Advancing Food Animal Innovation and Talent Development Grants Awarded
NC State University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences has awarded six Advancing Food Animal Innovation and Talent Development Grants.
The multidisciplinary teams will collaborate on projects designed to expand workforce development programs, create novel teaching and communication methodologies, and attract significant and sustained funding for research and Extension programs.
The one- to two-year grants will fund the following projects:
Academy for Public Communication of Science in Food Animal Agriculture (Duration: Jan. 1-Dec. 31, 2025)
Lead PI: Ben Chapman (Agricultural and Human Sciences)
CO-PIs: Megan Lybrand (CALS Communications); Katie Sanders (Agricultural and Human Sciences); Lisa Shelley (Agricultural and Human Sciences); Andrew Binder (College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Department of Communication); Matt Shipman (University Communications and Marketing)
Record, Reduce, and Reproduce: Applying Selection Principles to Deep Phenotyping for Improved Sustainability of the U.S. Beef and Sheep Industry (Duration: Jan. 1, 2025-Dec. 31, 2026)
Lead PI: Daniel Poole (Animal Science)
CO-PIs: Andrew Weaver (Extension sheep specialist, Animal Science); Carrie Pickworth (co-coordinator of the Agricultural Institute’s Livestock and Poultry Management Program, Animal Science); Kelly Zering (Agricultural and Resource Economics); Johnny Rogers (Extension beef associate, Animal Science); Derek Foster (Ruminant Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine); Lisa Gamsjaeger (Neonatal Ruminant Health, College of Veterinary Medicine); Felipe da Silva (Extension beef specialist, Animal Science)
Addressing the Supervisory Training Needs of Spanish-speaking Foreign Workers in N.C. Pig Barns and Pork Processing Plants (Duration: Jan. 1-Dec. 31, 2025)
Lead PI: Eduardo Beltranena (Animal Science)
CO-PIs: Monique Pairis-García (College of Veterinary Medicine); Michael Best (Agricultural and Resource Economics); Jonathan Phillips (Agricultural and Resource Economics)
AI-Enhanced, Cable-Suspended Sensing System for Mapping Environmental and Bird Parameters Inside Broiler Houses (Duration: Jan. 1, 2025-Dec. 31, 2026)
Lead PI: Frank Bai (Biological and Agricultural Engineering)
CO-PIs: Rocio Crespo (College of Veterinary Medicine); Sanjay Shah (Biological and Agricultural Engineering); Lirong Xiang (Biological and Agricultural Engineering)
Designing a Capstone Practicum to Educate the Next Generation of Food Animal Agricultural Professionals (Duration: Jan. 1-Dec. 31, 2025)
Lead PI: Joseph Donaldson (Agricultural and Human Sciences)
CO-PIs: Juliana Ferreira (Population Health and Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine); Liz Joseph (NC State Extension); Susan Kelly (NC State Extension); Lingjuan Li (Biological and Agricultural Engineering); Joy Morgan (Agricultural and Human Sciences); Currey Nobles (Animal Science); Carrie Pickworth (Animal Science); Saifur Rahman (Agricultural and Human Sciences); Joe Sagues (Biological and Agricultural Engineering)
Understanding the Current Manure Marketplace in North Carolina (Duration: Jan. 1-Dec. 31, 2025)
Lead PI: Stephanie Kulesza (Crop and Soil Sciences)
CO-PIs: Luke Gatiboni (Crop and Soil Sciences); Anna-Maria Marshall (Department of Sociology and Law, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign); Derek Washburn (Agricultural and Resource Economics); Mahmoud Sharara (Biological and Agricultural Engineering); Rocio Crespo (College of Veterinary Medicine)
