John Lee Pratt Graduate Scholar Program
Assistantships are available through the bequest of John Lee Pratt for "promoting the study of animal nutrition, and to provide equipment and materials for experiments in feeding and the preparation of feeds for livestock and poultry and to publish and disseminate the practical results thereby obtained."
M.S. scholars will be paid at Step 15 and Ph.D. scholars at Step 15 as determined by the Graduate School. Full tuition and fees will be paid from the endowment. In addition, M.S. and Ph.D. scholars will receive a total of $1,500 and $2,500, respectively, to support their research program, including travel expenses to national or international conferences for presentation of their research results.
The Pratt Review Panel has developed the following minimum criteria for selecting graduate scholars. However, some departments might require more rigorous criteria for admission of students to this program:
- Minimum of 3.4 grade point average (GPA) for students entering from an undergraduate program.
- Minimum of 3.6 GPA for students entering from a graduate program (Ph.D. candidates).
- Minimum quantitative graduate record exam (GRE) score must be at or above the 70th percentile. This equates to a score of 157.
- International students graduating in the top 20% of their class will be eligible even if their GPA does not meet the above criteria, provided their quantitative GRE score is greater than the 70th percentile.
Students who are interested in studying animal or equine nutrition should inquire directly to the resident departments of faculty members who have received Pratt endowment funds. There are Pratt scholars in the School of Animal Sciences, Food Science and Technology, Biochemistry and VA Seafood AREC. The School of Plant and Environmental Sciences also often have approved proposals.
The faculty recipient's departmental graduate committee will evaluate student qualifications for Pratt assistantships to ensure the candidates meet minimum requirements. Applications from selected candidates should be submitted by the faculty to the college's Associate Dean of Research for final approval of awards.
Faculty Recieving the Pratt Graduate Scholarship Support (2024)
- Kristy Daniels - School of Animal Sciences
- Advancing Sustainable and Efficient Dairy Heifer Rearing Practices
- Michael Persia - School of Animal Sciences
- A holistic approach to determine dietary energy utilization in broiler chicken production
- Haibo Huang - Food Science & Technology
- Production of Oligosaccharides from Underutilized Brewer’s Spent Grain as Aquacultural Prebiotics to Enhance Fish Growth and Health
- Samer El-Kadi - School of Animal Sciences
- Improving Feed Efficiency in Pigs with Medium-Chain Fatty Acids
- David Kuhn - Food Science & Technology
- Effects of Peanut Skin Phenolics on Production and Muscle Quality of Aquacultured Rainbow Trout
- Vitor Mercadante - School of Animal Sciences
- Investigating the Effects of Chromium Propionate Supplementation on Production and Reproduction of Beef Cows
- Kylie Allen - Biochemistry
- Nickel acquisition and delivery in methanogenic microbes: towards decreasing methane emissions while improving ruminant productivity
- Rodrigo da Silva Marques - School of Animal Sciences
- New nutritional approaches during a preconditioning and feedlot receiving program
- Yiming Feng - AREC/BSE
- Enhanced shrimp nutrition through precision aquaculture: Data-driven biofloc technology (BFT) for resilient and sustainable shrimp production
Faculty Recieving the Pratt Graduate Scholarship Support (2021)
- Ford Ramsey - AAEC
- Economic Analysis of Precision Animal Nutrition Technologies
- David Kuhn - FST
- Exploring the Role and Impacts of Processed Brewery By-products and Prebiotics, and Probiotics on the Production, Microbiome and Health of Aquacultured Fish
- Alan Ealy - SAS
- The Influence of Nutritional Status on Ovum Pickup and In Vitro Embryo Production Efficiency
- Bain Wilson - SAS
- Evaluation of bale grazing as an alternate winter hay feeding system for beef cows in the Southeastern United States
- Caroline Leeth - SAS
- Precision Technology to Monitor Feed Intake, Behaviors, and Vital Signs of Metabolically Sensitive Horses
