Darrin M. Karcher

My program embodies the land-grant vision uniting discovery, engagement and learning to advance poultry production, animal welfare, food safety and workforce development within Pennsylvania, nationally and internationally. I focus on improving poultry production through practical, research-based solutions bridging the gap between small flock producers and commercial poultry industries.

ENGAGEMENT

Uses both informal and formal approaches to meet the needs of different poultry clientele.

1. Developed and implemented over 200 educational events for commercial and small flock producers, reaching over 20,000 people.
2. Produced over 70 extension materials, book chapters and media appearances.
3. Delivered 127 invited talks and 41 media interviews to share poultry-related insights.
4. Founder/Director of Shell Egg Academy, a table egg industry workforce development program.
5. Created Egg Sanitation Training Modules in response to food safety concerns.
6. Provides national leadership in cage-free and extensive housing egg production to companies and regulatory agencies.

DISCOVERY

Research focuses on extensive housing for laying hens and improving poultry welfare.

1. Produced over 135 peer-reviewed scientific articles and over 135 abstracts.
2. Built strategically aligned teams to attract competitive research funding.
3. Secured over $12 million in funding through competitive grants, gifts, and donations.

LEARNING

Early pipeline development and student engagement: Introduce undergraduates to poultry science and industry career pathways, fostering enthusiasm while emphasizing research-driven problem solving and applied learning through hands-on experiences.

1. Holistic mentoring for professional readiness: Integrate leadership, career development, and life skills into student mentoring.
2. Proven outcomes across academic and industry pathways
   • Mentored 29 undergraduate research projects with many students advancing to graduate education or poultry industry careers.
   • Mentored 11 graduate students, 3 post-doctoral scholars and served on 24 graduate committees who have gone on to secure academic positions.

IMPACTS

• Egg Sanitation modules with virtual delivery and bilingual resources have accumulated greater than 30,575 views supporting workforce development in the U.S. and Canada.
• Delivered applied research findings to over 11,000 producers with 50% implementing management changes, 64% adopting improved welfare measures, and 80% strengthening Salmonella enteritidis audit procedures.

SELECT AWARDS

1. Charles Beard Research Excellence Award, U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, 2024.
2. Maple Leaf Farms Duck Research Award, Poultry Science Association, 2023.
3. North Central Region’s Excellence in Extension Award, Association of Public & Land-Grant Universities, 2022.
4. Societal Impact Fellow, Purdue University, 2022.
5. Phibro Extension Award, Poultry Science Association, 2016.