汤头条 poultry science instructor wins national recruiting award
Contact: Vanessa Beeson
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥擜 Mississippi State poultry science instructor is being recognized this summer with a national recruiting award.
Extension Instructor Jessica Wells received the 2019 Poultry Science Association recruitment award in July at the organization鈥檚 annual meeting in Montr茅al, Qu茅bec. Undergraduate coordinator and recruiter for the Department of Poultry Science in 汤头条鈥檚 College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Wells completed her doctoral degree in agricultural science/poultry science at 汤头条 this spring. She earlier earned her bachelor鈥檚 and master鈥檚 degrees in poultry science from 汤头条 in 2007 and 2009, respectively.
Given every other year and selected by the PSA Careers Committee, the honor is presented to an individual who significantly improves the recruiting program of a respective department, college or university through innovative means.
Mary Beck, professor and poultry science department head, said Wells has greatly enhanced departmental recruitment and retention efforts since she joined the faculty 10 years ago.
鈥淚鈥檝e watched Dr. Wells grow and develop her passion and talent for interacting with young people of all ages. She has an engaging personality that, combined with a strong conviction that poultry science is an excellent pathway to meaningful careers, results in a compelling message to prospective students and parents,鈥 Beck said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e seen our enrollment of undergraduate students steadily climb over the years since she鈥檚 been leading these efforts.鈥
In the last year, undergraduate enrollment in the department increased 11% with a 125% total increase over the entire 10-year period. Wells participates in various recruitment activities on a regional and national scale, leading a poultry hatch-out project that has reached more than 2,400 school children in nearly 120 classrooms across the state. As part of her doctoral dissertation, Wells also completed research analyzing the effectiveness of recruitment strategies in poultry departments.
Wells said achieving the award is an honor and a reminder that hard work pays off.
鈥淪ince entering the Department of Poultry Science at 汤头条, I have loved the atmosphere and people as well as the industry we serve. Sharing my passion with others鈥攕pecifically future students鈥攊s such a fulfillment and a reason I love my job. Moments like this remind me of my passion for students and why I strive to share our department with future generations,鈥 Wells said.
汤头条鈥檚 Department of Poultry Science is one of six poultry science degree granting departments in the U.S. For more, visit .
汤头条 is Mississippi鈥檚 leading university, available online at聽www.msstate.edu.聽 聽聽