Campus Farm & Internship Student Spotlight: Cirenio Hisasaga

Fresno State agricultural science graduate student Cirenio Hisasaga has used his passion for the poultry industry to create a bright future for himself & others as he pursues a dream to attain a doctoral degree and become a professor.

The former Jordan College Undergraduate Dean's Medalist & honors cohort member has gained key industry experience through internships for Cobb-Vantress & Foster Farms and working at the campus Foster Farms Poultry Education and Research Facility.

In this #NationalHispanicHeritageMonth feature, learn more about this Sanger native who also gives back to others through the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation and Central California Food Bank in Fresno in this recent interview.

 

Q: Why did you choose to attend Fresno State?

Hisasaga: "After high school and my involvement in FFA, I was committed to pursuing a degree in animal science. Therefore, Fresno State was the ideal university as it has a strong animal science department and it is close to home. I have a family connection here, too, and my cousin, Randy Espinoza, graduated from here with his master’s degree in chemistry two years ago." 

 

Q: What were some of your favorite Fresno State classes and why?

Hisasaga: "All of the faculty members in the Department of Animal Science and Ag Education have made a positive impact in my education, and one that has a particularly profound teaching style is Dr. (Gayle) O’Bannon. I do not recall a day where I felt forced to attend her classes, and she is loaded with a wealth of knowledge that is admirable. She knows how to effectively relate the course material to every single student. As I progress in my career, I hope one day I can make a positive impact just as Dr. O’Bannon has done for me."

 

Q: Which faculty members had the biggest influence on you while at Fresno State and why?

Hisasaga: "Dr. (Katy) Tarrant has gone beyond the role of a professor. She embodies the roles of a mentor and friend as well. She was the first professor to ever ask me what my goals and ambitious in life were. I remember telling her I wanted to go to graduate school after my undergraduate degree. What I didn’t expect was that Dr. Tarrant would quickly help me obtain skills that have helped me excel in graduate school. She gave me the opportunity to conduct research as an undergraduate student and to present my findings at different conferences. Furthermore, whenever I doubt my knowledge or capabilities, Dr. Tarrant always reminds me that she believes in my capabilities and for that I will forever be grateful. In my opinion, one of the best decisions that the university has done is award Dr. Tarrant tenure. I know there is a list of students that can attest to the positive impact Dr. Tarrant has had in their personal and professional life. I will forever be thankful for everything that Dr. Tarrant has done and continues to do for me."

Hisasaga: "I would also like to thank Dr. Randy Perry and Dr. Tarrant for providing me the opportunity to assist the department as a teaching assistant. This opportunity has allowed me to interact with brilliant students in our department and help them find their passion. Being a teaching assistant has reaffirmed my goals in life. I hope one day I can come back to Fresno State and give back to my community as an educator." 

 

Q: Describe your work at any farm units, and how it prepared you for your career path?

Hisasaga: "I have been a student employee at the Foster Farms Poultry Education and Research Facility for five years now. My experience working at the unit has provided me with the basic skills and knowledge required in raising commercial broilers. A few of my responsibilities includes evaluating bird health and welfare practices in accordance to the American Humane Association (AHA) and Foster Farms, which contributed to successfully passing the AHA audit. My involvement at this facility spurred my profound devotion and interest in a career in poultry science."

 

Q: Explain any research you've been involved with on campus and how it benefits the industry?

Hisasaga: "My master's thesis project involves analyzing the mitochondrial levels of commercial broilers with woody breast. In essence, I am trying to determine whether the mitochondrial RNA levels relative to the nuclear RNA are different amongst birds with woody breast. Furthermore, I am trying to determine if this protocol could be utilized to screen for birds with woody breast. One of my undergraduate research projects involved analyzing the quality of designer eggs in the consumer market. I performed an accelerated lipid oxidation study to determine the amount of free fatty acids and peroxides present in eggs. This study was performed with the guidance of Dr. Sara Shinn Griffin from the Department of Food Science and Nutrition. I began to conduct this research project during my sophomore year of my undergraduate degree. Beginning in fall of 2018, I took on an additional research project, which focused on leg health parameters of two different broiler genetic lines. This research has major industry implications as I am evaluating lameness characteristics in birds from intensely selected lines."

