U of A and UAPB Form Partnership for Poultry
2/18/2013
FAYETTEVILLE,
Ark. – The Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences
at the University of Arkansas and the University of Arkansas at Pine
Bluff have signed a memorandum of understanding to form a partnership to
help fill a need for more graduates in the poultry sciences. The
agreement was signed in a ceremony in Fayetteville on Sept. 13.
The
“3+1 course curriculum” collaboration allows for agriculture majors
with an animal science option at UAPB to take poultry science classes at
the U of A as seniors. Those courses will be recognized by UAPB’s
School of Agriculture, Fisheries and Human Sciences, and count toward
degree requirements. At the same time, those students will earn a
Poultry Science Undergraduate Certificate of Excellence from the U of A.
“As the state’s flagship university, we
are proud to work within our borders and form this partnership with the
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff,” said U of A Provost Sharon Gaber.
“We are excited about the UAPB leadership working with us to make this
happen. Our vision is for this collaboration to put our student
graduates back into our communities, and help strengthen the economy of
our state and beyond.”
Paula
Johnson, a sophomore animal science major at UAPB, plans to be one of
the first students to take advantage of the opportunity.“I’m
grateful to the department of agriculture faculty for providing me
everything I need and helping formulate my interest in the poultry 3+1
program as an opportunity to become an avian poultry veterinarian,” said
Johnson. “I look forward to my senior year in the department of poultry
science in Fayetteville, and graduating from UAPB while earning a
certificate in poultry science from the University of Arkansas.”
Completion of the certificate requires 26 to 28 hours of poultry science credit.
UAPB Chancellor Laurence Alexander said,
“We’re excited about the opportunity and looking forward to many
students coming through the program, enabling us to address the needs of
the industry and contribute to the growth of the economy in our state.”
“This
is something the poultry industry has been asking for and we’re happy
to be in a position to help make this happen,” said Mike Kidd, head of
the poultry science department in the Bumpers College. “There are
currently more jobs available in the poultry industry than the poultry
science departments across the country can fill.”
“This
is a great partnership,” said Bumpers College Dean Mike Vayda. “This is
in the best interest of the students and in the best interest of the
poultry industry in helping meet their needs.”
Several
representatives of the poultry industry were in attendance for the
signing, including Russell Tooley, senior vice president of corporate
and international human resources at Tyson Foods.
“This
is an exciting day for UAPB and for the University of Arkansas, but
it’s probably more exciting for the students and for the industry,” said
Tooley. “For our industry to stay strong, it will take great young men
and women. We believe this helps us with our commitment to diversity and
with the talent pool that we need not only domestically but
internationally.”
Tyson Foods employs more than 23,000 people in Arkansas.
“We are constantly looking for great
talent,” said Frank Myers, director of breeder and hatchery operations
for Simmons Foods. “We see this as an opportunity to draw in talent that
wasn’t possible before. We look forward to having quality people to put
in positions and be successful.”
“We’re happy to be involved in this
partnership and think it will be great for the industry,” said Monty
Henderson, former president of George’s Inc. “It’s very good for our
university system and good for the state, and helps us include south and
eastern Arkansas in our talent pool.”
CONTACTS:
Robby Edwards, director of communications
Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences
479-575-4625, robbye@uark.edu