AAFCO announced the winners of its first annual Graduate Student Poster contest, with Sierra Collier from Kansas State University taking first place for research on soybean meal composition, Hannah Shinnerl from University of Illinois earning second place for developing a chitin measurement method, and Vannith Hay from University of Nebraska-Lincoln placing third for research on bacterial surrogates in poultry pet food safety.
- First Place: Sierra Collier (Kansas State University) studied soybean meal composition and trypsin inhibitors' effects on nursery pig growth
- Second Place: Hannah Shinnerl (University of Illinois) developed an analytical method to measure chitin in insect-sourced animal feed materials
- Third Place: Vannith Hay (University of Nebraska-Lincoln) examined non-pathogenic bacteria as surrogates for Salmonella in high-pressure processing of raw poultry pet foods
- Nine finalists competed in the inaugural contest, judged on research relevance, quality, and practical value for regulators and the animal food industry
- AAFCO held the contest during its 2026 Annual Meeting in San Diego to inspire the next generation of animal nutrition professionals
The 2026 AAFCO Student Poster contest winners from left to right: Hannah Shinnerl (second place), Sierra Collier (first place), Vannith Hay (third place)
Association of American Feed Control Officials
Sierra Collier of Kansas State University took first place for her research on soybean meal composition and variability across U.S. processing plants. Collier recently completed her master’s degree in Applied Swine Nutrition and examined how trypsin inhibitors affect nursery pig growth. She will begin doctoral studies at Kansas State this fall.
Hannah Shinnerl from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign earned second place for developing an analytical method to measure chitin in insect-sourced materials. Shinnerl recently finished her master’s degree in Animal Sciences and is now pursuing a Ph.D., focusing on methods that support innovation in animal nutrition.
Third place went to Vannith Hay, a doctoral student in Food Science and Technology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. His research examines using non-pathogenic bacteria as surrogates for Salmonella in high-pressure processing studies of raw poultry-based pet foods.
Nine finalists displayed posters at the meeting after submitting research abstracts on challenges facing regulators and the animal food industry. AAFCO members and Kansas State University Olathe faculty reviewed entries based on research relevance, quality and practical value.
“The Graduate Student Poster session has been a successful addition to our annual meeting,” said Austin Therrell, executive director of AAFCO. “It’s been inspiring to see the students’ vision regarding the future of animal food and to see them engage with major players across the animal food industry, regulators and academics.”
