Department of Animal and Avian SciencesUniversity of Maryland

Tom E. PorterProfessor and Chair

Department Operation and Organization

Department Organization

The Department Chair is ultimately responsible for everything.The Chair is advised and assisted by the Business Office.The faculty answer to the Chair, and the staff and students answer to the faculty.

• Our professors have split appointments and are responsible for more than one thing.

• Typical appointments are a combination– Research/Teaching– Research/Extension– Teaching/Extension

• Overall, departmental faculty are involved primarily in research, with a balance of teaching and extension.

Research

Teaching

Extension

Faculty Appointment

Department Organization

• We have three main disciplines of research.• We have a fairly well-balanced distribution among the

three disciplines.

Genetics and Cell Biology

Nutritient Utilization

and Metabolism

Reproduction and

Development

Research Discipline

Department of Animal and Avian Sciences

• We concentrate our research and extension efforts on a wide variety of animals.

• Most of us work primarily with chickens and cattle.

Chickens

Cattle

Horses

Pigs

Rodents

Fish

Other

Breakdown by Animal

• Nearly 75% of us are actively engaged in research.• Our research efforts are balanced between basic

research (Research/Teaching) and applied research (Research/Extension).

Basic Research

Applied Research

No Research Appoint-

ment

Research Area

Curriculum Development

Curriculum Development• Options available to undergraduate Students:

– Animal Care and Management– Equine Studies– Lab Animal Management– Science/Pre-professional (largest)– Animal biotechnology

• Curriculum determined by a committee of faculty members.

• Curriculum is then approved by the entire faculty, the College, and the Campus.

• We have a different curriculum for each option, but some courses are taken by all students.

• Courses are selected or designed to meet the needs of students in that option.

Curriculum Evaluation• Courses are developed and instructed by the faculty

members.• Each course is evaluated by other peer faculty members.• At the end of each course, the students submit

anonymous evaluations of the course and the instructor.

• The students are the clients, and these evaluations are taken seriously by the administration.

• These evaluations are reviewed by the department Chair and by the departmental curriculum committee.

• Suggestions are made to the professor for improvement of the course and their teaching.

Faculty and Staff Hiring

• All professors meet monthly to discuss issues in the department.

• Once a year, we agree on what faculty and staff positions are most important to meet the teaching, research and extension needs of the department.

• A hiring plan is developed by the department Chair.• This hiring plan is presented to the Dean for approval.• Search committees are formed for each approved position.• Open searches are conducted nationally to identify the

best candidates for each position.• Interviews are conducted, and the search committee

recommends acceptable candidates to the Chair.• The Chair hires the faculty or staff member.

Faculty and Staff Evaluations• All staff members are evaluated on their performance twice

a year by their immediate supervisor.• Assistant Professors are evaluated each year by a

committee, and Associate and Full Professors are evaluated every 5 years by a different committee.

• All faculty members are evaluated every year by the department Chair.

• These evaluations are provided to the faculty members, and areas for improvement are discussed between the Chair and the faculty member.

• Evaluations can affect pay raises, which are based on merit and performance.

• Repeated poor evaluations of performance can result in termination of employment.

Academics and Extension

• All of our faculty members have split appointments.• None are 100% Extension.• Split appointments include Research/Extension and Teaching/Extension.

Research

Teaching

Extension

Faculty Appointment

Academics and Extension

• All of our faculty members have split appointments.• None are 100% Extension.• Split appointments include Research/Extension and Teaching/Extension.• Because of these split appointments, faculty members in our department with Extension appointments are also actively engaged in either Research or Teaching.• They understand our academic roles and our extension responsibilities.• They tend to conduct research that is directly applicable to animal industry (applied research).• They tend to teach classes that are related to animal management.

Academics and Extension

• Seven of our professors have Extension appointments (37% of all faculty members).• They are State extension specialists that work with faculty members in University of Maryland Extension throughout the State of Maryland.• Each has an area of specialization that they concentrate on.• They develop programming in this area of specialization for producers and field faculty in the State and region.

Faculty members with Extension Appointments

• Related to the Poultry Industry

• Roselina Angel– Conducting applied nutritional research aimed at

minimizing phosphorus and nitrogen excretion by broiler chickens. Provides extension programming to the poultry industry on nutrition and waste management.

• Nick Zimmerman– Extension specialist in poultry management, water

quality, and youth programs. Teaches commercial poultry management and avian physiology.

Faculty members with Extension Appointments

• Related to the Dairy Industry

• Rick Kohn– Working with nutritionists on determining the sources

of variation in dairy cattle diets. Developing a program for feed management for improvements in feeding. Conducts applied research on optimizing nutrition for dairy cattle to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus excretion.

• Bob Peters– Provides extension programs for milk quality and

production management. He has been the leader for a regional training program for all dairy-related extension. Teaches our critical thinking in animal science course.

Faculty members with Extension Appointments

• Related to the Dairy and Beef Industries

• Mark Varner – Dairy Extension– Works in use of the internet in dairy and agriculture.

Established the largest and most active dairy-related virtual community on the Internet. Teaches our mammalian reproduction and physiology courses. In addition to working in our International Program, he is also the Coordinator of our Undergraduate Program.

• Scott Updike – Beef Extension– Coordinates with local extension educators to

improve the sustainability of the Maryland beef industry, particularly through increased beef quality. Teaches our introduction to animal science and livestock management courses.

Department of Animal and Avian Sciences: Who are we?

• Activities Related to the Horse Industry

• Amy Burk– Conducts applied research and extension programs

in equine nutrition and management. Teaches horse management and equine sciences courses.

Department Budget from State

The department budget is distributed by the Chair.30% is distributed directly to the faculty to support their work.

Funding Sources

• The Department provides some funding for individual research or extension projects.• Faculty members are expected to obtain funding from government grants or industry contracts.