5 ways for students to participate in the ANCC

Showcase your research in the Graduate Student Competitions.
Network with industry leaders in animal nutrition.
Participate and ask questions during the career panel discussion at the Student Networking Event.
Learn about the latest developments in animal nutrition research.
Apply for the ANAC Scholarship.

Graduate Student Competitions

ANAC was pleased to showcase the research of Canadian graduate students in animal science and nutrition during the ANCC Graduate Student Competitions, which was held at the Animal Nutrition Conference of Canada 2026 in Edmonton. This competition includes three categories: the oral presentation competition, the poster competition, and the up-and-coming research mini presentations.

Applications for the ANAC Graduate Student Competitions are now closed.

View the video abstracts now

Check out the oral presentation and poster competition video abstracts from this year’s conference by clicking on the button below.

2026 video abstracts

Oral Presentation Competition

Two abstracts from the submissions are selected. One focused on ruminant research and the other monogastric. The winners give an oral presentation during the ruminant and monogastric sessions respectively.

Oral presentation winners:

are invited to give a 20-minute oral presentation at the ANCC (15-minute presentation + 5 minutes for questions)
have their registration expenses, travel and accommodations for ANCC paid by the conference
have their written abstract published in the conference Book of Abstracts and online Proceedings
have their video abstract displayed online on the conference website and possibly shown during conference proceedings

Poster Competition

Students chosen to participate in the poster competition present their poster during the Graduate Student Poster Exhibition at ANCC. Competitors’ video abstracts are displayed online on the conference website. Competitors’ written abstracts are printed in the conference Book of Abstracts and online Proceedings.

Poster Competition Prizes:

First prize – $600
Second prize – $400
Third prize – $300

Up-and-Coming Research Mini Presentations

This presentation category is intended for early-stage graduate students (both master’s and PhD level) who do not yet have research results to showcase their project motivation and the benefit their work will have for industry. This is a unique opportunity for graduate students to communicate the value of their work directly to the industry professionals who will apply it.

Up-and-coming research mini presentation candidates:

deliver a 10-minute oral presentation at ANCC (5-minute presentation + 5 minutes for questions)
have their name and presentation title printed in the conference Book of Abstracts and online Proceedings

“One of the most valuable parts of ANCC for me was being able to interact with professionals and students from different livestock sectors. It definitely encouraged me to look beyond my own area and I really valued being in an environment where people were open to sharing their experiences and perspectives. Overall, it was such a welcoming environment that made it easy to ask questions, learn from others, and feel more connected to the industry.”
Ashley Kok, Oral Presentation Competition Winner, 2026

Past ANCC Competition Winners

2026

Oral competition winners

Monogastric winner:
Ashley Kok, University of Alberta
“Effects of elevated dietary amino acid supply during late gestation in sows”

Ruminant winner:
Tatum Schooley, University of Guelph
“Effect of milk processing byproducts as a partial replacement for corn in lactating cow diets on performance and milk composition”

Poster competition winners:

1^st place
Gus Halibert, University of Saskatchewan
“A Benchmark Study of Nutritional Strategies and Management Practices used by the Canadian Feedlot Industry”

2^nd place
Matt Oryschak, University of Alberta
“Nutrient digestibility in Western Canadian faba bean (Vicia faba) for poultry”

3^rd place
Lingjun Zhu, University of Alberta
“Reducing acid-binding capacity of diets without pharmaceutical zinc oxide changes gut pH, protein digestibility, and cecal metabolites in newly weaned pigs”

2025

Oral competition winners

Monogastric winner:
Saluja Karki, University of Saskatchewan
“Effects of canola meal processing on the choline bioavailability in canola meal-based broiler diets”

Ruminant winner:
Emily Knapper, University of Guelph
“Effects of chromium propionate supplementation for beef cows at late gestation on cow performance and skeletal muscle metabolism of the offspring”

Poster competition winners:

1^st place
Italo Pereira, University of Saskatchewan
“Effect of Microencapsulated Multivitamin and Mineral Premixes on Growth Performance, Plasma Vitamin and Mineral Levels in Broiler Chickens Challenged with Coccidiosis”

2^nd place
Spencer Leuschner, University of Guelph
“Pre-Exposure of Zebrafish (Danio rerio) Larvae and ZF-4 fibroblast cells to Vitamin D (VD3) Increases Toxicity to Bacterial Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)”

3^rd place
Tatum Schooley, University of Guelph
“Reduce, reuse, recycle: Using bentonite to de-water milk processing byproducts for dairy cow diets.”

