ANFScratchings

ANFS Department Newsletter

Author: cmanneri

ANFSratchings August 2023

August 17, 2023 / / Comments Off on ANFSratchings August 2023
Message from the Chair

Greetings to our Department of Animal and Food Sciences (ANFS) alumni and friends!

We had a fantastic year! We continue to add new courses and facilities. ANFS welcomed many new students, faculty and staff in the 2022-2023 academic year. This year marked 25 years of study abroad in New Zealand and the celebration of 35 years of meritorious service, teaching, extension and research by Dr. Limin Kung, Jr., S. Hallock DuPont Endowed Professor and former ANFS chair. In addition, we recognized the outstanding accomplishments and contributions of Provost Robin Morgan during her 37-year career with UD and as an ANFS professor. We are extremely proud of our Class of 2023 graduates and wish them all the best as they begin the next chapters in their personal and professional lives! Our faculty, staff and students continue to make important scientific discoveries and beneficial impacts as they serve UD and the community. As we look forward to the coming academic year, we welcome two new faculty members and a record number incoming class of more than 173 undergraduates and graduate students. Additionally, stay tuned as we open a new veterinary simulation lab. As always, we welcome you to schedule a visit to see and learn more about our work.

We would love to hear from you!

Wishing you all the very best,
Erin E. Connor
Professor and Chair
Department of Animal and Food Science

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ANFScratchings June 2022

June 8, 2022 / / Comments Off on ANFScratchings June 2022

Message from the Chair

Hello, ANFS alumni and friends!

Greetings to our ANFS alumni and friends!
We have many positive and exciting developments from the ANFS department from the past year that we are proud to share in this issue of ANFScratchings. None of these would have been possible without the outstanding efforts of all members of the Department of Animal and Food Sciences and the generous gifts of time and financial support of our alumni and friends. A heartfelt ‘thank you’ to all of you.
For starters, Dr. Dallas Hoover was named as a Professor Emeritus upon his retirement in the summer of 2021 for his distinguished service during his 37 years at UD! In particular, Dr. Hoover conducted pioneering work to improve the quality and safety of food products through the use of high hydrostatic pressure. We are pleased to share a personal update from him on how he has been enjoying his extra time.
We are happy to report several new courses that have been added to our curriculum and a new One Health certificate program. This certificate provides multidisciplinary course work to enable students to navigate and communicate the complex interactions of humans, animals and the environment, ultimately affecting the health of each sector. In addition, we will offer a new minor in animal nutrition starting this fall! We will continue to develop our programs as we will be welcoming two new permanent faculty in the coming year with teaching appointments for both the animal and food science majors. Stay tuned as we complete those faculty searches this summer.
Lastly, we ask that you join us in celebrating the research accomplishments of our faculty and students, and the members of our Animal and Food Science Clubs who were recognized this year for a number of achievements highlighted in this issue of the newsletter. I am proud to be a member of this outstanding community.
Please contact Maggie Brink at mbrink@udel.edu or 302-831-2522 to provide any updates or news that you wish to share.
Wishing you all the best in the coming year! We look forward to your next visit to campus.
With gratitude,

Erin E. Connor

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ANFScratchings April 2021

April 18, 2021 / / Comments Off on ANFScratchings April 2021

Message from the Chair

Hello, ANFS alumni and friends!

2020 has been like no other year. Indeed, many plans were derailed, but we look forward to building upon all we have learned and overcome to excel on every front in the coming year. Personally, I have gained a greater appreciation for all members of the Department of Animal and Food Sciences (ANFS), our alumni, and generous friends who continue to provide support and contribute to our success.

In spite of all the challenges we faced due to the pandemic, our department had many victories and new beginnings that you will read about in this issue of ANFScratchings.

