Poultry Science's Adhikari earns national teaching award
Pratima Adhikari
A leading organization in poultry science is recognizing a Mississippi State faculty member for teaching excellence.
Pratima Adhikari, MSU Department of Poultry Science associate professor, recently received the Poultry Science Association’s NOVUS Outstanding Teaching Award.
The award, sponsored by NOVUS, an international company that provides science-based nutrition for the poultry industry, recognizes exceptional achievement in the classroom, commitment to professional growth and leadership within the industry.
“This award means my work has been valued, and it motivates me to give more back to the industry, academia and the community. Teaching, whether undergraduates, graduate students or research mentees, has always been my passion, so receiving this recognition is deeply meaningful,” said Adhikari, who is also a scientist in the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station.
Since joining MSU in 2017, Adhikari has mentored more than 35 undergraduates, nine graduate students and three visiting scholars. She has served on 16 graduate committees and currently guides four doctoral students and one master’s student. Her research centers on laying hen nutrition and gut health management, and she has authored more than 130 publications and delivered 20 presentations, including four on the international stage.
Adhikari’s mother was an educator in Nepal and her earliest mentor. That source of inspiration coupled with Adhikari’s passion for agriculture and feeding the world informs her current role at Mississippi State, teaching the next generation of poultry scientists.
“The world’s biggest challenge is food security, and poultry, as one of the most affordable protein sources, will play a vital role in meeting that need. We must inspire more young people to join agriculture, from production to processing, to help feed a growing population,” she said.
Ken Macklin, MSU Department of Poultry Science professor and head, said Adhikari exemplifies how to engage students in new insights gained through research.
“Dr. Adhikari is a rare professor who is able to translate her research to educate her students with cutting edge information in a dynamic way,” he said.
For more on MSU’s Department of Poultry Science in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, visit www.poultry.msstate.edu. Learn more about MAFES at www.mafes.msstate.edu.
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Vanessa Beeson | Agriculture and Natural Resources Marketing
