Auburn University has named Govind Kannan as its head for the Department of Poultry Science and director of the Charles C. Miller Poultry Research and Education Center, effective June 1. Kannan currently serves as Fort Valley State University’s vice president for land-grant affairs and economic development.
“Dr. Kannan was chosen for his extensive experience in academic research, university leadership, and poultry and veterinary practice,” said Paul Patterson, dean of the Auburn University College of Agriculture. “This impressive background positions Dr. Kannan – as well as the poultry science department – for much success in the future. I look forward to welcoming him to Auburn and working with him in his new role.”
Prior to his current role at Fort Valley State, Kannan served as dean and director of the College of Agriculture, Family Sciences and Technology. He also served as assistant dean for research, director of the Georgia Small Ruminant Research and Extension Center and coordinator of the animal science undergraduate and graduate programs at Fort Valley State.
Prior to his time at Fort Valley State, Kannan served as a veterinary officer for a commercial poultry hatchery in Bangalore, India, and as an assistant professor at Madras Veterinary College.
The Department of Poultry Science at Auburn offers undergraduate and graduate academic training as well as extensive research and extension programming. In fall 2023, the department enrolled 52 undergraduates and 31 graduate students. The head of the poultry science department also serves as director of the Charles C. Miller Research and Education Center, a 30-acre world-class poultry farm offering the latest technology for every aspect of the global poultry industry, from breeding and hatching to nutrition and processing and more.
