Rate My Professor Bill Potter

Bill Potter is an Associate Professor and Extension Poultry Scientist at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, in the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, part of the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences. Holding the Poultry Federation Chair in Food Safety and Processing, he contributes to the field of Agricultural and Veterinary Science through his expertise in poultry science. Potter received his Master of Science and Ph.D. in poultry science from the University of Arkansas. He joined the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture on September 3, 2024, as an associate professor based in Fayetteville, following a distinguished career spanning more than 30 years in the poultry industry.

Prior to academia, Potter worked extensively in poultry food safety, quality assurance, and research and development for industry leaders such as Conagra, Advance Foods, George’s Inc., and Elanco Animal Health. His professional experience includes collaborations with extension specialists, national food safety government leaders, and global companies in food manufacturing, animal health, and biotechnology. Potter's research specializations focus on reducing food safety risks including Salmonella and Campylobacter, minimizing foreign material, optimizing processing plant operations, and developing innovative biotechnologies and systems to advance poultry industry food safety and processing objectives. In his extension role, he supports poultry producers in navigating regulatory challenges and risks. Potter serves as co-director of the University of Arkansas online Master of Science in Food Safety program, where he functions as an industry liaison to identify needs and barriers, surveys alumni for program evaluation, develops recruiting and marketing strategies with the dean's office and Global Campus, and recruits adjunct faculty. He contributes to the Center of Excellence for Poultry Science, mentors students, and teaches to prepare industry professionals. Potter has presented at events including the 2025 Poultry Symposium on Salmonella vaccination effectiveness and participated in University of Arkansas One Health summits discussing HPAI and Salmonella. He is a co-author of the publication 'Do we need a standardized 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing analysis protocol for poultry microbiota research?' in Poultry Science.