Pecking Out Your Path: A Workshop for Student Future Mapping is an interactive session designed to empower students in shaping their future with clarity and confidence. This workshop delves into crucial questions that often arise in the minds of students as they navigate the path to their desired careers.

This engaging session tackles pivotal questions, ensuring participants have the necessary courses, training, and experience to succeed in their chosen fields. The workshop will also discuss pathway exploration. Whether it is graduate school, postgraduate training, industry, or technical sectors, students will gain a clearer understanding of each route's demands and rewards. Lastly, the workshop will spotlight the significance of building meaningful connections and leveraging networks that propel their ambitions.

 About the Speakers:

Led by experienced professionals Dr. Mamduh Sifri (Sifri Solutions LLC) and Dr. Todd Applegate (University of Georgia), this workshop offers expert guidance and fosters collaborative learning. Students will have the opportunity to interact with and gain valuable insights about career-related matters. At the end of the workshop, participants will possess the tools to confidently navigate their future equipped with strategy, preparedness, and a network of valuable connections to guide them towards success.

 Dr. Mamduh Sifri

Dr. Mamduh Sifri is a distinguished alumni from the American University of Beirut (AUB) and a Fellow of the Poultry Science Association. He is the owner of Sifri Solutions, LLC and a retired Director of Poultry Business, Marketing, and Technical Support from ADM. Dr. Sifri has a wealth of knowledge in the industry and has lectured at many universities, industry functions and symposia in the United States and internationally about business conduct, research, and the application of science in business. He believes in multiplying the learning ability for people so they can achieve their ultimate goals and make an impact on others to do the same.

 Dr. Todd J. Applegate

Todd J. Applegate, PhD is a Professor and R. Harold and Patsy Harrison Chair in Poultry Science at the University of Georgia. In that role, he is responsible for recruiting and building teams of faculty and students to effectively respond to challenges affecting Georgia and the global poultry sector.

Prior his current appointment, he obtained degrees in animal sciences from Ohio State and Iowa State Universities, and afterwards as a research associate at the University of Maryland. Preceding his current appointment, he served on faculty at Purdue University where he developed an active research program which complemented his outreach program by providing readily applicable research answers to everyday management and nutrition questions by the poultry industry. Todd has been a member of several national committees and has served as President and honoured as a Fellow of the Poultry Science Association.

Microbiome mapping: The effects of diet, dietary feed additives, age, and disease challenge on the microbiome of broilers and turkeys

As the consumer increases the call for antibiotic reduction, and even elimination, in food animal production, the role of probiotics, prebiotics, and postbiotics on the poultry microbiome have received increased interest. This webinar will focus on how we can shift the microbiota environment toward a higher population of favorable biomarkers. We will share a database of microbiome monitoring data across many flocks and feeding scenarios to show how these microbial biomarker shifts can impact growth, performance and health status.

About the Speaker

Dr. Theresia Lavergne
Senior Technical Service Manager, Natural Biologics®

Theresia Lavergne has been involved in agriculture throughout her life. She was born in south Florida where her family owned a beef processing and meat packing plant. During her childhood, she moved to central Florida and grew up on a Thoroughbred Broodmare Farm. Additionally, Theresia was a 4-H member for 10 years and was involved in livestock projects and judging teams. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal and Dairy Sciences from Auburn University, a Master of Science degree in monogastric nutrition from Mississippi State University, and a Ph.D. in monogastric nutrition from Louisiana State University. She began her career with Land O’ Lakes Feed as a Swine Technical Service Manager for two years. She then spent almost 17 years as a Professor and State Poultry Extension Specialist with the LSU AgCenter. In 2016, Theresia returned to industry as a Monogastric Technical Services Manager with Arm & Hammer Animal and Food Production where she supported their probiotic and prebiotic products for the poultry industry. In 2022, she joined Natural Biologics as a Senior Technical Service Manager.

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Details coming soon. Webinar to take place in December 2023.

Why Is On Farm Campylobacter Control Not the Same As Salmonella Control?

CDC has reported the major cause of bacterial foodborne illness in the U.S. is Campylobacter jejuni. We are only beginning to understand the epidemiology of Campylobacter. Understanding this and the unique characteristics of Campylobacter will help us develop on farm Campylobacter reduction programs for broiler chickens.

This webinar has been approved for 1 ARPAS CEU.

