Keith Carver, Senior Vice Chancellor and Senior Vice President of the UT Institute of Agriculture, shared information with faculty, staff, students, alumni, and friends regarding the College of Veterinary Medicine dean’s search. In August, Dean Jim Thompson announced his plans to retire at the end of the year after serving as dean of the veterinary college for fifteen years.
Dear faculty, staff, students, alumni, and friends,
The College of Veterinary Medicine is integral to the UT Institute of Agriculture’s ability to advance animal, human, and environmental health. Through the college, we educate and train tomorrow’s veterinarians who will serve communities throughout Tennessee and the nation, provide critical animal care services, and advance the field through discovery.
With the retirement of Dean Jim Thompson at the end of the year, I want to provide an update on plans to find the next leader for the College of Veterinary Medicine. We have carefully selected a search committee made up of faculty, staff, students, donors, and stakeholders. The following people will serve on the committee:
- Samantha Beaty, Tennessee State Veterinarian
- Conner Boley, CVM Student and Class Officer
- Danielle Browning, Veterinary Technician
- Walter Clark, Tennessee Veterinary Medical Association
- ShaRonda Cooper, CVM Assistant Dean of Students
- Rick Gerhold, Biomedical and Diagnostic Sciences Faculty
- Meggan Graves, Large Animal Clinical Sciences Faculty
- Randy Hammon, CVM Advisory Board
- Phil Jones, Large Animal Clinical Sciences Faculty
- India Lane, CVM Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs
- Sheila McNeil, CVM Budget Director
- Darryl Millis, Small Animal Clinical Sciences Faculty
- Zenny Ng, Small Animal Clinical Sciences Faculty
- Chika Okafor, Biomedical and Diagnostic Sciences Faculty
- Steve Smith (co-chair), Dean of Libraries, UT Knoxville
- Elizabeth Strand, CVM Social Work Faculty
- Karen Tobias, Small Animal Clinical Sciences Faculty
- Charles Wharton, Donor and Former UT Trustee
- Brian Whitlock, Large Animal Clinical Sciences Faculty
- Rachael Wyrick, Pharmacist in Charge
- Hongwei Xin (co-chair), Dean of UT AgResearch
- Laura Zimbrick, UT Foundation, CVM Advancement
This month, the group will convene to begin the process of conducting a national search for the next dean. The committee will be charged with finding an outstanding candidate who will continue the legacy of Jim’s work, providing a vision and plan for elevating the college to the next level.
In the likely event that the search is not complete by the end of the year, I am pleased to share that Bob DeNovo has agreed to return and serve as the interim dean for the College of Veterinary Medicine until the role is filled on a permanent basis. Bob has a long and distinguished record of service to the university, and I am honored that he would accept this opportunity to bridge the span between Jim’s retirement and the arrival of our new dean in the spring.
Thank you for your continued work on behalf of the Institute, and we look forward to your valuable input as this search gets underway.
All my best,
Keith Carver
Senior Vice Chancellor and Senior Vice President
UT Institute of Agriculture
