AgWired

Some students who have benefited from Novus International’s contribution to the Missouri Colleges Fund have had the chance to tour their benefactor’s suburban St. Louis facilities and the animal health company’s research farm.

Rachel Weber, a junior at William Woods University in Fulton, MO, majoring in biology with a concentration on equine science, says she was impressed with Novus’ environmentally friendly building … Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum level … and the company’s openness to a wide variety of backgrounds for their workers.

“A lot of people think you have to go pre-med, pre-vet or you have to stay in a laboratory doing boring research. I think this is opening a new door to a lot of scientists to see that we can be innovative in our research and that research is not boring and doing tedious paperwork.”

She hopes to take away some new ideas and apply some of those to her studies. Plus, it could be the kind of place where she could see herself working one day.

“I know they need a lot of specialized people and with a veterinary degree, maybe I could assist.”

You can hear more of what Rachel had to say in the player below.

2010 Novus International Science: A Foundation for Dynamic Careers Photo Album

One of the first people the students touring the Novus International facilities in suburban St. Louis is someone who was in their exact same position not very long ago.

Research engineer Sarah Perdue started with Novus just last summer. Like the students she met, Perdue was looking to build on her experience she had gained through the years.

“I would highly recommend to get some kind of experience so that you can be exposed and also looks good on your resume and will give you an ‘in’ as far as moving into a company like Novus.”

Perdue says while disciplines in the animal nutrition field are important at Novus, many science fields find a fit in the company.

“As a chemist, you could do analytical chemistry. If you got into biology research, you could do cell culture cultivation and use that for a product.”

She says it really boils down to being someone who is curious and looks to innovate.

More of my conversation with Sarah is available in the player below.

2010 Novus International Science: A Foundation for Dynamic Careers Photo Album

About a dozen students along with some of their advisors have toured the Novus International headquarters in the St. Louis suburb of St. Charles and the company’s research farm. The tour is part of Novus’ 2nd annual “Science: A Foundation for Dynamic Careers” days, where students who have received Missouri Colleges Fund scholarships (funded, in part, by Novus) get to see firsthand how they might be able to apply their science degrees in the future.

“Our hope is really for them to get a glimpse of what a science and math degree can do for them out in the ‘quote-unquote’ real world,” said Dr. Joyce Cacho, Chief Sustainability Officer for Novus.

Dr. Cacho says Novus supports these students through the Missouri Colleges Fund because of the nature of the students’ degrees.

“The largest plank in our relationship with the Missouri Colleges Fund is Novus’ commitment to encouraging a pipeline of young people to innovate in science and mathematics as it relates to health and nutrition for livestock, as well as the human area. [The] fund offers us a structure to reach out to young people to attract them to our industry and to attract them to our mission and vision of feeding the world sustainable food and improving the quality of life.”

She adds, however, Novus welcomes more than just people with math and science degrees. Dr. Cacho points out there are lots of employees who come from marketing, business, and even physical training backgrounds who have found homes at Novus. The key is to find people who want to innovate.

Listen to more of my conversation with Dr. Cacho below.

2010 Novus International Science: A Foundation for Dynamic Careers Photo Album