Richard Gates has been named director of the Egg Industry Center at Iowa State University. A professor of agricultural and biological engineering at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign since 2008, Gates previously served 24 years on the faculty of the University of Kentucky’s Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, including five years as Department chair.

Gates’ previous experience with the egg industry includes serving as chair of UEP’s Environmental Scientific Panel and working on the American Egg Board’s project on the social sustainability of U.S. egg production.

Gates will start his new duties on January 1 and will hold the Iowa Egg Council Endowed Professorship at Iowa State.