Delaware Valley University (DelVal) received a $25,000 grant for a new poultry science center on its main campus in Doylestown. The grant has been funded through the Franklin P. and Arthur W. Perdue Foundation. The donation from Perdue’s charitable giving arm is part of the company’s Delivering Hope to Our Neighbors® initiative focused on improving quality of life and building strong communities.
DelVal plans to build a state-of-the-art poultry science center to develop a highly skilled workforce for the poultry industry. The center will provide a framework for a poultry science program and offer students onsite poultry experience. It will include a broiler building, layer building and pen research trials building.
“The growth in the poultry industry has resulted in an increased demand for students educated in poultry science,” said Dr. Broc Sandelin, dean of agriculture and environmental sciences. Industry leaders have identified difficulties in filling roles within their operations. Despite the increased need for college-educated students in poultry science, academic programs in the country have declined. “There are only six stand-alone poultry science departments in the United States,” he added. “These programs cannot produce the graduates required to sustain the industry.”
“In addition to increasing student success in the industry and generating cost-effective research, the center will benefit the community by combating food insecurity with donated poultry products,” Sandelin said.
The U.S. poultry industry is the world’s largest producer and second-largest exporter of poultry meat and a significant egg producer, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture in October 2020.
Kim Nechay, executive director of the Perdue Foundation, said Delaware Valley’s poultry science center will benefit the industry and consumers.
“A poultry science program at DVU will open new avenues for students and provide research that can help poultry producers,” she said. “Perdue is proud to support the Poultry Science Center.”
About the Franklin P. and Arthur W. Perdue Foundation
The Franklin P. and Arthur W. Perdue Foundation, the charitable giving arm of Perdue Farms, was established in 1957 by company founder Arthur W. Perdue and is funded through the estates of Arthur W. Perdue and Frank Perdue. As part of our belief in supporting the communities where and with whom we do business, the Foundation provides grants on behalf of Perdue Farms in communities where large numbers of our associates live and work. At Perdue Farms, we believe in responsible food and agriculture®.
About Perdue Farms
We’re a fourth-generation, family-owned, U.S. food and agriculture company. Through our belief in responsible food and agriculture, we are empowering consumers, customers, and farmers through trusted choices in products and services.
The premium protein portfolio within our Perdue Foods business, including our flagship PERDUE® brand, Niman Ranch®, Coleman Natural®, and Yummy®, as well as our pet brands, Spot Farms® and Full Moon®, is available through various channels including retail, foodservice, club stores and our direct-to-consumer website, PerdueFarms.com.
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