Troy Rowan named as the Powell Family Endowed Chair in Genomics
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture celebrated the accomplishments of some of its top faculty, staff, researchers and Extension experts at UTIA’s annual awards luncheon. The 2026 ceremony was held on the UTIA campus in Knoxville on August 4. Many of the awards are gifts made possible by faculty, alumni and friends of the institute.
UTIA Senior Vice Chancellor and Senior Vice President Keith Carver hosted the celebration and praised the honorees for their devotion to the land-grant mission. “Our UTIA staff and faculty continue to overwhelm me with their enthusiasm and unparalleled expertise,” he said. “I am always in awe of their dedication to providing Real. Life. Solutions. to the people of Tennessee. These award winners represent the efforts and accomplishments this past year that will most benefit all Tennesseans and society – impacts that will have lasting benefits through teaching, research and Extension for years to come.”
Troy Rowan, associate professor in the Department of Animal Science and Extension beef genetics specialist, was named as the Powell Family Endowed Chair in Genomics. Funded through a gift from the family of UT alumnus and department benefactor Jim Powell, the position rewards tenured faculty for exceptional teaching, research, creativity, or service by providing a salary supplement, additional research funds, administrative support, graduate student funding or extra time to pursue research or creative projects. He was named the Walter “Mac” Pate Endowed Fellow in Livestock Genetics last year.
“The Powell family has been instrumental in catalyzing agricultural genomics here at UT, a vision that originated from Mr. Jim’s passion for the beef industry. It is an enormous honor to be named the Powell Family Endowed Chair in Genomics and continue our group’s work focused on making beef cattle more profitable for farmers and ranchers in the U.S. and around the world,” Rowan said.
His research focuses on improving beef cattle efficiency through genetic selection. Rowan came to UTIA in 2021 and has worked with his lab to collect high-dimensional information from sensors and genomics platforms to develop indicator phenotypes for hard-to-measure traits like forage-based feed efficiency, health status, fertility and greenhouse gas emissions. He said highlights of his UTIA career so far include traveling the world to talk to producers, industry professionals, and governments about beef cattle as well as his work with the International Livestock Research Institute in Kenya.
Rowan earned his bachelor’s degree in biology from Creighton University and his Ph.D. in genetics from the University of Missouri. In addition to his research program, Rowan serves as the state’s beef cattle genetics Extension specialist where he supports the Tennessee Master Beef Producer Program and other national organizations, including the Beef Improvement Federation and the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef.
The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture is comprised of the Herbert College of Agriculture, UT College of Veterinary Medicine, UT AgResearch and UT Extension. Through its land-grant mission of teaching, research and outreach, the Institute touches lives and provides Real. Life. Solutions. to Tennesseans and beyond. utia.tennessee.edu.