Innovate Animal Ag names 2026 poultry and aquaculture scholarship recipients
Innovate Animal Ag (IAA) has awarded its 2026 Poultry & Aquaculture Innovation Scholarship to 3 undergraduate students pursuing careers in the poultry and aquaculture industries.
The 2026 recipients are Jaehyoung Park, Westen Vardeman and Shayenn Votaw, and each will receive US$4,000 to cover tuition costs.
Jaehyoung Park is a sophomore at Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (‘28), majoring in Biological Sciences. Jaehyoung is passionate about aquaculture, which he sees as a viable, sustainable, and eco-friendly form of food/protein production. He maintains tilapia tanks and assists with aquaculture research at Won lab to gain real-life experience working in aquaculture settings. Moving forward, Jaehyoung hopes to pursue a graduate degree in aquaculture and further integrate technology into his fish expertise.
Westen Vardeman is a third-year student at Texas A&M University studying Poultry Science. He grew up on his family’s cow/calf operation in East Texas, and has worked for Tyson Foods, conducted poultry nutritional research at Texas A&M, and worked on large cattle operations. In summer 2026 he plans to travel to Australia to work on a feedlot and learn about cattle nutrition and feeding. After he graduates, he plans to pursue a PhD in animal nutrition at either Texas Tech or Texas A&M.
Shayenn Votaw is a student at North Carolina State University pursuing a degree in Biological and Agricultural Engineering Technology, with a minor in Animal Science. Raised on family-operated swine farms in southeastern North Carolina, she developed a strong foundation in animal agriculture and a deep appreciation for the dedication required to care for livestock. Through hands-on farm experience and undergraduate research with the USDA-NIFA funded Proactive Pig Production (P3) project, she has supplemented her background in production agriculture with her interest in engineering and emerging technologies. After graduation, Shayenn plans to pursue a career focused on precision livestock farming and the integration of advanced technologies to improve animal welfare, environmental sustainability, and production efficiency.
The IAA Poultry & Aquaculture Innovation Scholarship
The IAA Poultry & Aquaculture Innovation Scholarship supports students who are passionate about technology and innovation in agriculture. Recipients were selected based on their academic achievement, hands-on experience in animal agriculture, and demonstrated interest in bringing new technologies to poultry and aquaculture production.
Robert Yaman, CEO of Innovate Animal Ag: “Innovation in animal agriculture doesn’t happen without the right people: those with the technical skills, the hands-on experience, and the drive to solve hard problems. Jaehyoung, Westen, and Shayenn each showed exactly that combination, and we’re proud to support them on their path to becoming leaders in animal agriculture innovation.”
