Researcher Specializes in Precision Poultry Farming and Air Quality
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Yang Zhao, associate professor of animal science and University of Tennessee AgResearch Guthrie Endowed Professor in Precision Livestock Farming, is the winner of the regional 2025 Agricultural Research Innovation Award of Excellence.
The award was presented at the Southern Mini Land-Grant Conference on June 10 in Fayetteville, Arkansas, a meeting for agInnovation South, the coalition of directors of state agricultural experiment stations in Southern states. The group is a regional coalition of the national Association for Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU).
The Agricultural Research Innovation Award of Excellence is given to researchers who strive in their research career to achieve benchmarks reflective of excellence along with the ability to inspire and lead effective collaborations and foster development of other scientists. Zhao is the winner from the Southern region, and the winners from each region will be nominated for a national award to be announced in September.
Zhao’s research combines agricultural engineering and animal science to address challenges in the poultry industry. His work focuses on precision livestock farming in poultry, leveraging sensors and artificial intelligence to optimize production. He places particular emphasis on poultry housing, animal welfare, behavior and the prevention of disease transmission.
“The agInnovation Research Award of Excellence is very fitting to recognize Yang’s admirable research accomplishments and impacts. Yang is one of the most humble, self-motivated, collaborative, disciplined, trustworthy and compassionate scientists and mentors that we are fortunate to have here at UTIA,” said UT AgResearch Dean Hongwei Xin.
Zhao has won numerous awards for his research achievements and in securing funding for his research. He was recognized by UTIA with the 2023 UT AgResearch Dean’s Grantsmanship Award based on the total dollar amount of competitive extramural grants and contracts secured by a faculty member serving as a principal or co-principal investigator. His research excellence has also been recognized by both his professional society and the university. Notable honors include the Sunkist Young Designer Award from the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE), the Professional Promise in Research and Creative Achievement Award from UT, and the T.J. Whatley Distinguished Young Scientist Award from UTIA.
“It is a great honor to be recognized by agInnovation with this prestigious award. This recognition belongs to my entire research team and reflects the strong support I’ve been fortunate to receive from my department, college and university. I’m sincerely grateful to be surrounded by dedicated students, collaborative colleagues and supportive administrators,” said Zhao.
UT AgResearch is the name of the agricultural experiment station in Tennessee, which is a part of the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture. The federal Hatch Act of 1887 established funding for research to be conducted at the stations, which are overseen by land-grant universities in the 50 states, District of Columbia and U.S. territories. Certain states have more than one land-grant institution as a result of additional legislation in 1890, and some western and plains states have several land grant institutions because of the 1994 federal land-grant legislation for tribal colleges.
The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture is comprised of the Herbert College of Agriculture, UT College of Veterinary Medicine, UT AgResearch and UT Extension. Through its land-grant mission of teaching, research and outreach, the Institute touches lives and provides Real. Life. Solutions. to Tennesseans and beyond. utia.tennessee.edu.