 

Q: What's your next career step, and are there other ways that you hope to apply your degree eventually?

Hisasaga: "I have been committed to maintaining academics, service, and research experience as my top priorities as a graduate student at Fresno State. The experiences I have gained through developing myself as a scientist at Fresno State are critical to my future in pursuing a career as a professor at a university. I am determined to attend a doctoral program to hopefully become an expert within the field of poultry science. I am eager to advance my education and become a professor for two main reasons. First, as a professor, I will have a platform to educate younger generations from diverse backgrounds on the importance of agriculture in our daily lives. Second, I want to provide students with the opportunity to accomplish their goals, as has the faculty at Fresno State have done for me. I am certain that these goals will be challenging and difficult; however, I am optimistic that my determination will make this a worthy journey."  

 

Q: What was your background in agriculture before you started at Fresno State?

Hisasaga: "I became fascinated with the animal science major when I had participated in the Future Farmers of America (FFA) organization in high school. Not only has FFA taught me the importance of agriculture in our daily lives, from food to utensils, but it also helped me develop my public speaking skills."

 

Q: Did you have any internships or jobs while at Fresno State, and how did that they help you professionally?

Hisasaga: "In the summer of 2018 and 2020, I completed a paid internship in Arkansas with Cobb-Vantress, Inc., one of the top two broiler chicken genetic companies in the world. As a research and development intern, I assembled and implemented a system that improved the company’s pedigree lines. In addition, I analyzed data obtained from the system to identify any correlations, heritabilities, phenotypic variations, and genotypic variations. This internship provided me with the opportunity to apply my academics and research experience in a work environment specifically within the poultry science industry. This internship experience has asserted my desire to pursue a career in poultry science as a professor. Although this summer was unusual due to the COVID-19 situation, I was still able to obtain valuable skills from the geneticists at Cobb-Vantress Inc. in a safe manner."

Hisasaga: "In the summer of 2019, I completed a paid internship in Fresno, California with Foster Farms as a live production intern. During this internship, I was able to work alongside with talented supervisors and superintendents in the Southern Division. I was also able to work on improving their rigorous biosecurity protocols with the intention of optimizing the health of birds throughout the company. Therefore, I possess a more thorough understanding on the importance behind executing strict biosecurity protocols."

 

Q: Have you been a part of any student organizations at Fresno State?

Hisasaga: "I have been an active member of the Fresno State’s Poultry Science Club since the start of college and took on a leadership role as Vice President during my junior year. As part of the Poultry Science Club, I volunteer each year at Fresno State’s FFA Field Day poultry contest. There, I strive to provide high school students an excellent experience in agriculture while they are on campus. This event is incredibly valuable for the community, as it makes poultry science accessible to high school students from all backgrounds and works as a recruitment tool for the Department of Animal Science and Agriculture Education. In addition, I have been involved in volunteering at the Central California Food Bank in Fresno. Through the opportunities that have been presented to me, I have learned the value of contributing to my community and how it benefits others in need."  

 

Q: Did you travel to any conferences and make any presentations/attend lectures/etc.?

Hisasaga: "In 2019, I orally presented at the Central California Research Symposium on campus and was awarded “Outstanding Presentation in Agriculture”. In 2018, I also presented my results at the Pacific Egg and Poultry Association Conference in Napa Valley and was awarded “Outstanding Undergraduate Research Presentation”. In 2016 and 2018, I also orally presented my findings at the International Poultry Scientific Forum in Atlanta."

 

Q: What was your most rewarding experience at Fresno State?

Hisasaga: "Receiving the Dean’s Undergraduate Medalist for the Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology has been the most memorable experience. Although the award has my name on it, it does not represent my achievements. Rather it signifies the sacrifices that my parents made to ensure my sister and I had the opportunity to obtain an education. My parents mean the world to me, and I will forever be grateful for what they have done for my sister and me. In May 2019, I was fortunate to have my grandfather attend my graduation. A moment I will forever cherish is when my grandfather told me, 'Son, I am extremely proud of you. When I saw you on the stage being recognize that was the moment, I realized that my daughter raised an exceptional child.' As my grandfather cried with joy, I realized that my family has endured several obstacles in life, but we have never given up and I surely don’t plan to do so now."