2024

Graduate Student Oral Presentation Competition winners

Monogastric winner
Roseline Ogory, University of Saskatchewan
“Enriching the Omega-3 Fatty Acid Profile of Farm Eggs Using Ahiflower Seed and its Press Cake”

Ruminant winner
Sarah Dean, University of Guelph
“Vitamin A Enriched Diet at Late Gestation Affect on Intramuscular Fat Deposition in Beef Offspring”

Graduate Student Poster Competition winners

1^st place
Megan Dubois, University of Saskatchewan
“Impact of Selecting Beef Heifers with Divergent Digestible Fibre Intake when Fed Four Different Diets”

Tie for 2^nd place
Bria Bentley, University of Saskatchewan
“The Functional Properties and Digestibility of Round and Wrinkled Pea Flour in Swine Diets”

Janine Hansen, University of Manitoba
Substituting bread waste for corn in feedlot cattle diets reduces overall ammonia emissions

If you missed learning from the students at ANCC 2023, watch their 3-minute videos summarizing their research.

2023

Oral competition winners

Monogastric winner:
Jing Lu, Dalhousie University
“Dietary inclusion of black soldier fly larvae meal (Hemetia illucens) promotes gut microbiota diversity in Lohmann Brown-Lite laying hens”

Ruminant winner:
Myriam Landry, Université Laval
“Effects of lipid supplementation on milk composition and butter properties”

Poster competition winners:

1^st place
Yanxing (Stella) Niu, University of Manitoba
“The prebiotic effect of enzymatically-released bioactive components of canola meal fibre on gut health and growth performance of monogastric animals”

2^nd place
Cristhiam Jhoseph Munoz Alfonso, University of Guelph
“The effect of increasing standardized ileal digestible methionine intake during early gestation on whole-body nitrogen retention and plasma metabolites in gilts”

3^rd place
Andy Che, University of Manitoba
“Advancements in NIR calibration for estimation of nutritive value of canola meal and expeller-cold pressed canola using glucosinolates content”

If you missed learning from the students at ANCC 2023, watch their 3-minute videos summarizing their research.

2022

Oral competition winners

Monogastric winner:
Joaquin Sanchez Zannatta, PhD Candidate, University of Alberta
“Growth performance, digesta pH and organ weight of weaned pigs fed barley grain differing in fermentable starch and fibre”

Ruminant winner:
Renee Bierworth, MSC Candidate, University of Saskatchewan
“High mycotoxin levels in wheat grain and their effects on beef cattle ruminal fermentation, performance and carcass traits”

Poster competition winners

1st place:
Jing Lu, PhD Candidate, Dalhousie University
“Effects of in ovo seaweed polyphenols and fucoidans on performance and gut microbiota of broiler chickens challenged with diet-induced oxidative stress”

2nd place:
Bruna Mion, PhD Candidate, University of Guelph
“Complete replacement of inorganic sources of supplementary trace minerals by organic sources alters systemic trace mineral status, rumen fermentation, and energy balance in dairy cows”

3rd place:
Amanda Meadows, MSc Candidate, University of Saskatchewan
“The effect of dry or temper rolling of high or low protein wheat grain and its impact on rumen parameters, liver abscesses, and growth performance of feedlot cattle”

If you missed learning from the students at ANCC 2022, watch their 3-minute videos summarizing their research.

2021

Oral competition winners:

Monogastric winner:
Élise Lafleur Larivière, University of Guelph
“The effects of supplementing low-complexity deoxynivalenol-contaminated nursery diets with NutraMix^TM or fish oil on growth performance and immune function”

Ruminant winner:
Kortney Acton, University of Guelph
“Maternal metabolizable protein and rumen-protected methionine impacts gene expression in muscle”

Poster competition winners:

1st place:
Vanessa Rotondo, MSc Candidate, University of Guelph
“Predicting live weight using linear measurements in growing beef calves”

2nd place:
Allison Welk, MSc Candidate, University of British Columbia
“Effects of grass hay vs. silage-based TMR on performance of dairy calves around weaning”

3rd place:
Emily Conlin, MSc Candidate, University of Guelph
“Performance and Environmental Benefits from Biochar Supplementation in Beef Cattle Grazing Systems”

2020

Oral competition winners:

Monogastric winner:
Bonjin Koo, University of Manitoba
“Diet complexity and L-threonine supplementation: effects on growth performance, immune response, and intestinal integrity in nursery pigs”

Ruminant winner:
Lauren Engelking, University of Alberta
“Effects of butyrate supplementation on energy metabolism and inflammation of dairy cows during the calving transition period”

