COVID-19 and the Impact on Academics/Communication

A "Unique" Experience

A definite “wrench” has been thrown into all aspects of our lives, including the teaching component, with the advancement of COVID-19 worldwide. Many of us love teaching undergraduate and graduate students, and thoroughly enjoy the face to face interactions we have with the students. That is no longer possible, particularly when classes are larger, and teaching remotely has become the norm. I will admit that I grumbled just a bit (likely an understatement!) – having to learn new technologies, then finding out that the institutional platform cannot handle an entire campus using this technology at the same time, then learning another new set of technologies, then new methods of constructing and delivering final exams – yeesh! But no matter who I am talking to, whether it is a Professor from my University, or someone in another country, it appears we are all in the same situation. So we do our best! However stressful this is for us, it is really important to remember that this situation can be even more stressful for students. They are suddenly without their classmates, with no mentoring or hands-on training that many of us utilize (and students love), and learning from new platforms without the ability to interact with their professors (which students benefit from). It is important that teachers remember to regularly interact with their students in any way they can – via email, webinars etc. – whichever methods we can use to make them feel included and participate actively in their learning sessions. Together we will get through this!

PSA ANNUAL MEETING

This will be a very different year without seeing you all face-to-face at our annual meeting. I look forward to that every year! But technology is amazing, and the virtual platform being put in place for the 2020 Annual Meeting looks incredible! We will have rooms similar to the in-person meetings that you can enter to hear talks of interest! There will be a space to visit sponsors, and even the ability to network in a virtual setting! So I encourage you to give it a try – let’s make the best of the situation! I look forward to seeing each of you in person in 2021!

Karen Schwean-Lardner

PSA 2nd Vice President

The PSA Hatchery is accepting applications for Student of the Year until June 1, 2020. The purpose of this award is to recognize an exceptional PSA student member in the time period of August 2019 to March 2020. Full details and application requirements along with the submission form can be read by clicking More Information below. If an applicant has issues submitting to the form, please contact Sam Shafer.

Staff Working Remotely

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the PSA office staff is working remotely during the same hours of operation (8:00 AM CST to 4:30 PM CST). If you are trying to reach a staff member via phone, please note that responses will be delayed.

The best way to be in touch with PSA staff during this time for immediate assistance will be through direct email.

You are encouraged to visit the Contact Us page of the PSA website in connecting with the staff member best fit to assist you with your needs.

Using the New Format

*New Resource*

The transition to an Open Access (OA) format has been complete for several months. Along with making poultry science research more accessible to everyone, there are also changes that seem unfamiliar to users. The purpose of this resource article is to explain some of the navigational differences within ScienceDirect (Elsevier’s Open Access platform for reading Poultry Science® and The Journal of Applied Poultry Research).

This article will help you determine if you need a profile, how to perform searches within the journals, stay up-to-date on the latest published works, and more! PSA is pleased to provide this new resource article!

The effect of mineral and Vitamin C mix on heat-stressed broilers

Researchers in Spain and the Netherlands conducted a study to determine if adding Vitamin C would affect the corticosterone levels in heat-stressed broilers.

Click the link below to read the interpretive summary for this study and see what future research is warranted.

Win $1,000 for your poultry science program or club!

PSA is pleased to announce the first ever student video competition! Create a video highlighting poultry science educational opportunities at your institution.

The winning submission will receive $1,000 to support that institution's poultry science program or club.

Unfortunately, due to the circumstances surrounding COVID-19, PSA is not fulfilling orders for the Explore Your Future: Career Tracks in Poultry Science handouts. Orders will be processed once Illinois residents in the United States are cleared to return to work as normal.

Thank you for your understanding and patience.

Dr. Kidd Named Endowed Professor

Dr. Michael Kidd of the University of Arkansas was recently named the Adisseo Endowed Professorship in Global Sustainable Poultry Nutrition.

With the endowed professorship, there is more flexibility for research than typical grants for single projects. The endowment is tied to the overall program at the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station (AES), the Division of Agriculture's research arm.

This also provides an opportunity for teaching because graduate students at the University of Arkansas' Dale Bumpers College of Agriculture, Food and Life Sciences conduct research within the AES's research programs.

Dr. Kidd is also a Past President of PSA.