Rate My Professor Mike Persia

Mike Persia serves as the John W. Hancock Professor and Extension Specialist in Poultry Nutrition and Management in the School of Animal Sciences at Virginia Tech. He joined the institution in 2014 as an assistant professor in the Department of Animal and Poultry Sciences and has since advanced to full professor. Persia earned his bachelor's degree from Pennsylvania State University in 1997, a master's degree from Ohio State University in 1999, and a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2003. His research focuses on enhancing the efficiency of poultry production for both meat and egg birds through the characterization, understanding, and manipulation of digestive processes. Key areas include nutrient requirements and utilization, management strategies to minimize environmental impact, responses to heat stress, development of feed additives as alternatives to antibiotics, and phytase enzymes for improved phosphorus utilization. He has contributed significantly to revising the Nutritional Requirements of Poultry through service on a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine committee and received the Poultry Nutrition Award from the American Feed Industry Association. Persia teaches courses such as APSC 2104 Poultry Laboratory and APSC 4404 Poultry Enterprise Management, mentoring undergraduate and graduate students in research and experiential learning.

Persia's scholarly output includes over 130 peer-reviewed publications, with notable works such as 'Effects of sulfur amino acid supplementation on broiler chickens exposed to acute and chronic cyclic heat stress' (Poultry Science, 2022), 'Effects of a direct fed microbial on broiler chickens exposed to acute and chronic cyclic heat stress' (Poultry Science, 2022), 'Tryptophan requirement of first-cycle commercial laying hens in peak egg production' (Poultry Science, 2021), and 'Evaluation of corn particle size on the growth performance, intestinal permeability, pellet quality, and litter moisture of turkey hens raised without antibiotics' (Journal of Applied Poultry Research, 2024). His work garners over 2,700 citations and addresses practical industry challenges through collaborations with organizations like the Virginia Poultry Federation and Virginia Egg Council. Persia leads extension efforts, delivering presentations on topics including highly pathogenic avian influenza updates, egg quality, and small flock nutrition, and has been featured in media outlets such as U.S. News & World Report. He has held leadership roles, including president of the Southern Poultry Science Society (2012-2013) and chair of the Poultry Science Association annual meeting.