Appointments, honors and activities
• Faculty and staff honors:
- Neil Zimmerman, associate professor of industrial science in the School of Health Sciences, received the Donald E. Cummings Memorial Award from the American Industrial Hygiene Association. This award recognizes outstanding contributions to the knowledge and practice of the profession of industrial hygiene. In addition to receiving the award, Zimmerman presented the Cummings Memorial Lecture at the annual meeting. (APN)
- Wei Zheng, professor and head of the School of Health Sciences, received the Distinguished Chinese Toxicologist award presented by the American Association of Chinese in Toxicology during the Society of Toxicology annual meeting in Salt Lake City. The award recognized Zheng for "his outstanding achievements as a researcher, mentor, and leader in toxicology." He also presented an invited lecture at the annual meeting. (APN)
- Three Department of Animal Sciences professors received awards at the annual National Joint Animal Meeting in Denver in July. Layi Adeola received the Evonik Degussa Award for Achievement in Poultry Science, and Patricia "Scotti" Hester received the Poultry Welfare Research Award, both given by the Poultry Science Association. Shawn Donkin received the Pfizer Animal Health Physiology Award, given by the American Dairy Science Association. Adeola developed a research program in energy and nutrient utilization of nonruminant animals for improving the efficiency of lean meat production and minimizing the flow of nutrients through animal waste into the environment. Hester conducted research that revealed a unique, non-invasive technology for measuring skeletal integrity in live birds using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. It has led to discoveries that have improved the welfare of laying hens in commercial flocks. Donkin developed a research program in nutritional physiology of dairy cattle, focusing on understanding the nutritional, hormonal, environmental and developmental cues that modulate animal productivity and health.
• Student honors:
- Changsu Kong, a doctoral student in the Department of Animal Sciences, was recognized with the Pinnacle Award for outstanding graduate student achievement at the Joint National Meetings of the American Society of Animal Science and Poultry Science Association held in Phoenix in July. His research interests are in the areas of amino acid digestibility in swine and poultry, and nutrient utilization responses to exogenous dietary enzymes. Changsu has published papers in several journals, including Poultry Science, Asian-Australian Journal of Animal Science, Korean Journal of Animal Science and Technology, and Canadian Journal of Animal Science. Kong works in the lab of professor Layi Adeola.