Poster competition winners:

1st place:
Bonjin Koo, PhD Candidate, University of Manitoba
“Energy contents of heat-treated and intact dry extruded-expelled soybean meal fed to growing pigs”

2nd place:
Jinyoung Lee, PhD Candidate, University of Manitoba
“Standardized ileal digestible lysine requirements for 7- to 11-kg weanling pigs fed a corn-soybean meal-based diet”

3rd place:
Sayanthika Thevakumaran, MSc Candidate, University of Guelph
“Evaluating silage quality of perennial forages established with warm season anual companion crops”

2019

Oral competition winners

Monogastric winner:
Catherine Chaput, Université Laval
“Embryonic Response toHigh Beta-Hydroxybutyrate (BHB) Levelsin PostpartumDairy Cows”

Ruminant winner:
Victoria Stewart, University of Guelph
“Precision Feeding of Gestating First Parity Sows Improves Sow Body Weight Gain in Late Gestation”

Poster competition winners

1st place:
Madeline Collins, MSc Candidate, University of Guelph
“Does Supplemental Methionine and Protein Improve Performance and Digestibility During Late Gestation in Beef Cows?”

2nd place:
Reza Akbari Moghaddam Kakhki, PhD Candidate, University of Guelph
“Improvement in skeletal development of ISA-brown pullets by maternal and post-hatch feeding of omega-three fatty acids”

3rd place:
Ilona Parenteau, MSc Graduate, University of Guelph
“Feeding reduced crude protein, amino acid balanced diets to laying hens has economic benefits beyond reducing feed costs”

2018

Oral competition winners

Monogastric winner:
Jill Hugman, University of Alberta
“Growth performance of weaned pigs fed raw, cold-pelleted, steam-pelleted, or extruded field pea”

Ruminant winner:
Justin Rosadiuk, University of Alberta
“Can differing pre- and post-weaning phase nutrition change intake, growth and hasten puberty in Holstein heifer calves?”

Poster competition winners

1st place:
Jennifer Haisan, PhD Candidate, University of Alberta
“Nutrient profile of the PMR may affect rumen fermentation more than the type of pellet feed”

2nd place:
Ilona Parenteau, MSc Candidate, University of Guelph
“Egg production and quality responses to increasing isoleucene supplementation in a low crude protein corn-soybean diet fed to pullets 19 to 48 weeks of age”

3rd place:
Caroline Knoblock, MSc Candidate, University of Alberta
“Supplementation of a Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation product during the calving transition period may decrease inflammation of dairy cows”

2017

Oral competition winners

Monogastric winner:
Emily Kim, University of Guelph
“Growth performance and indices of gut function and health in broiler chickens fed corn-soybean meal diets without or with exogenous epidermal growth factor upon challenge with Eimeria”

Ruminant winner:
Marie-Pascale Morin, Université de Montréal
“Evaluating the variability of passive immunity transfer in Quebec dairy herds”

Poster competition winners

1st place:
Amarakoon Mudiyanselage Sirini Buddhika Kumari Amarakoon, MSc Candidate, University of Manitoba
“Effect of dietary supplementation of plant based products on oxidative status of weanling piglets”

2nd place:
Aline Remus, PhD Candidate, Université Laval
“Feed additives can reduce the impact of sanitary challenge by bacterias: a meta-analytic approach”

3rd place:
Mélodie Langlais, MSc Candidate, Université de Montréal
“Decrease of minimal inhibitory concentration of essential oils and plant extract in presence of complex microbiota”

Student Networking Event

Representatives from different segments of the Canadian feed industry discuss their career experiences in a live panel discussion. Afterwards, students participate in small discussion groups where they have the opportunity to ask questions to each panelist.

This event provides a unique opportunity to:

learn more about the various roles that individuals play within the Canadian feed industry
gain valuable insight on career opportunities
make key industry contacts
meet potential employers

ANAC Scholarship

Are you a graduate student at a Canadian university enrolled in animal science or a related field of study, with a specific interest in animal nutrition? If so, you can apply for the Animal Nutrition Association of Canada (ANAC) Graduate Scholarship!

The ANAC Graduate Scholarship is made possible through funding by ANAC member companies. In addition to the $4,000 award, the scholarship recipient has the opportunity to present their research at the Opening Plenary session of the ANCC.

Applications for the ANAC Graduate Scholarship are now closed.

Learn more about the ANAC Scholarship

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ANIMAL NUTRITION CONFERENCE OF CANADA

Graduate Students