Centre College's Ryan Will Takes Top Honors at Kentucky Academy of Science Meeting

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DANVILLE, KY (11/29/2010)(readMedia)-- Centre College senior Ryan Will of Lexington took top honors against stiff competition at The Kentucky Academy of Science (KAS) Annual Meeting, held at Western Kentucky University on Nov. 12 and 13.

The KAS meeting advances the organization's commitment to encouraging scientific research and bringing together the best minds in the Commonwealth to share scientific knowledge and interests. Other undergraduate programs represented at the annual meeting included Western Kentucky University, Berea, Morehead State University and Asbury University.

Will was awarded first place in the psychology paper presentation division for "Non-Pharmaceutical Fertility Enhancement in Captive Birds Through Sexual Conditioning." His faculty research collaborator is associate professor of psychology Dr. Brian Cusato.

"We used sexual conditioning to enhance fertility in captive birds, specifically Japanese quail," Will says. "The implications of this research are quite far-reaching. Captive breeding programs that employ artificial techniques may lead to loss of natural reproductive behavior, so it's important to investigate methods of fertility enhancement that are less invasive."

Will is the son of Maureen and Randy Will of Lexington and is a graduate of Dunbar High School.

Founded in 1819, Centre College is ranked among the U.S. News top 50 national liberal arts colleges. Forbes magazine ranks Centre 24th among all the nation's colleges and universities and No. 1 among all institutions of higher education in the South. Consumers Digest ranks Centre No. 1 in educational value among all U.S. liberal arts colleges. Centre alumni, known for their nation-leading loyalty in annual financial support, include two U.S. vice presidents and two Supreme Court justices.