Guest Column: Poultry Science Degrees 'Best Kept Secret' in Agriculture

Originally published in the Nov. 13, 2013 Market Bulletin

 

Purvis

Most of us have all driven by the water tower that says “Gainesville – Poultry Capital of the World,” but what exactly does that mean? And why is it so important that it gets written on the water tower? Georgia is the top producer of chicken in the US, and Gainesville is often referred to as the Poultry Capital of the World due to its large and robust poultry farming industry, as well as the pounds of poultry it produces yearly out of the city. In fact, if Georgia were its own country we would be third worldwide in production! I’d say it’s pretty important to our state!

Let me introduce myself. My name is Linda Purvis, a biology and poultry science professor at the University of North Georgia-Gainesville campus, previously known as Gainesville State College, of which I am an alumna with an Associates degree in poultry science, and I hold two degrees from the University of Georgia: a Bachelors of Science in Agriculture in poultry science and a Masters of Science in infectious diseases. I started teaching at UNG in 2008 and have been working to rebuild our poultry science program since 2010. 
In the last two years the college was awarded almost $5,200 for a grant focused on recruitment and student involvement.

“Why?” you may ask. “I’ve never heard of a poultry science degree.”

Well. There is your answer! We often say it’s the best-kept secret in the agriculture world. Most people are not aware of the vast number of job opportunities available to them in this industry. Yes, we know it takes farmers and people to work in the plant, but what about the scientists, researchers, lab technicians and pharmaceuticals? Those are all needed in the poultry industry as well.

This grant money will help build awareness and support for the recruitment of students in our area to take agriculture courses at our campus. There are two courses currently offered on our campus that set up students to easily transfer into UGA’s Poultry Science Department. There are Introduction to Poultry Science and Internship in Poultry Science. We have had about 45 students go through these courses in the last three years and we are hoping to continue to increase this number by awareness of our program. Through the introductory course taught every spring, students learn of the variety of jobs available to them and the different degrees that these companies are looking for. By having this program at our school, we are helping prepare the next generation of industry managers, scientists and workers for the poultry industry.
Our internship program gives students hands-on experience in the local poultry industry, and over the last several years, some students who participated have gone on to find jobs with those companies that they interned with, either through part-time or fulltime work.

Having this program and these classes available is crucial to not only the local poultry industry work force, but the future of the industry as well. And I believe the funds available from this grant are only going to enable us to do more with our local industry and deepen the connection between the industry and the university.

Linda Purvis is a biology and poultry science professor at the University of North Georgia-Gainesville campus. For more information on the poultry science program at UNG, visit www.ung.edu or email Linda at linda.purvis@ung.edu.