Animal science professor earns research award

Ashley Wilkinson
Tue, 09 Feb 2016 02:14:19 +0000
Campus, News, Charles Beard Research Award, Michael Lilburn, ohio state, poultry nutrition, Poultry Research Center at Ohio State’s Agricultural Technical Institute

Michael Lilburn was awarded the Charles Beard Research Award for his accomplishments in the poultry research industry. Credit: Ashley Wilkinson | For The Lantern

The annual Charles Beard Research Award was granted to Michael Lilburn to recognize his efforts and accomplishments in the poultry research industry.

Lilburn is the unit supervisor for the Poultry Research Center at Ohio State’s Agricultural Technical Institute, located in Wooster, Ohio, but he also teaches classes on OSU’s Columbus campus.

Lilburn, who received the award Jan. 26, said he mainly researches poultry nutrition. He focuses on enhancing nutrition absorption and digestion and looks at amino acids and lysine to try to figure out how to make them as effective as possible in the poultry digestion process.

“What happens is that if you eat protein, not all of that protein gets digested. Some of the amino acids that aren’t digested come out the other end,” Lilburn said. He explained that a lot of his research revolves around creating a diet that will enhance digestibility as much as possible. “It’s not real sexy research, but it’s generating information.”

The Charles Beard Research Award was named in honor of Charles Beard, former vice president of research at the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association and director of Southeast Poultry Research.

The award is given annually to a recipient who has successfully completed superior research through U.S. Poultry & Egg Association grants. These grants are given out to research projects that are thought to have a great impact on the poultry industry as a whole.

Because of Lilburn’s outstanding research, he was awarded $1,500 and a trip to the International Production and Processing Expo held in Atlanta, Georgia.

Keith Patterson, a farm manager of Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center Poultry Research Operations, has known and worked with Lilburn for 30 years and currently works with Lilburn coordinating his research projects that are executed on the research farms located in Wooster.

“(Lilburn) is very concerned with educating today’s students about the future of poultry nutrition and its impact on our society,” Patterson said. “He has touched many people through his research and teaching of poultry. This makes him an excellent recipient of this award.”

Patterson described his college as “very enthusiastic about educating people.”

“We’re in the people business in the poultry industry and the association with individuals has really made it a lot of fun,” Lilburn said.