Dawn Koltes receives PSA Early Achievement Award for Teaching

This award recognizes the achievements of PSA members in the early stages of their career in academia. It is given every other year.

Dawn Koltes is an assistant professor in the Department of Animal Science at Iowa State University. She earned her bachelor’s from the University of Arkansas where her career was significantly influenced by her academic adviser and instructors who encouraged her to explore various aspects of research. This ultimately led to a passion to continue to her education which resulted in the completion of a master’s and doctorate from Iowa State University. Before joining Iowa State University as a faculty member, Dawn was an active research scientist at the University of Arkansas where she began an independent research program focusing on the effects of various environmental stressors on gastrointestinal physiology and bird performance. As an assistant professor, the majority of her focus is devoted to teaching and engaging students in the poultry industry. Not only does Dawn contribute to teaching at the undergraduate and graduate level in the Animal Science department, but she also contributes to teaching in the Midwest Poultry Consortium Center of Excellence program, outreach programs such as the Iowa FFA Career Development and Educational program and advising of the Block and Bridle Poultry Interest Group. In addition to these established programs, Dawn has revitalized a poultry course that facilitates interactions between students and poultry allied industry groups and, in collaboration with Iowa Turkey Federation, has initiated an Iowa Turkey Internship program to highlight the value of the poultry industries to undergraduate and graduate students. Dawn also integrates undergraduate projects within her research program to spark interest in poultry and research in undergraduate students. In the last 5 years, Dawn has fostered 6 independent poultry-related research projects which have resulted in 5 abstracts presented by the undergraduate at national conferences and has employed 20 undergraduates in her lab group.