Sami Dridi, professor of poultry science, was recognized with the American Feed Industry Association Poultry Nutrition Research Award and the National Chicken Council Broiler Research Award at the 2024 Annual Meeting of the Poultry Science Association in Louisville, Kentucky.

The Poultry Nutrition Research Award recognizes relevant and industry-focused research in poultry nutrition. Dridi carries out research through the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, the research arm of the U of A System Division of Agriculture.

His current research focuses on defining and understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms of heat stress responses and metabolic disorders in broilers.

"Poultry nutrition research is critical to improve poultry production sustainability, feed the future and preserve the environment and natural resources," Dridi said. "More recently, my research has also focused on water, the most important nutrient. It is almost forgotten or neglected."

Dridi's research goals include determining the mode of action of feed additives to maximize their beneficial effects, replacing antibiotics and identifying brain pathways involved in regulating thirst in birds.

The National Chicken Council Broiler Research Award honors an individual whose research has had a significant economic impact on the broiler industry. Dridi's research found ways to reduce the severity of woody breast, a costly poultry disorder, by as much as 5 percent.

"It is estimated that woody breast severity costs U.S. producers $200 million yearly," Dridi said. "Reducing those costs by 5 percent could save $10 million annually."

Dridi received both awards at the same meeting.

"Being honored by AFIA and NCC inspires only positive and good feelings, including elation, excitement, pride and honor," Dridi said. "I am thankful to my colleagues who nominated me and to my team, students, collaborators and family for their enduring support."

David Caldwell, department head of poultry science and director of the Center of Excellence for Poultry Science, said these awards indicate the caliber of research Dridi has completed over his years in academia.

"It was very fitting to see Dr. Dridi receive awards recognizing his commitment to excellence in research," Caldwell said. "It's a good year when a faculty member receives one award for research productivity. However, it's outstanding that the same faculty member received two awards at the same annual meeting of the Poultry Science Association. 

"Sami is finally getting the attention he deserves for building an elite research program that focuses upon real-world problems in the commercial poultry industry," he said.

Dridi earned his Ph.D. at the National Polytechnic Institute of Lorraine and the National Institute of Agricultural Research in France. He is a recognized expert in the field of molecular mechanisms for feed and water efficiency, heat stress responses, metabolic disorders and the mode of action of feed additive mode of action in broilers.

He was the president of the World Poultry Science Association—USA Branch and is the scientific chair of the World Poultry Congress—2026 Toronto. Currently, he serves on the Poultry Science Association Board of Directors and is the chair of the American Egg Board Research Awards Committee and the Maurice Stein Fellowship Awards Committee. He received the Leaders Circle Recognition Award in 2023 from Leaders Circle, Canada; the John White Outstanding Research Award 2023 from the U of A System Division of Agriculture; and the American Society for Nutrition-Milton L. Sunde Award 2016.

The Center of Excellence for Poultry Science is a unit of the U of A System Division of Agriculture and the U of A's Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences. The center represents the three land-grant mission areas of teaching — carried out through Bumpers College — and research and extension through the Division of Agriculture's Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service.

To learn more about the Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website. Follow us on X at @ArkAgResearch, subscribe to the Food, Farms and Forests podcast and sign up for our monthly newsletter, the Arkansas Agricultural Research Report. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit uada.edu. Follow us on X at @AgInArk. To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit uaex.uada.edu.

About the Division of Agriculture: The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture's mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. The Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation's historic land grant education system through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service. The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on five system campuses. The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs to all eligible persons without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.

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.