March 28, 2018
Veterinary students receive scholarships to study poultry medicine
Submitted by Communications and Marketing
Two College of Veterinary Medicine students are among a group of 10 veterinary students nationwide chosen for $5,000 scholarship awards from the American Association of Avian Pathologists Foundation and Merck Animal Health. The scholarships are open to veterinary students in their second or third year of study and who are focused on poultry health.
Lisa Tenny, third-year student from Leawood, has interned with Butterball LLC, Nelson's Poultry, Elanco and Aviagen. Tenny also serves as an ambassador for the university, giving tours and facilitating interviews for prospective students.
"I'm really excited to get more hands-on experiences in the field of poultry medicine during my fourth year of veterinary school," Tenny said. "Being a poultry veterinarian is a dream I've been aspiring towards for a long time now, and I can't believe I'm so close to graduating veterinary school."
Jake Carlson, second-year student from Elk Grove, California, completed internships with Mitchell Farms, the National Turkey Federation and the Kansas Department of Agriculture's emergency management and health team.
"This scholarship will help support my career goal to become a staff veterinarian for a poultry company," Carlson said. "My next step will be to complete the avian medicine master's program at the University of Georgia. I hope to conduct research for the betterment of the industry."
Tenny, Carlson and the other recipients will be recognized at the association's annual meeting in Denver, Colorado, in July.
"These recipients are already standout students at their respective universities, and as they prepare to enter the field of poultry production, we want to help provide support for their ongoing education as we know student debt can be a challenge," said Rick Sibbel, executive director of food animal technical services for Merck Animal Health. "We're confident that, in the years to come, these talented students will be making a mark on our industry, helping all of us advance the science of healthier animals."
"These veterinary students will provide the expertise to nourish the 2050 projected world population of 9.7 billion people with safe and sustainable poultry food products," said Fred Hoerr, president of the American Association of Avian Pathologists Foundation. "We are pleased to partner with Merck Animal Health to facilitate their success."