The University of North Georgia has received a $7,000 student recruiting grant from the U.S. Poultry Foundation and $3,000 from Pilgrim’s to help support students interested in careers in the poultry industry.

“The generous support of U.S. Poultry and Pilgrim’s-Gainesville division will allow us to continue to recruit and obtain exceptional students and position them to drive the industry forward in the future,” said Dr. Michael Bodri, dean of UNG’s College of Science and Mathematics.

Through this funding, UNG will increase the number of students enrolled in its poultry science courses. A total of eight students have earned an associate’s degree with a focus on poultry science or avian biology from UNG since 2013. Another five students are scheduled to graduate in the spring.

An outreach event targeting middle and high school students in UNG’s multi-county service area is planned for Jan. 23 by the Poultry Science Club.

Students that choose to take courses in poultry science at UNG can earn an associate of science degree with a focus on poultry science or avian biology. Students are then encouraged to enroll in a four-year program that offers degrees in agriculture.

UNG has now received nearly $40,000 in poultry science grant money in the past three years.

Linda Purvis, biology and poultry science lecturer at UNG and adviser of the Poultry Science Club, is leading the effort to obtain these grants.

The poultry processing industry employs approximately 7,600 workers in Hall County, and according to a 2011 University of Georgia report, poultry comprises about 47 percent of Georgia’s agricultural industry. This breaks down to about 140,000 jobs in Georgia and $38 billion toward the state’s economy.