Department Chair's Welcome Statement
Welcome to the Department of Animal and Food Sciences (ANFS) at the University of Delaware!
ANFS is a vibrant community of scholars, educators, researchers, and students who are passionately committed to advancing animal health, food safety, and agricultural sustainability. Our department sits at the vital intersection of veterinary health, animal biology, food science, public health, and agricultural systems, making our work directly impactful to local communities, regional industries, and global health initiatives.
In ANFS, our mission is built on three essential pillars.
- Innovative Research & One Health Solutions: From unravelling the complexities of foodborne pathogens and farm-to-table safety to advancing avian and livestock health, immunology, and nutritional science, our faculty are leading cutting-edge research. We embrace a One Health approach that recognizes the deep connections between animal health, human health, and our shared environment.
- Experiential Education & Student Success: We take immense pride in offering our undergraduate and graduate students unparalleled hands-on learning opportunities. Through our campus farm, high-tech research laboratories, internships, and student organizations, our students transition from classroom concepts to practical, real-world application, preparing them to be the next generation of leaders in veterinary medicine, food industry innovation, research, and public policy.
- Extension & Community Engagement: Through active partnerships with industry, government, and UD Cooperative Extension, our work extends far beyond campus borders. We work with agricultural producers, food processors, educators, and regulatory agencies to translate science into actionable practices that protect our food supply and strengthen agricultural vitality.
Whether you are a prospective student exploring our academic programs, an alumnus stay connected with your alma mater, an industry partner seeking collaborative solutions, or a visitor learning about our work, I invite you to explore all that our department has to offer.
Our doors are always open, and I look forward to working together to support our department’s shared momentum, foster an inclusive and supportive academic culture, and continue pushing the boundaries of scientific discovery.
Sincerely,
Dr. Kali Kniel
Interim Chair and Professor
Our programs provide unique, hands-on training in the largest classroom at the University of Delaware – the farm, and a retail creamery and Food Science test kitchen. We have numerous internships at veterinary clinics and state-of-the-art research facilities, study abroad opportunities for global perspectives on food and animal production, and opportunities for interdisciplinary training. Our Extension programs provide world-class expertise in poultry disease monitoring, prevention, diagnosis and emergency response management; innovative technologies that ensure safe food processing and products; and education and training for sustainable food animal production — especially dairy and poultry — as well as healthy eating (community nutrition). The faculty that instruct your classes are leading scholars in animal nutrition and physiology, immunology, virology, animal production and wellbeing, genomics, food technology, and food safety.
Students take their coursework in a variety of departments to meet their educational and intellectual needs. You may study off-campus, or abroad, as well as in laboratories of affiliated faculty working at other universities or federal research laboratories.
Outstanding teaching and research facilities include the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources farm, Worrilow Hall (currently undergoing a $35million-dollar renovation), the Charles C. Allen Laboratory (specializing in poultry disease research and diagnostics), and the Delaware Biotechnology Institute in Newark. Our new, 3,600-square-foot Charles A. Genuardi ’70 and Patricia Genuardi Food Innovation Laboratory is equipped with a test kitchen that will support teaching, research, and innovation for our food science program that is involved with dairy processing for ice cream and cheese.
Students enjoy access to our farm, as it provides valuable learning experiences with dairy and beef cattle, sheep, horses and poultry. Students also enjoy the benefit of having personalized faculty serve as academic advisors and access to supplemental academic support, if needed. Students are encouraged to attend scientific meetings and present their findings. Internships and UD’s study abroad experiential learning programs are also nationally recognized and give students important insight on prospective employment opportunities and life outside of our country.
Graduate students come from the U.S. and around the world to study with our nationally and internationally recognized faculty on exciting applied and basic research topics. Our department offers the master of science degrees in Animal Science and Food Science and a joint Ph.D. degree in Animal and Food Sciences. Students take their course work in a variety of departments to meet their educational and intellectual needs. Students may study off-campus as well in laboratories of affiliated faculty working at other universities or federal research laboratories.