2023 Wilson G. Pond International Travel Award Recipients Sponsored by: Wilson G. Pond Appreciation Club
Jessica P. Acosta Medellin is a Ph.D. student in the Hans H. Stein Monogastric Nutrition Laboratory at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She is a native of Colombia and received her B.S. degree in Animal Science from Universidad Nacional de Colombia after completing an internship in Dr. Stein’s Laboratory at the University of Illinois. During her internship, she conducted research to determine the nutritional value of a new source of corn protein. After obtaining her bachelor’s degree, she enrolled in the master’s program in Nutritional Sciences at the University of Illinois where she conducted research to determine effects of an exogenous xylanase on reproductive performance and digestibility of energy and total dietary fiber in sows. She defended her master’s thesis in 2022 and is now working towards her Ph.D. degree in Dr. Stein Laboratory. Her current research focus is on testing the hypothesis that exogenous carbohydrases increase the utilization of dietary fiber in weanling pigs. Jessica has published three peer-reviewed manuscripts and three abstracts.
Jessica P. Acosta Medellin University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Abbigail Hines is Ph.D. student in ruminant nutrition at Auburn University. She received her B.S. degree in Animal Science and Veterinary Technology in 2019 and her M.S. in Animal Science in 2021, both from Tarleton State University. Abbigail's master's research, under the direction of Dr. Brandon Smith, focused on plant nutrient cycling from manure from steers fed titrated levels of dried distillers grains. At Auburn, Abbigail has continued her work with Dr. Smith, now working toward establishing a baseline for digestibility and forage physiological parameters in common bermudagrass cultivars. Following completion of her doctoral degree, Abbigail plans to join the beef nutrition industry in a technical support specialist role.
