S.F. “Sarge” Bilgili will come out of retirement to serve as interim head of Auburn University’s Department of Poultry Science beginning May 1. He will replace Don Conner, who recently announced his retirement from the university.
“Dr. Bilgili had a distinguished history within our poultry science department, and he is widely respected throughout the national and global poultry industry. These qualities position him well to lead our poultry program,” said Paul Patterson, dean of Auburn’s College of Agriculture.
The College of Agriculture is conducting a national search to permanently fill the department head position.
S.F. “Sarge” Bilgili (Auburn University)
Bilgili began his career at Auburn as an extension specialist and assistant professor in 1985. He was promoted to associate professor in 1991 and professor in 1996. He retired and was named a professor emeritus in 2015.
Bilgili is widely known in the poultry industry for past leadership roles such as vice president of the World’s Poultry Science Association and president of the Poultry Science Association. He was named a fellow of the Poultry Science Association in 2011 and was presented with the U.S. Poultry Foundation’s Charles Beard Research Excellence Award in 2015.