Olivia Trevino and Cody Poole at the COALS Undergraduate Research Scholars Symposium
Olivia Trevino and Cody Poole at the COALS Undergraduate Research Scholars Symposium

Poultry Science students Olivia Treviño and Cody Poole recently completed the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (COALS) Undergraduate Research Scholars Program, culminating in a presentation of their final projects at the annual Symposium on April 30. Through their successful participation, both students earned $1,000 scholarships in recognition of their commitment to undergraduate research.

The COALS Undergraduate Research Scholars Program is designed to foster future scientists by equipping students with essential research skills through a series of structured workshops, faculty mentorship, and hands-on project development. Participants learn to navigate the research process—from proposal development to data analysis and final presentation—while contributing to real-world scientific inquiry.

Olivia conducted her research under the mentorship of Dr. Yuhua Farnell. Her project, "Developing a Bovine Upper Airway 3D Organoid Model for Studying the Mechanism of Interaction Between H5N1 and Cattle," explores a cutting-edge approach to understanding cross-species disease transmission.

Cody worked under the guidance of Dr. Morgan Farnell on a project titled "Evaluating Footbath Effectiveness for Reducing Bacteria on Boot Covers in Poultry Facilities." His research addresses practical biosecurity measures critical to maintaining health standards in commercial poultry operations.