Olivia Wedegaertner Vann

WORK HISTORY

EDUCATION

ABOUT OLIVIA WEDEGAERTNER VANN

I am the US Turkey Account Manager for Zoetis 🦃 I manage all of our commercial turkey accounts across the US, from coast to coast, to help maintain the health of the turkey industry. I successfully defended my Ph.D. in Poultry Science at N.C. State University under the direction of Dr. Robert Beckstead and Dr. Chongxiao (Sean) Chen and graduated December 2021. I also completed the Technology, Entrepreneurship, and Commercialization concentration within N.C. State University\'s Jenkins MBA Program. My other committee members included Dr. Peter Ferket, Dr. Frank Edens, and Dr. Fernanda Santos. Most of my PhD research involved the avian ceca, specifically in broiler chickens and commercial turkeys. My dissertation research focused on learning more about the fermentation cycle of the poultry ceca as well as determining how we can manipulate the cecal environment and microbial fermentation using different feed additives to improve the health of the bird. I explored different fiber feed additives as tools for effective cecal delivery of products like essential oils, metals and other natural antimicrobials.