For the sixth year, and with more than 5,000 applicants to its 2011 season, global animal nutrition company Alltech has focused on bringing together the world’s brightest scientific thinkers from colleges and universities across the globe through its Alltech Young Scientist Competition.
Paulo Rezende, education projects manager at Alltech, explained, “Education initiatives, such as the Alltech Young Scientist Competition, give university students the opportunity to grow academically by inspiring personal research. As we foster relationships between younger generations and the animal health and nutrition industry, Alltech encourages students to take their research to a new level by rewarding them for their scientific findings.”
From a record 5,000 applicants from 70 countries, nine students were selected as regional Alltech Young Scientist winners. The winners include five graduate students and four undergraduates.
Africa and Middle-East Winner:
Graduate: Apeh A. Omede – Federal University of Technology (Owerri, Nigeria), Nigeria
Europe Winners:
Undergraduate: Yakov Cepilov – Novosibirsk State University, Russia
Graduate: Agha Waqar Yunus – University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Austria
Asia-Pacific Winners:
Undergraduate: Vasuki Srinivasn – Tamilnadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, India
Graduate: Wai-Fun Leong – Universiti Putra Malaysia, Malaysia
North America Winners:
Undergraduate: Keliesha Roth – University of Alberta, Canada
Graduate: Prajwal Regmi – University of Alberta, Canada
Latin America Winners:
Undergraduate: Claudia Maria Castañeda Benjumea – Universidad de la Salle, Columbia
Graduate: Geraldo Filgueiras Neto – Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil
"The Alltech Young Scientist Program is one of the greatest inspirations and motivators for scientific young people across the globe in recent times,” said the African and Middle East graduate winner, Apeh A. Omede. “The program's contribution to building the next generation of scientists is highly commendable. Personally, the program gives me the opportunity to fulfill my passion as a young scientist and increases my drive for a career in science and research. I am very excited to be part of it."
Agha Waqar Yunus, European graduate winner, said, “Alltech’s Young Scientist program has gained more and more attention in scientific circles since its launch in 2005.”
To participate in the 2011 program, students wrote a scientific paper based on agricultural research in the areas of animal or plant technology. The top nine regional finalists will travel to Lexington, Kentucky, to give a 15 to 20 minute presentation based on their research. Following these presentations, the grand prize for both undergraduate and graduate categories will be announced at Alltech’s 27th International Symposium, May 22-25.
Aspiring young scientists will be pleased to know that the 2012 Alltech Young Scientist Program is already accepting entries. With an aggressive goal of 10,000 applicants, the 2012 competition offers more than $60,000 in cash prizes in addition to university tours and monthly prize incentives. For more information, visit www.alltechyoungscientist.com and follow the Alltech Young Scientist Program on Facebook. PD
—From Alltech news release