About the Speaker

Charles Hofacre DVM, MAM, PhD
President | Southern Poultry Research Group

Charles Hofacre (Chuck) is from a small Ohio farming community, Wooster. He holds a B.S. in Agriculture, an M.S. in Poultry Science, and Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from The Ohio State University. He also has a Master of Avian Medicine and PhD in Veterinary Medical Microbiology from The University of Georgia. The positions he has held were as Director of Veterinary Medicine at a turkey production company, Cuddy Farms, Inc. in Marshville, NC. He then served 7 years as a Vice-President and member of the Board of Directors for Ross Breeders, Inc., in Huntsville, Alabama. Following Ross Breeders, he was the Manager of Technical Service for Bayer’s poultry business in the U.S. Chuck served as the Executive Vice President of the poultry veterinary organization, the American Association of Avian Pathologists (AAAP), from 2003 to 2016.

Chuck retired from The University of Georgia after 19 years as a Professor in the Department of Population Health and the Director of Clinical Services for the Poultry Diagnostic and Research Center in Athens, Georgia.

In May 2013, Chuck and his wife Christa started a private contract research company The Southern Poultry Research Group near Athens, Georgia.

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Fellow And Student Talks (F.A.S.T.) Hour

Back by popular demand, PSA is pleased to invite students to the F.A.S.T. Hour! Students will get to hear from and connect with some of the Association's Fellows. This hour-long opportunity serves to facilitate conversation between students and Fellows giving students a learning opportunity from poultry science professionals with extensive knowledge and experience. Students can exptect advice on career planning and management as well as insight on what it takes to be excel as an outstanding poultry science professional.

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How to Get Published: A Fireside Chat with Our Journal Editors

Have you ever wondered what it takes to get published in Poultry Science and the Journal of Applied Poultry Research? Here’s your chance to hear it straight from the horses’ mouths, as Editors In Chief Mike Kogut and Brian Fairchild offer their suggestions, tips, and unvarnished feedback on common issues that keep papers from making it to publication.

This candid, informative session will cover:

• What journal editors are looking for in a quality manuscript;
• The top mistakes authors make when submitting their article for consideration;
• Ways you as an author can speed up your time to first decision; and,
• Any questions you might have for our Editorial Team!

About the Speakers

Dr. Michael H. Kogut
USDA-ARS
Editor-in-Chief, Poultry Science^®

Dr. Kogut is a Research Microbiologist and Lead Scientist at the Southern Plains Agricultural Research Center, College Station, TX. Dr. Kogut has published over 220 peer-reviewed scientific papers, 19 book chapters, and has received 5 patents. Dr. Kogut’s research has concentrated on the development of cost-effective immunological interventions to improve gut health by studying the role of the microbiota in immunity to infection; the role of dietary metabolites in promoting immune regulation and immune responses to pathogens; characterizing novel molecular targets that mediate the actions of dietary compounds in inflammation and immunity; and understanding the integration of central metabolic pathways and nutrient sensing with antimicrobial immunity.

Dr. Brian D. Fairchild
University of Georgia
Editor-in-Chielf, The Journal of Applied Poultry Research

Brian D. Fairchild is a native of North Carolina and received his PhD in Physiology from North Carolina State University. He has been a member of the faculty of the Department of Poultry Science at the University of Georgia for 20 years where he is a professor and extension poultry scientist working in poultry house management. He co-teaches the Advanced Poultry Management course. His area of focus is broiler house environmental control, energy conservation and management. Recent projects focus on factors affecting broiler body temperature, broiler water consumption and poultry house moisture control. Brian travels extensively both domestic and internationally providing seminars on the principles of broiler management and poultry house environmental control. He and Michael Czarick coordinate two ventilation workshops each year that have both national and international participants. Brian has been a member of PSA since 1994, a member of the Southern Poultry Science Society since 1996 and the World’s Poultry Science Association since 1996. He has served as section chair or judged graduate student presentations for various sessions at the annual Poultry Science Meeting and the International Poultry Scientific Forum. He has served on a number of PSA committees that include the Membership Committee, Personnel Award Committee, Alltech Manuscript Award Committee, Drugs and Chemicals Committee, National Chicken Council Broiler Research Award Committee, Merck Animal Health Graduate Fellowship Committee, Diamond V Undergraduate Poultry Science Scholarship Committee and the annual meeting committee. Brian currently serves as First Vice President of PSA and the Editor-in-Chief of The Journal of Applied Poultry Research. Brian and his wife, Amanda, reside in Colbert, GA and have two sons, Andrew and Daniel.