USPOULTRY and the USPOULTRY Foundation are pleased to recognize Dr. Darrin Karcher as the recipient of the annual Dr. Charles Beard Research Excellence Award. Dr. Karcher is an associate professor of animal sciences at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, and an adjunct associate professor of animal sciences at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan. The award is named in honor of Dr. Charles Beard, former director of the Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory and former vice president of research at USPOULTRY.

The USPOULTRY Foundation Research Advisory Committee (FRAC) selected Dr. Karcher for this award due to his exceptional research focused on nutrition, management and skeletal issues in commercial layers. He has been the principal investigator for five USPOULTRY funded projects and has been a co-investigator on two additional USPOULTRY projects.

“Dr. Karcher was a standout nominee for this award because his research, focusing on addressing producers’ concerns with laying hen management, bird welfare and food safety, has provided a wealth of knowledge for the layer industry and has led to many technological advancements in those areas,” noted Dr. Denise Heard, vice president of research programs, USPOULTRY.

Dr. Karcher has developed an extension program that improves poultry production, regardless of scale, and is grounded in science. Dr. Karcher completed his B.S. from The Ohio State University, M.S. in Animal Science at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and his Ph.D. in Animal Science at Purdue University. He serves on the board of directors for the National Egg Quality School, Poultry Health Management School and Midwest Poultry Federation. He has also served on the board of directors of the World’s Poultry Science Association. He was a Societal Impact Fellow at Purdue University and the North Central Region’s Excellence in Extension Award winner at Purdue University. In addition, Dr. Karcher is the recipient of many awards and fellowships and has published numerous peer-reviewed papers and authored publications, including book chapters.

The goal of the Dr. Charles Beard Research Excellence Award is to recognize outstanding completed research projects, funded by USPOULTRY or the USPOULTRY Foundation, which have made a significant positive impact on the poultry industry. As the recipient of the award, Karcher received a $1,500 cash prize. The award was presented to him during the USPOULTRY Chair’s Reception at the International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE) by Bill Griffith, treasurer for the USPOULTRY board of directors and long-standing FRAC member.

About USPOULTRY
U.S. Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY) is the All Feather Association progressively serving its poultry and egg members through research, education, communications and technical services.Founded in 1947, USPOULTRY is based in Tucker, Georgia.

About USPOULTRY Foundation
The USPOULTRY Foundation's mission is to support the recruitment and training of the brightest students, seek and fund scientific research, foster student scientists and promote careers in the poultry and egg industry.