Peter Ferket, a William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor of poultry science, nutrition and biotechnology, will temporarily lead the Prestage Department of Poultry Science after Patricia Curtis retires on July 1.
“I am very honored by the confidence my departmental colleagues and the leadership of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences have in me to serve as the interim head of the Prestage Department of Poultry Science,” says Ferket.
He joined North Carolina State University and the department in 1988. In 2019, Curtis appointed Ferket as associate department head and says he is better prepared to lead having served under Curtis during her term as department head.
“Her excellent mentorship to lead our department’s complex research operations and help direct our department become the premier poultry science department in the world through facility upgrades and new faculty hires will help me lead our department in the transition to the next head and administrative team,” Ferket says.
Ferket holds a bachelor’s degree in animal science and a minor in agri-business, a master’s degree in poultry nutrition,and a Ph.D. in animal nutrition and a minor in meat science. Much of his research focuses on applied nutrition research of commercial meat-type poultry and utilization of agricultural co-products as feed ingredients for poultry.
“We very much appreciate Dr. Ferket serving as interim head of the Prestage Department of Poultry Science,” says John Dole, interim dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. “His extensive experience, including previously serving as Interim Department Head, and long history with NC State will serve him well.”
Ferket shares that the department will bring on four new faculty members in the next six months and will work to improve departmental business service efficiency and accountability.
“This will be an exciting period of change as our department prepares for the next generation of poultry scientists, technologists and leaders to THINK AND DO the extraordinary. I am honored that I may play a role in managing this change.”
