Mike Persia receives American Feed Industry Association Poultry Nutrition Research Award

This award is given to recognize distinctive work demonstrating sound research in poultry nutrition in the last 10 years. This is an annual award.

Mike Persia is currently a Professor in the Department of Animal and Poultry Science at Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, where he focuses on applied research and extension in poultry nutrition and teaching. Mike earned his BS degree from Penn State University, a MS degree from Ohio State University and his PhD from University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign with an emphasis on poultry nutrition. After graduation Mike moved to Newark, DE to complete a Post-doctoral Research Position focused on phytate and nutrient excretion.

Mike started a professional career with Syngenta Biotechnology Inc. as a Manager of Research and Development located in Research Triangle Park, NC. As part of his duties, Mike managed late stage development of feed and fuel enzyme activities, as well as progressed earlier stage enzyme biotechnology in poultry, swine and beef models. In 2009, Mike joined the Faculty at Iowa State University, Ames, IA, as an Assistant Professor with a research and teaching split appointment. In 2013, Mike moved to Virginia Tech and assumed a three-way appointment in research/extension/teaching. Over his commercial and academic research endeavors Mike has focused on three major objectives including classical nutrition requirement determination, the effects of stress on nutritional efficiency and topics critical to the poultry industry.

Over the past 10 years (the award criteria), Dr. Persia has published 48 peer-reviewed manuscripts, 47 popular press and extension articles, 30 invited presentations, 67 scientific abstracts, and $2.6 million in funding. Over this time, Dr. Persia’s lab has included 11 MS students, 5 PhD students, 2 Research Program Managers and 35 undergraduate projects. Mike has taught classes in Poultry Enterprise Management, Introductory Animal Science Laboratory, Introduction to Poultry Science, Poultry Leadership and Fellows, Poultry Nutrition at the Midwest Poultry Consortium and Non-ruminant Nutrition. As part of his extension duties, Mike has or continues to serve on the National Egg Quality School (Board), Mid-Atlantic Nutrition Conference, Poultry Nutrition Committee, Delmarva Poultry University-Industry Partnership Committee, Virginia Poultry Federation (Ex Officio), Virginia Egg Council (E Officio), Virginia Poultry Disease Task Force, Biosecurity Auditor, Virginia Poultry Health and Management Seminar (Co-Chair), Virginia Poultry Youth Committee and the Iowa Turkey Federation (Ex Officio). Mike has served the Poultry Science Association on the Board of Directors and is currently a Nutrition Section Editor for Journal of Applied Poultry Research. Mike also served on the leadership board of the Southern Poultry Science Society. Mike is currently serving on the NRC committee to generate the 10th edition of the Nutrient Requirements for Poultry.