UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Lisa Holden, associate professor of dairy science, has been appointed interim head of the Department of Animal Science in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences.
Holden takes the reigns from Adele Turzillo, who has led the department since the fall of 2020. Before joining Penn State, Turzillo served as vice president for animal agriculture systems at the World Wildlife Fund and spent over a decade as national program leader for animal production systems at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
“I want to thank Dr. Turzillo for her leadership of the department,” said Troy Ott, dean of the college. “During her tenure with Penn State, Adele’s thoughtful leadership helped navigate the department through the pandemic, and she led the process of preparing the department for the future with a number of new hires, a curriculum review and realignment, and the development of a departmental strategic plan. We wish Adele the very best in her new role at the University of Maryland.”
At Penn State, Holden has been responsible for teaching, research and extension/outreach initiatives in dairy management. She also coaches the Dairy Challenge team, leads several senior-level courses in the dairy curriculum and advises animal science majors. Additionally, she has served as faculty for the United States Dairy Education and Training Consortium in the southwestern U.S. and recently received the Purina Mills Teaching Award.
Holden’s research focuses on whole-farm management, particularly decision-making strategies for optimizing profitability. She is currently part of the research team focused on long-term agroecosystems for dairy farms. She also collaborates with dairy producers and industry leaders on strategies to improve productivity and profitability.
As a member of Penn State Extension’s dairy team, Holden contributes her expertise in human resource management. She leads the Dairy Workforce webinar series and the Management Essentials for Dairy Success program and works with numerous dairy advisory teams in the industry.
She earned her bachelor’s degree in animal bioscience from Penn State, her master’s degree in animal sciences from the University of Maryland and her doctorate in animal science from Penn State.
“I look forward to working with our faculty and staff to continue our excellent research, outstanding teaching and cutting-edge extension programs during this time of transition in our department,” Holden said.
Ott expressed his gratitude for Holden’s willingness to step into this interim leadership position, saying, “She is a respected leader in the department and has a broad view of what is needed to support and advance the work in the department.”
The Department of Animal Science supports teaching, research and extension programs related to animal agriculture and the food system. It offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in animal science and participates in intercollege graduate programs in bioinformatics and genomics; ecology; molecular, cellular, and integrative biosciences; neuroscience; physiology; and plant biology.
Faculty research spans dairy, livestock, equine, poultry production, animal products and human health, nutrient management and environmental stewardship, reproductive biology and fertility, and other fields.