Dublin, Ireland
September 21, 2009
Teagasc has appointed Dr Pat Dillon as Head of the new Animal Production and Grassland Research Centre. The Teagasc Authority approved the appointment at its recent meeting and Dr Dillon takes up the post today, Monday, 21 September.
As part of its change programme, Teagasc is bringing all its ruminant animal and grassland research programme into a single centre to create a powerful unit with the critical mass to deliver significant benefit to the Irish agri-food sector and to be internationally competitive in scientific terms. This new Animal Production and Grassland Research Centre will encompass the work being carried out at existing locations at Moorepark, Grange, Athenry and the Animal Bioscience Department, as well as the grass breeding programme currently located at Oak Park. A set of cross-site departments will be established to implement the research programme in key focus areas such as grassland, dairy, beef and sheep production and animal bioscience.
Dr Dillon will play a key role in the establishment of the centre and provide leadership, strategic management and direction, ensuring integration in the research programme across the different sites, and building effective linkage between the animal bioscience and applied research programmes. He will give leadership in the area of grassland and animal production, working closely with external stakeholders to ensure effective partnership with other research programmes and with the Teagasc advisory and education services.
Congratulating Pat on his appointment, Teagasc Director, Professor Gerry Boyle said: “We are determined to build on the successful Teagasc dairy, beef, sheep and grassland programmes that have run in our research centres for many years. Led by Pat, our researchers will work closely with the advisory service, industry and through national and international research networks, to generate and apply new knowledge to develop the Irish animal production industry. This new integrated centre will ensure that we lever maximum benefit from new knowledge generated across all sectors of the industry.”
Dr Dillon graduated from University College Dublin with a BAgSc in 1986 and went on to complete his PhD in Grassland Science in UCC. He joined the research staff at Moorepark in 1990, and has been Head of Centre since 2004.
Dr Dillon’s outstanding contribution to dairy production and grassland research has been recognised for many years. His work on grassland management, low-cost production systems and dairy cow genetics has made a significant contribution to the development of the dairy industry in Ireland. His research has been published in over 90 peer reviewed papers, and he has also published numerous technical articles and addressed many national and international scientific and industry conferences.
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