Anna Carol Dilger

Anna Carol Dilger serves as Associate Head and Director of Undergraduate Studies in the Department of Animal Sciences at the University of Illinois, holding dual professor appointments in both Animal Sciences and Nutritional Sciences. Her research program focuses on meat science and animal nutrition with particular expertise in swine and poultry production systems.

Dr. Dilger's research interests center on meat quality, carcass characteristics, and growth performance across various livestock species. Her fingerprint analysis reveals strong concentrations in pig production (100%), loin characteristics (87%), carcass evaluation (78%), and barrow performance (71%). She has developed significant expertise in translating nutritional interventions into measurable production outcomes in commercial settings.

Her recent publications demonstrate consistent research activity across multiple domains of animal science, with particular emphasis on

• Swine nutrition and growth performance
• Meat quality assessment
• Poultry nutrition during disease challenges
• Beef cattle genetics and lean growth
• Human physiological responses to meat consumption

Dr. Dilger has received notable recognition including the AMSA Achievement Award (2017) for contributions to meat science and the NACTA Educator Award (2015) for excellence in agricultural education. Her research has been featured in 16 news outlets and shared across multiple social media platforms, indicating significant impact beyond academia.

As Director of Undergraduate Studies, she oversees curriculum development and student advising within the Animal Sciences program, while maintaining an active research laboratory with multiple ongoing projects in meat science and animal nutrition. Her collaborative network spans multiple departments including Nutritional Sciences and extends to international research partners as indicated by the global collaboration map.