- Elizabeth Gilbert - SAS
- Dietary supplementation of bioflavonoids to limit fat deposition in growing broilers
- Gonzalo Ferreira - SAS
- Holistic evaluation of small grain silages as feed for dairy cattle
- Gota Morota - SAS
- Establishing a 3D cow body surface for imaging system for data-driven body condition monitoring
- Honglin Jiang - SAS
- Mechanism of grain feeding-caused rumen acidosis
- Mark Cline - SAS
- Effects of high ambient temperature and dietary macronutrients on feed intake and appetite regulation in broiler chickens
- Michael Persia - SAS
- Nutritional modulation of the microbiome as a strategy for antibiotic-free poultry production using a smart farm approach
- Rebecca Cockrum - SAS
- Integration of early dietary supplementation and automated feeding systems to mitigate post-weaning slump in dairy heifers
- Sally Johnson - SAS
- Technology tools for horse owners, trainers and riders
- Scott Greiner - SAS
- Investigating the relationship between individual feed intake and level of internal parasite infection in Katahdin sheep
- John Fike - SPES
- Hemp grain and the horse: nutritional value, metabolic effects, and mobility response
- Mark Estienne - TAREC
- Feeding strategies to enhance gilt reproduction and subsequent longevity and productivity in the breeding herd
- Reza Ovissipour - VSAREC
- Insect Meal and Frass as Emerging Dietary Protein Sources for Fresh and Marine Finfish: Performance, Gut and Recirculating Aquaculture System Microbiomes
Funded Pratt Equipment Proposals (2024)
- Alan Ealy - School of Animal Sciences
- Developing Ovum Pickup Resources Needed to Explore Nutritional Strategies for Improving Embryo Production Success in Beef and Dairy Cattle
- John Fike - School of Plant & Environmental Sciences
- NIRS to support forage-livestock and related CALS programs
- Bo Zhang - School of Plant & Environmental Sciences
- Improving Animal Nutrition Research and Breeding Efforts with Advanced Seed Counting Technology
- Charles Najt - Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise
- Request to Expand the Comprehensive Lab Animal Monitoring System (CLAMS)
- Fernando Biase - School of Animal Sciences
- Stereoscopes to advance research and graduate education in nutritional demands of livestock embryos, embryo donors and embryo recipients
- Rodrigo Marques - School of Animal Sciences
- Optimizing teaching and research facilities for precision animal agriculture systems
- Zachary Easton - Biological Systems Engineering
- Sungrazers: Piloting Agri-photovoltaic Solutions for Sustainable Ruminant Production Systems
- Zhiwu Wang - Biological Systems Engineering
- Acquisition of a Microfiltration System for Enhancing Pilot-Scale Animal Nutrition Research and Competitiveness for External Funding
Funded Pratt Equipment Proposals (2022)
- Haibo Huang - FST
- Acquisition of a Cross Cutting Mill for Enhancing Animal Nutrition Research and Competitiveness for External Funding
- Deb Good - HNFE
- Upgrade to the Leica Stellaris SP8 Confocal Microscope
- Robert Grange - HNFE
- Request for a Bruker LF90 NMR instrument to determine body composition of mice and rats
- Alan Ealy - SAS
- Updating Embryology Equipment for Applied Reproductive Technology Activities
- Azahar Ali - SAS
- Machine Learning-Assisted, Nutrition Management of Dairy Cows by Enabling 3D Printed Metabolite Sensors
- Gonzalo Ferreira - SAS
- Precision Methane Monitoring to Primely Position Virginia Tech at the Intersection of Environmental Management and Productivity Optimization
- Honglin Jiang - SAS
- Acquisition of Equipment to Support Newly Funded or Newly Proposed Research in Animal Nutrition
- Michelle Rhoads - SAS
- Enhancing metabolic and nutrition-related research capabilities aimed at improving livestock production
- Sally Johnson - SAS
- Ultrasonography assessment of body composition, embryogenesis and fitness in response to diet and exercise
- Samer El-Kadi - SAS
- Cryostat for tissue analysis
- Kathryn Payne - SPAREC
- Livestock Shade Structures and Research at the Southern Piedmont AREC
- Mark Estienne - TAREC
- Purchase of a Veterinary Hematology Analyzer to enhance Swine Nutrition Research at the Tidewater Agricultural Research and Extension Center
Updated September 2024