Winters to lead Animal Science, Food & Nutrition

Todd A. Winters, interim chair of the Department of Animal Science, Food and Nutrition in SIUC's College of Agricultural Sciences since 2005, will become permanent chair July 1, pending ratification by the SIU Board of Trustees.

Todd A. Winters

"He's made good progress in a short period of time," said Dean Gary L. Minish.

"He's increased enrollment by 8 percent in all three majors and has added two new majors in the department, one in human nutrition and dietetics and one in hospitality and tourism administration. He also hired some outstanding new faculty in the last two years.

"In addition, he knows and understands all the majors in the department and has done a good job building strong relationships with the alumni and our industry partners in the time he's been here. These are all important things, and I know that he will continue to grow the department."

Winters, who joined the department in 1994, has a dual appointment in the SIU School of Medicine's Department of Physiology. He teaches animal physiology, growth and development; mammalian endocrinology; reproductive physiology; lactation physiology and agricultural biotechnology. Winters has served as research mentor to 30 undergraduates and seven post-doctoral fellows and has assisted 22 master's and doctoral students through their graduate programs. He continues to work with 10 current graduate students.

Winters also is a research faculty member of SIUC's Center for Excellence in Soybean Research, Teaching and Outreach. Since coming to the University, Winters has received nearly $3 million to support his research, which recently has focused on plant estrogens found in soybeans and their use in treating disease. He and his colleagues have received three patents relating to this research.

Winters grew up on a family dairy farm near Toppenish, Wash., and has served as a dairy cattle judge at numerous fairs since completing his bachelor's degree in 1983 at Washington State University. He earned his master's in 1985 from Purdue University and his doctorate in 1992 from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He had a two-year post-doctorate fellowship at the University of Virginia School of Medicine.

- K.C. Jaehnig