Nuhad Daghir

Dean Emeritus
Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences
American University of Beirut - Beirut, Lebanon

Dr N.J. Daghir was born and raised in Lebanon, where he received his primary and secondary education. In 1954, he lived and worked on poultry farms in the states of Indiana and Arkansas as the first Lebanese participant in the International Farm Youth Exchange Programme. He received his BSc from the American University of Beirut (AUB) and was immediately appointed by AUB to provide agricultural extension services to the central and northern Beqa'a region in Lebanon, where he introduced commercial poultry production. He earned both his MSc and PhD degrees from the Iowa State University. In 1962, he helped establish a Lebanese branch of the World Poultry Science Association and became president of that branch until 1984.

Dr Daghir has served as a consultant to poultry companies in Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Egypt, Kuwait, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia and Yemen. He has published over 100 articles in scientific journals and several chapters in books and compendia. The second edition of his book “Poultry Production in Hot Climates” was published in 2008 by CABI.  His research has covered a wide range of subjects, such as factors affecting vitamin requirements of poultry, nutrient requirements of poultry at high-temperature, and plant protein supplements of importance to hot regions. He has served in many administrative positions at the university, such as Chairman of the Animal Science Department, Associate Dean and Dean of his Faculty. From September 1986 to June 1992, he served as Director of Technical Services at the Shaver Poultry Company in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada. He served as Dean of the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Professor of Poultry Science at the United Arab Emirates University, AI-Ain, UAE, from 1992 to 1996, and as Dean of the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences at the American University of Beirut, from 1996 to 2006. He is at present Dean Emeritus at the same University. He has been serving as President of the WPSA-Lebanon Branch since his return to Lebanon in 1996. He has received many honors and awards and in 2012 was inducted in the International Poultry Hall of Fame. In 2018 he received the Golden Medal from the President of Lebanon for his services to the Education and Agriculture sectors in the country.