Dr. Michael Persia is the director of the Egg Industry Center and the Iowa Egg Council Endowed Professor of Animal Science at Iowa State University. His research focuses on applied poultry nutrition, specifically addressing how to increase the efficiency of poultry production through enhanced nutrient management and bird digestive processes. Highlights of his work include helping introduce a new phytase feed ingredient to the market, updating poultry nutrient requirements, and maximizing poultry feed efficiency through dietary and intestinal manipulation.
Dr. Persia has been an active leader within the scientific and poultry community for years. He was Program Chair for the 2023 Poultry Science Association Annual Meeting and served on the PSA Board for a three-year term and on the executive board of the Southern Poultry Science Society. In addition to his board service with PSA and SPSS, Dr. Persia currently serves on the boards of the National Egg Quality School and the Virginia Egg Council. He is also a co-editor for the Nutrition Section of the Journal of Applied Poultry Research. Additionally, Dr. Persia served on the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine committee that authored the 10th edition of Nutrient Requirements for Poultry.
Dr. Persia earned his B.S. from Penn State University, his M.S. from The Ohio State University, and his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois. Dr. Persia began his professional career at Syngenta Biotechnology, Inc., and was most recently the John W. Hancock Professor in the School of Animal Sciences at Virginia Tech.
