Adnan Alrubaye, assistant professor in poultry science, was presented with the Outstanding Honors Faculty Mentor Award at the Agriculture Awards Ceremony on Feb. 25.

Alrubaye is a faculty member in the Department of Poultry Science in the U of A's Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences. He serves as an honors mentor for undergraduate students in poultry science, and receiving this award was an honor for him.

"Working with honors students has been one of the best experiences of my life," Alrubaye said. "This award highlights what I have been doing by working with honors students for years, and it is a great honor to have received it."

Undergraduate students enrolled in an honors program are required to participate in research under the guidance of their faculty adviser.

"My students in my research team work on bacterial infections of bones in chickens," Alrubaye said. "It's really hard work, since it requires them to go to the farm every day to feed the birds, clean up and collect samples."

As a mentor Alrubaye helps facilitate the students' research experiences, but he also has other roles that he enjoys.

"My job is to advise them and teach them about research, but what I like doing most is being able to mentor them," Alrubaye said. "Whether they are facing difficulties in life, or they have a decision to make about their career or a personal issue, I enjoy that part of my work with them. Helping students succeed in research, academics and life has been the best part of my job."

Alrubaye was born and raised in Iraq. He completed his bachelor's degree in veterinary medicine from the College of Veterinary Medicine and master's degree in medical microbiology from the University of Baghdad. He also earned a master's degree in science education and a Ph.D. in cell and molecular biology from the U of A. Recently Alrubaye was awarded the U of A Imhoff Award for Outstanding Teaching and Student Mentorship, the Fulbright College Master Teacher Award, the Collis R. Geren and Patricia R. Koski Award for Excellence in Graduate Education and the Hoyt Purvis Award for Service in International Education.

About the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences: Bumpers College provides life-changing opportunities to position and prepare graduates who will be leaders in the businesses associated with foods, family, the environment, agriculture, sustainability and human quality of life; and who will be first-choice candidates of employers looking for leaders, innovators, policy makers and entrepreneurs. The college is named for Dale Bumpers, former Arkansas governor and longtime U.S. senator who made the state prominent in national and international agriculture. For more information about Bumpers College, visit our website, and follow us on Twitter at @BumpersCollege and Instagram at BumpersCollege.

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $2.2 billion to Arkansas' economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the top 3% of U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research News.