Poultry Science Students Intern in Brazil and China

Two Arkansas companies sponsored international internships this summer for University of Arkansas poultry science students in the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences. The students, Terik Jones and Cody Howard, are both juniors from Green Forest.

Terik Jones spent seven weeks in Brazil working in the Cobb-Vantress primary breeding operations there. The Siloam Springs-based company, which is a division of Tyson Foods, is the world's leading primary broiler breeding company. Jones worked in pedigree breeder operations in central and southern Brazil.

Cody Howard's internship was with Tyson Foods China. He spent eight weeks in the corporate office in Shanghai working on strategic planning and business modeling with a focus on live operations and visited farms, hatcheries and processing plants across eastern China.

Poultry companies that produce eggs, broilers and turkeys; allied industry companies and veterinary clinics provided over 20 student internships this summer, said Michael Kidd, poultry science department head.

"Most of our students have scholarships provided by the poultry industry, which, along with the internships, are strong indications of the industry's interest in hiring our graduates," Kidd said.

"We greatly encourage student internships, which are upper level elective courses for academic credit," Kidd said. Student interns learn about the diverse opportunities in the poultry industry and often make connections that lead to jobs after graduation, he said.

"This is a global industry, and working in another country is a valuable experience for our students," Kidd said. "We are very grateful to the companies that make it possible. Other students will also benefit from Cody and Terik telling about what they learned in Brazil and China."