Feed Energy announced today the recipients of its 2017 “Excellence in Ag” Scholarship Program. Kiah Gourley of Kansas State University and Julianna Jespersen of Iowa State University will each receive a $2,500 scholarship from Feed Energy for the 2017-2018 academic year.
Kiah Gourley
Kiah Gourley is originally from Philomath, Oregon. She grew up raising and showing pigs in the Pacific Northwest. Kiah transferred to Kansas State University where she became a member of the livestock judging team, the meat animal evaluation team and the Reserve National champion animal science academic quadrathalon team. Kiah was also an Ambassador for the College of Agriculture and led the Ag Advocacy Group Food for Thoughts. She recently completed her M.S. in Swine Nutrition where she focused on phytase in nursery pigs, and lysine in lactating sows. Additionally, Kiah was involved in working with youth through the Kansas Jr. Swine Producer Day, and 4-H Discovery Days. Currently, she is pursuing a PhD in Swine Nutrition at Kansas State and hopes to be a leader in the swine industry in the future.
“The Feed Energy Excellence in Ag Scholarship will greatly benefit my education as I continue to pursue a PhD in Swine Nutrition at Kansas State University. I am very appreciative of the support and generosity from Feed Energy for students pursuing careers in the agricultural industry. With this support, I hope to become a future leader in the swine industry and help feed the world through a safe and continuous food supply.”
Julianna Jespersen
Julianna is from Rock Island, Illinois and is in her senior year at Iowa State University studying Animal Science. Upon graduation, Juli intends to go to graduate school to begin her Masters in Poultry Nutrition; followed up with a PhD. Juli has worked as an undergraduate research assistant for the past two years in the Animal Nutrition Department and has worked on multiple swine and poultry projects. In 2016, she presented a research abstract on broiler performance at the Poultry Science Association’s Annual Meeting in New Orleans. Juli is also very active on campus and has enjoyed serving as a Teaching Assistant for Domestic Animal Physiology and the Feeds and Feeding courses. She has always had a passion for poultry and has been able to manifest it with help from the Block and Bridle Poultry Interest Group at ISU and through accelerated poultry sciences classes with the Center of Excellence Program at the University of Wisconsin – Madison.
“I am very grateful to have received this scholarship from Feed Energy to help pay for my final year of tuition as an undergrad. College has definitely been an investment, even more so as an out-of-state student. Being presented with this scholarship will assuage my financial situation so that I can focus my attention on applying for graduate programs.”
These two students were chosen out of an impressive group of applicants for their superior leadership in the classroom, perspectives on the future of animal agriculture and for their overall support to the future of the industry. Click here to read Gourley and Jespersen’s essays on this year’s “Excellence in Ag” Scholarship topic: “With an increasingly participatory consumer voice influencing our industry, what changes do you predict? How can companies like Feed Energy prepare for those changes?”
Feed Energy is an agribusiness firm primarily engaged in further refining vegetable oil as a high-energy, feed ingredient. The company produces and distributes throughout the Midwest scientifically balanced ingredients specific to their customers' needs. Feed Energy's headquarters and original production facility have been in Des Moines for more than 30 years, with additional Iowa production facilities in Sioux City and Pacific Junction. For more information visit www.feedenergy.com.
