November 03, 2008
Bowling
Green, Ky. - Western Kentucky University President Gary Ransdell, WKU-Glasgow Campus and the Glasgow Barren County Chamber of Commerce will host Alltech President Pearse Lyons on Nov. 10 in the first of nine scheduled presentations throughout the state.
Presenting a message titled “Energy, Agriculture, and Education – Opportunities for Kentucky,” Dr. Lyons, president and founder of the global animal health company, will speak as part of a tour to promote science and marketing and how they can revolutionize the Commonwealth and promote education and innovation.
His first presentation will be held from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. Nov. 10 at the WKU-Glasgow Campus. Additional presentations will be conducted statewide Nov. 10-12.
During his presentation, Dr. Lyons will talk about Alltech’s Rural Community Biorefinery concept – the first such model in North America – that integrates feed, food and fuel production. In addition, this plant will be the first in the United States to utilize cellulose as a significant percentage of its raw material, paving the way for Kentucky to build a new economy.
“Alltech has an exciting vision of what the future of agriculture in Kentucky, and ultimately the United States, can look like and I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to share that,” Dr. Lyons said. “I really believe that Kentucky can become a global leader in advanced agriculture. We have an opportunity to position ourselves as the Silicon Valley of the agriculture industry and to energize our rural community in the process.”
The Alltech - Kentucky Margin of Excellence Fellowship, on the other hand, is a perfect example of the educational initiatives that Alltech is taking on to promote education within the state. The program is a means of rewarding the dedication of graduate students in the study of science while promoting technology and development in Kentucky. Qualified students will receive $40,000 above the amount awarded by their Ph.D. granting institution every year for a maximum of up to five years, along with funds for travel, extraordinary performance, mentoring and unique links to the industry. In addition, these students will receive bonus funds for publishing and staying within the Commonwealth of Kentucky three years following graduation.
“This program is very exciting to us because it attracts brilliant, young minds to our state,” Dr. Lyons said. “We believe Ph.D. should no longer be an acronym for Poor, Hungry, and Driven. 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.”
The presentation also will touch on the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2010™, the Alltech Festival and the impact that these events will have on Kentucky. “The Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games are a phenomenal chance for our entire state – not just Lexington – to show a global audience what a special place Kentucky is,” Dr. Lyons said.
For more information about Alltech, visit www.alltech.com.
More WKU news is available at www.wku.edu and at http://wkunews.wordpress.com/. If you’d like to receive WKU news via e-mail, send a message to WKUNews@wku.edu.
For information, contact Juanita Bayless at (270) 659-6936.
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