respected endocrinologist. Her long-term research interest focused on the effects of aging on reproduction. Classical measurements of circulating hormones and biological measurements at the cellular and molecular levels have been used to identify neurological changes during reproductive senescence. Her research results have been published in over 100 refereed journal articles, 12 book chapters, and 22 conference proceedings. She has also given over 80 invited presentations at national and international conferences.

Her outstanding teaching and research achievements did not deter her from roles of leadership in organizations and programs benefiting agricultural sciences. She served and/or headed numerous PSA committees, including General Program Chair in 1984. She was a PSA Director (1989-1991) and officer, moving to President in 1995-1996. During this time, Dr. Ottinger strongly supported PSA's participation in FASFAS, later becoming the Federation of Animal Science Societies (FASS). Mary Ann represented PSA on the FASS Board (1997-2000) and served as President (1998-1999). She also represented PSA and FASS on the National Academy of Science's Board of Agriculture, the CoFARM Steering Committee and on the planning committees for FAIR-95 and FAIR-2000. She further served the American Society of Zoologists as Secretary and as session chair at several meetings.

Dr. Ottinger's service to her department and university included the Graduate Program Review Committee (1996), Graduate Fellowship Committee, Research Council to the Graduate School Dean, search committees, promotion and tenure committees, etc. In recognition of her many outstanding leadership activities, PSA selected Mary Ann to receive the Helene Cecil Leadership Award in 2000.

Her department chair and nominator, Dr. Richard Erdman, concluded, "... the combined excellence in scholarship, teaching and mentorship shown by Dr. Ottinger during her academic career, along with the leadership provided to PSA and FASS more than merit her election as a Poultry Science Fellow. She is truly deserving of this recognition ...."