FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Poultry Science Association Names Five New Fellows for 2026
Inductees to be honored at the 2026 PSA Annual Meeting in Toronto, Canada
Champaign, IL — The Poultry Science Association (PSA) is proud to announce the 2026 class of PSA Fellows, the highest honor the organization bestows upon its members. This distinguished designation is granted for professional distinction, outstanding contributions to the field of poultry science, and dedicated service to the Poultry Science Association. The five inductees will be formally recognized at the 2026 PSA Annual Meeting in Toronto, Canada.
The 2026 class represents decades of collective expertise spanning poultry genetics, meat science, extension, processing technology, and agricultural engineering.
2026 PSA Fellow Inductees
Dr. Nicholas B. Anthony
Senior Geneticist, Cobb-Vantress | Professor Emeritus, University of Arkansas
Dr. Nicholas B. Anthony has devoted more than four decades to advancing poultry breeding and genetics. After earning his Ph.D. in Genetics from Virginia Tech in 1988 and completing postdoctoral work at The Ohio State University, Dr. Anthony joined the University of Arkansas, where he spent 29 years as a faculty member, ultimately reaching the rank of Full Professor. During his tenure, he built an industry-focused research program centered on the physiological and reproductive complications associated with long-term selection for growth in poultry, resulting in over 160 peer-reviewed publications and more than $5 million in grant support.
Among his most enduring legacies is his exceptional record of student development: since 2017, genetic decisions affecting 95% of all commercial broiler breeders in the United States have been influenced by former Anthony students. He also contributed to the Gallus gallus genome assembly through the Vertebrate Genomes Project. Following his retirement from academia in 2019, Dr. Anthony transitioned to Cobb-Vantress, where he currently serves as Senior Geneticist in the R&D division. His PSA service has spanned editorial, committee, and organizational roles across more than three decades.
Dr. Shai Barbut
Professor, University of Guelph | Poultry Meat Science Chair, Wageningen University
Dr. Shai Barbut is an internationally recognized authority in poultry and meat processing science, with a career spanning more than 40 years at the University of Guelph. His body of work encompasses 302 refereed journal articles and foundational contributions to understanding and solving some of the poultry industry’s most pressing meat quality challenges, including white striping, woody breast, and spaghetti meat myopathies. He has developed innovative solutions for utilizing affected product, including pioneering work on dairy and plant-based protein gels and the application of chicken skin collagen in co-extruded sausage technology.
Dr. Barbut holds the distinguished Poultry Meat Science Chair at Wageningen University in the Netherlands, is a Fellow of the Institute of Food Technologists, and has been inducted into the American Poultry Science Hall of Fame. His 750-page open-access monograph, The Science of Poultry and Meat Processing, has been downloaded more than 750,000 times worldwide since its release in 2015 and is available in English, Spanish, and Chinese.
Dr. Doug Britton
Associate Division Chief and Principal Research Engineer, Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI)
Dr. Doug Britton has spent more than two decades at the Georgia Tech Research Institute advancing automation, robotics, sensing, and intelligent systems for the poultry and food industries. As Program Manager of the Agricultural Technology Research Program (ATRP), he oversees more than $2 million in annual research, supports more than 20 active projects, and manages a portfolio that has generated more than 20 patents and 50 records of invention. His work on machine vision systems, automation platforms, and advanced sensing tools has been licensed and adopted commercially, attracting more than $30 million in total research funding.
Dr. Britton has been a PSA member since 2011 and served as the Association’s Secretary and Treasurer from 2019 through 2025, providing essential leadership in financial oversight and governance. His co-chairmanship of the International Food Automation Networking Conference and the National Safety Conference for the Poultry Industry reflects his sustained commitment to connecting research with real-world industry impact.
Dr. Jesse L. Grimes
Professor, Prestage Department of Poultry Science, North Carolina State University
Dr. Jesse L. Grimes has built a distinguished career spanning more than four decades in poultry science, with a primary focus on extension, turkey production management, litter utilization, and applied production systems. After early industry experience with Perdue Farms, Dr. Grimes joined academia at Clemson University before advancing to North Carolina State University, where he has served since 1994 and achieved the rank of Full Professor in 2003. His extension programming has produced dozens of publications translating complex findings into practical guidance for producers and integrators across North Carolina and beyond.
Dr. Grimes served as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Applied Poultry Research from 2008 to 2013, a period of notable expansion for the publication, and has provided decades of additional editorial service to Poultry Science. He has led the Southern Poultry Science Society through multiple officer positions, including President (2023–2024), and has chaired the North Carolina Turkey Industry Days Conference since 1995.
Dr. Casey M. Owens
Novus International Professor of Poultry Science, University of Arkansas
Dr. Casey M. Owens is an internationally recognized leader in poultry meat science, with 25 years on faculty at the University of Arkansas, where she rose from Assistant to Full Professor. She holds the Novus International Professorship in Poultry Science, awarded in recognition of her exceptional research contributions. Her work has significantly advanced the understanding of poultry meat quality, muscle metabolism, myopathies, and processing technologies, resulting in over 116 peer-reviewed publications, 174 abstracts, 9 book chapters, and 2 edited textbooks. She has secured $2.3 million in research funding as PI or Co-PI and contributed to collaborative projects totaling $18.3 million.
Dr. Owens’s contributions to PSA span three decades of active membership, including roles as Section Editor and Associate Editor for Poultry Science, Annual Meeting Program Chair (2024), and leadership of multiple committees. Her development of the Meullenet-Owens Razor Shear and a patented woody breast detection method have had direct commercial impact, earning her the National Chicken Council Broiler Research Award. She has advised more than 40 graduate students as committee chair and co-developed the industry-focused Poultry 101 and Poultry 201 workshops, which have trained thousands of professionals worldwide over 20 years.
“The PSA Fellow designation represents the pinnacle of recognition within our profession,” said PSA's Interim Director, Don McIntyre. “This 2026 class exemplifies the depth of talent and commitment that has shaped poultry science for generations. We are honored to celebrate their contributions and welcome them into this distinguished group.”
The formal induction ceremony will take place during the 2026 PSA Annual Meeting in Toronto, Canada. For more information about PSA Fellow eligibility and past recipients, visit www.poultryscience.org.
About the Poultry Science Association
The Poultry Science Association (PSA) is a professional scientific society dedicated to advancing the science and practice of poultry production. Founded in 1908, PSA serves thousands of members worldwide through its flagship publication Poultry Science, the Journal of Applied Poultry Research, and European Poultry Science and its annual meeting, which brings together researchers, industry professionals, and students from around the globe.
Media Contact:
Poultry Science Association
www.poultryscience.org
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