Jeyam Subbiah has been appointed as associate vice chancellor for research development in the Division of Research and Innovation. In this role, Subbiah will concentrate on strengthening U of A research centers and institutes, ensuring they serve as engines for research growth. He also will lead efforts to provide researchers with the tools, training and support they need to thrive.

"Dr. Subbiah brings experience in advancing interdisciplinary research, fostering collaborations and building research capacity—all of which will be invaluable as we continue expanding our research enterprise," said Margaret Sova McCabe, vice chancellor for research and innovation. "His ability to support high performing research teams in organizing and attaining success makes him an ideal fit for the DRI senior team and a catalyst for the university's drive towards research excellence. In addition, serving as a center director gives him an invaluable perspective on supporting and inspiring research growth." 

Subbiah is a professor in the Department of Food Science and serves as the director of the Center for Scalable and Intelligent Automation for Poultry Processing, a multi-institutional, multidisciplinary research team comprising scientists from the U of A, Georgia Institute of Technology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Fort Valley State University. The center's team includes robotics engineers, biological and agricultural engineers, computer scientists, mechanical engineers, food scientists, poultry scientists, animal scientists and sociologists. He served as head of the Department of Food Science from 2019-2024.

"As I take on this exciting responsibility, I want to express my gratitude to the mentors and role models who have inspired my journey in research leadership," Subbiah said. "With their inspiration and the support of my colleagues, I look forward to advancing the research mission of the University of Arkansas and fostering an environment where innovation and collaboration thrive."

Subbiah brings a wealth of research experience to the role, having published 140 peer-reviewed scientific articles, in addition to several conference presentations. He has received more than $9 million as principal investigator and $43 million as co-PI in external grants. He has graduated 13 Ph.D. students and 21 master's thesis students and served on several committees.

Subbiah holds a Ph.D. in biosystems engineering from Oklahoma State University, an M.S. in biosystems engineering from the University of Manitoba and a B.E. in agricultural engineering from Tamil Nadu Agricultural University.