For example, our expertise in virology, animal disease surveillance, one health, and microbial food safety enabled us to address needs in human testing, management, and disease monitoring for SARS-CoV-2, as well as incorporate issues surrounding this real-world threat into our curricula. The need to move to virtual learning resulted in the creation of online courses, some of which will continue to be offered, particularly in winter and summer terms, to promote greater flexibility in student scheduling. We also moved into the long-awaited, newly renovated teaching and research spaces in Worrilow Hall. We eagerly anticipate the ribbon-cutting ceremony and your visits to see the amazing spaces first hand!

For undergraduate programs, we added two new, extremely popular courses in companion animal pre-veterinary techniques. These classes provided options for continued experiential learning through externships arranged at animal hospitals throughout the region. Enrollment in our non-thesis master’s programs continues to grow, providing alternatives in graduate education in the animal and food sciences. In the coming year, we will complete a food sensory laboratory to support teaching, research and service efforts of the food science program, as well as offer a new course in cheesemaking.

The outstanding contributions and accomplishments in research and service of many members of the department were recognized this year; some are highlighted in this newsletter. Please join me in celebrating their impacts and achievements. I hope you will enjoy learning of these and the many other happenings over this past year. Please contact Anita Stofa at astofa@udel.edu to provide any updates or news that you wish to share.

Many thanks to all of the generous donors whose gifts support our students and programs, as well as the distribution of this newsletter. Keep well and we hope you will be able to visit us in person soon.

Most Sincerely,

Erin E. Connor

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ANFScratchings April 2020

January 13, 2021 / / Comments Off on ANFScratchings April 2020

Greetings Alumni and Friends!

I hope that this message finds you healthy and safe in the face of the many difficulties presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. Our students and faculty are rising to the challenge by finding effective ways to continue with their courses, which have resumed through remote (online) learning. Although we are physically separated, we are connected in spirit . Even this newsletter is coming to you in a virtual format for the first time to facilitate its more efficient distribution. We hope that its stories of accomplishment, new additions to the department and our plans for the future will brighten your day.

Overall, 2019 was an eventful year for the Department of Animal and Food Sciences . In this issue of ANFScratchings, you will meet the latest members of the administrative staff and learn more about me as the new chair. I arrived in August and am extremely pleased to be serving in this role. As you will read, there is a lot to be excited about. I look forward to supporting the continued success of the department and working with its exceptional students, staff, and faculty.

Our programs and facilities continue to improve and grow. This year was spent primarily in modular teaching and laboratory spaces on the STAR Campus as we eagerly await the completion of a $38 million renovation of Worrilow Hal . We anticipate moving into the new building in early Fall 2020.

Our Food Science students are enjoying their new test kitchen in the Genuardi Food Innovation Laboratory. We all are reaping the benefits of the laboratory’s large-batch ice cream and cheese processing capabilities where fresh cheddar curds and aged Colby-style cheese are now being produced for sale at the UDairy Creamery and the first short course on the art of cheesemaking was offered to the public in February.

At the graduate level, the department began offering three non-thesis master’s degree programs that provide additional options for continuing education. The master’s degrees are
awarded in Veterinary Biosciences, Biotechnology, and One Health or in Business and Entrepreneurial Leadership with either a food science or animal science concentration. We currently have three students enrolled in the program and five more will start next Fall.

Our Equine Science minor is expanding. In Fall 2020, we will offer a new program in partnership with the Center for Disability Studies and the Department of Behavioral Health and Nutrition that prepares students for a certification in equine therapeutic riding instruction. In Winter 2021, a new study abroad program in Cordoba, Argentina will focus on equine science and international veterinary practice. To support our Pre-Veterinary Medicine major, we will add a new veterinary techniques course in the Fall 2020 term that will provide training in practical skills for clinical small animal veterinary medicine.

Many members of the ANFS community were recognized this year for their contributions and accomplishments in research, service, and outreach, some of whom are featured in this newsletter. Please join me in congratulating them on their notable achievements and enjoy reading about the many other happenings in the ANFS department from the past year. Please contact Anita Stofa at astofa@udel.edu if you have any updates or news that you wish to share.

Thank you to all our generous donors whose contributions make our work possible.

Sincerely,

Erin E. Connor

To read the full newsletter, please click here >>

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