Uchenna Anele, Ph.D.
Ruminant nutritionist Uchenna Anele, Ph.D. has been named interim chair of the Department of Animal Sciences in the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences.
“This is something new in terms of my time at N.C. A&T”, said Anele. “This is my first time in an administrative position. I plan to approach it the same way I approach my research projects — with a focus on collaboration, progress, and tangible outcomes. As interim chair, I plan to continue our efforts to provide students with multiple opportunities to thrive in the department.”
Anele’s interim appointment was formally announced by interim Dean Radiah Minor during the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences’ Faculty and Staff Institute on August 15.
“We’re excited to welcome Dr. Anele to the role of interim chair of the Department of Animal Sciences,” said Minor. “Dr. Anele brings a strong commitment to student success and a passion for research and teaching. I’m confident that under his leadership, the department will continue to thrive and create meaningful opportunities for our faculty and students to grow and excel.”
Anele takes the helm of the college’s largest department, with more than 400 students. The department is the nation’s second-largest producer of Black veterinarians.
A professor within the department since 2017, Anele specializes in ruminant health areas, such as integrated crop and livestock systems, forage evaluation, abatement of greenhouse gases and the study of using prebiotics and probiotics to improve ruminant gut health. He has mentored more than 90 undergraduate research associates and advised more than 40 undergraduate students each semester. He is currently mentoring eight doctoral and one master's degree students.
“Dr. Anele’s appointment as interim chair builds on the department’s growing research momentum,” said Gregory Goins, Ph.D., associate dean of research in the college. “His expertise in ruminant nutrition and dedication to innovation will enhance our capacity to tackle global challenges in livestock production, sustainability, and food security.”
Anele wants to help boost research output among faculty members and encourage support of animal science students pursuing both veterinary school and postgraduate studies.
“One thing that I’ve found in recent years is that most of our students have enrolled in dual degrees in vet school, in addition to those pursuing Ph.Ds.,” said Anele. “That is something that I previously worked with my students, some of my research mentees, to prepare for this dual program, and that’s something I want to drive home not just in my lab, but among other faculty in the department, to increase dual enrollment of our students in vet school and graduate school at the same time.”
Anele received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in agriculture and pasture and range management respectively through the University of Agriculture in Abeokuta, Nigeria, and received his doctorate in forage utilization and ruminant nutrition at the University of Bonn, Germany. Before coming to N.C. A&T, Anele held positions at North Dakota State University and Texas Tech University.
A career researcher, Anele has 22 projects totaling more than $7 million in state and federal grant funding. He is a member of the American Society of Animal Science, American Grassland and Forage Council and the American Dairy Science Association. In 2013, he received the Wilhelm Schaumann Foundation award for Best Doctoral Dissertations in Animal Nutrition and Physiology and was named an NSERC Visiting Fellow by the Canadian Government Laboratories Program.
