MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Two Mississippi State University poultry science graduate students took home honors from the Poultry Science Association annual meeting.

Melissa Triplett of Napa, California won the graduate student award of excellence and the Aviagen Communication Award for her research on turkey reproduction. The turkey industry relies heavily on artificial insemination to continue and improve production. In addition to her recognitions at the meeting, she received a travel grant to San Diego to present her research. Triplett is pursuing a doctoral degree under the direction of assistant professor Aaron Kiess.

Bayo Sokale of Nigeria won the graduate student award of excellence for his research on post-hatch performance of embryos vaccinated in the egg against the parasitic disease coccidiosis. Sokale’s research sought to determine the optimum day to inoculate embryos. His doctoral research is under the direction of professor David Peebles.

The Department of Poultry Science is in MSU’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees. Poultry science graduates have a 100 percent job placement rate. To learn more, visit http://www.poultry.msstate.edu/