Dr. Govind Kannan, received his professional degree in Veterinary Medicine in 1986 and his MVSc in 1988 from from Madras Veterinary College, India. He then earned his PhD at the University of Maryland, College Park in 1996 before working at University of California at Davis as a post-doctoral researcher. He joined Fort Valley State University in 1997. Dr. Kannan has published 70 peer-reviewed research articles and book chapters, in addition to more than 120 abstracts and numerous proceedings. Currently, he serves as the Vice President for Economic Development and Land-Grant Affairs at FVSU. Dr. Kannan has been an advocate of applied research and outreach programs empowering small and underrepresented farmers with the knowledge and skills needed to sustain successful enterprises. He was recognized at the White House in 2012 as a “Champion of Change? for his efforts in strengthening global food security. He was also appointed by the US Secretary of Agriculture to serve two consecutive terms on the National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics (NAREEE) Advisory Board. Dr. Kannan continues to supervise graduate student research projects and is actively involved in professional societies. He currently serves on the Editorial Boards for Animals and Frontiers in Animal Science.