Anne Koontz is the first recipient of Alltech's new "Margin of Excellence" Fellowship "designed to implement young minds to solve business problems through education," according to Alltech spokesman Billy Frey. The company hopes the program will serve as a model for other central Kentucky businesses that recognize the need to develop and sustain an educated and highly skilled workforce in the region.
The fellowship is a stipend of $40,000 per year for a maximum of four years for each graduate fellow. It is provided in addition to any awards given by the university. Koontz, a graduate research assistant in the department of animal and food sciences at the University of Kentucky, said her doctorate research will focus on some of the metabolic effects of fescue toxicosis in cattle.
"I am thrilled! I'm very lucky to have been chosen for this," Koontz said. "It's an amazing opportunity to have this funding to support me through my Ph.D. and not have to worry about bills and other things that graduate students end up worrying about. And," added the Georgia native, "it lets me stay in Kentucky, which is a place I have truly grown to love."
"The fact is that the Ph.D. people are poor, hungry, and driven, and we may need to give them something extra to get them in here. This is an investment in our future. That's what it's about," said Dr. Pearse Lyons, the biochemist founder and president of Nicholasville-based Alltech, a global leader in the animal health industry with group sales of approximately $350 million. "Students have to put their lives completely on hold to further their education, because today's doctoral studies take an average of five to six years to complete. We want to reward the dedication and enthusiasm of these students by enabling them to focus entirely on their studies."
In addition to the annual stipend of $40,000, the fellowship provides funds for travel to conferences and other laboratories, bonuses for extraordinary performance, mentoring, and unique links to the industry. Because a primary goal of the Margin of Excellence Program is to attract and retain talent in Kentucky, Dr. Lyons said students will receive a retention bonus of $10,000 if they remain and work in Kentucky for three years following completion of the fellowship.
Koontz received a bachelor's of science degree in animal science with an emphasis in biotechnology from Oklahoma State University in 2005 and is currently completing her master's degree in animal nutrition, funded by a Department of Homeland Security fellowship. During the summer of 2006, Koontz worked at Texas A&M University with Dr. John El-Attrache as part of the DHS summer internship program. There she assisted in research related to detection of influenza A in feral swine populations.
Frey said the program gained inspiration from Mayor Jim Newberry's Lexington First scholarship initiative, a proposed public-private partnership that would fund "last dollar" scholarships for graduates of Fayette County high schools. In its initial phase, the program would support graduates who plan to major in science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM). "Mayor Newberry's proposal intrigued Dr. Lyons," Frey said. "He decided to develop his own program, one that keeps in mind the same principles including building a knowledge-based economy. However, if done properly, no government support is needed, as it will make financial sense for a company to do this on their own."
"It's about people taking care of their future and embracing the program and embracing their future," said Lyons. "Investing in education will only help Alltech, and keeping these investments in the state of Kentucky is what will take us to the next level. As the saying goes, ' Mighty oaks from little acorns grow.'"