Kumar Venkitanarayanan , PhD

Senior Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Education, and Associate Director of the Storrs Agricultural Experiment Station

Dr. Kumar Venkitanarayanan serves as the Senior Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Education, and Associate Director of the Storrs Agricultural Experiment Station in the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources (CAHNR). As an accomplished researcher and administrator, Dr. Venkitanarayanan provides leadership for CAHNR’s research mission and graduate education. Specifically, Dr. Venkitanarayanan approves college proposals and coordinates extramural grant submission with the university sponsored programs services, administers USDA grant funding and supervises grant reporting in the College, spearheads interdisciplinary research partnerships among researchers within and outside CAHNR for new initiatives and grant opportunities, coordinates submission of College proposals for federal research priorities seeking congressional support, and administers College graduate student council meetings and professional development activities, including the annual graduate research forum. Dr. Venkitanarayanan launched several initiatives, including the competitive Capacity seed grant program, major equipment/data set grant competition, exploratory research grant program, mentor shadowing grant program for early career faculty, and diversity enhancing graduate assistantship program. During his leadership tenure, the College accomplished 100% growth in extramural funding and 60% increase in graduate student enrollment.

As a veterinarian trained in livestock production, food safety, and microbiology, Dr. Venkitanarayanan’s research investigates the efficacy of plant-derived molecules and probiotics for attenuating virulence and antibiotic resistance in human and veterinary pathogens and reducing their colonization in poultry for improving food safety. Having been successful in garnering over $17.5 million as PI and $35 million as Co-PI in competitive funding, Dr. Venkitanarayanan has published 139 peer-reviewed journal manuscripts, 33 book chapters, 138 conference presentations, and characterized five new bacterial genes besides giving 61 invited talks. Dr. Venkitanarayanan serves on the editorial boards of multiple journals, including his position as Academic Editor in PLOS One.

Dr. Venkitanarayanan has mentored over 90 personnel in his laboratory, including 25 graduate students, 5 postdoctoral scientists and 60 undergraduate student researchers.

Dr. Venkitanarayanan is the recipient of several accolades, including the Fellow of Institute of Food Technologists, Research Excellence and Creativity Award (Science), University of Connecticut, Evonik Degussa Award for outstanding research in Poultry Science for a period of seven years, Poultry Science Association, Food Microbiology Division award, Institute of Food Technologists, Research Excellence Award, College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources, UConn, and Gamma Sigma Delta Faculty Award of Merit, College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources, UConn.