Letter from Department Head

From the Desk of Dr. Todd Applegate

Dear Poultry Science friends:

I hope this newsletter finds you well. We recently completed our Fall 2024 semester and we have truly been blessed with a sense of community in the department. We are so appreciative of being able to enjoy events such as our Fall welcome back for students in August and our alumni/friends tailgate in October, and recruitment open house event in November. One year in the new building, and it is amazing what the space is doing to build recognition of poultry’s role within agriculture; the need for future investment in students, outreach and research; and what that means for Georgia’s economy locally and globally. If you haven’t had a chance to tour our new space, please reach out. We hope to introduce a new alumni and friends event in April 2025 prior to G-Day – so tune in to our social media channels for details.

This time of year, I make it a practice of counting our blessings – and we have a lot to be thankful for. Our new space has done wonders, and I am awed with our faculty’s creativity in the classroom. Our new teaching spaces have allowed us to embrace active learning strategies with an eye towards our student’s development of teamwork and holding peers accountable. It also has created a stronger set of community which is reflected in a re-invigoration of activity through the Poultry Science Club and bolstered the leadership capabilities amongst our 25 Avian Ambassadors. All of which give me great hope and promise for the future of our poultry and life sciences sectors. Frankly, we have struggled post-COVID so seeing our students come together is truly a blessing.

Additionally in Fall 2024, we celebrated the awarding of three D. W. Brooks awards to our faculty. Please join me in congratulating Drs. Brian Fairchild (Extension), Oluyinka Olukosi (Diversity), and Ramesh Selvaraj (International) on these accomplishments.

We also welcome Dr. Aaron Bodie to the department. Dr. Bodie formerly was with Simmons Foods, and now holds a research/teaching faculty appointment in poultry processing and food safety.

While we celebrate being in a new space, we recognize that we have a ~ $8M debt to recoup. If you have ability to help us either through facilitating conversations, or if you have ability to extend your contribution or establish a new one, please reach out.

To stay connected to the department, please do so through one of our social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn), or better yet, reach out to Jessica Fife (706-542-9153). 

To our alumni and industry friends, please reach out if you’d like to connect with our students, as we always are looking for opportunities to have them engage on career opportunities and real-world perspectives.