Adele Turzillo

Professional Summary:

Dr. Adele Turzillo is Professor and Chair of Animal and Avian Sciences at the University of Maryland. She provides leadership for a vibrant department dedicated to excellence in research, education, and extension. Prior to joining UMD in 2024, Dr. Turzillo was Professor and Head of the Department of Animal Science at Penn State University. Her professional experience includes work at two federal agencies in Washington, DC. At the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, she directed a broad portfolio of extramural grant programs in animal health and production with an annual budget of approximately $100 million. At the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine, she co-authored a major animal biotechnology risk assessment and worked on an international trade dispute involving beef production practices and the safety of beef produced in the U.S. Dr. Turzillo’s area of research expertise is animal reproduction, and she has used cattle and sheep as experimental models to study the regulation of ovarian follicular development and pituitary gonadotropin synthesis. Dr. Turzillo began her academic career as an Assistant Professor of Physiology and Animal Science at the University of Arizona. She has extensive teaching experience at the undergraduate and graduate levels and has taught courses in physiology, endocrinology, molecular and cellular physiology, dairy management, and communication of scientific information.