Inside Iowa State

July 22, 2004

Iowa State University selects new Veterinary Medicine dean

by Annette Hacker

Dr. John Thomson, dean of veterinary medicine at Mississippi State University, Starkville, and a former Iowa State University faculty member, will become dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine effective Aug. 16.

Provost Benjamin Allen appointed Thomson following a nine-month nationwide search. Thomson replaces Dean Norman Cheville, who is retiring.

"John Thomson will make an outstanding dean for Iowa State's College of Veterinary Medicine," said President Gregory Geoffroy. "He's an award-winning private practitioner; a talented teacher, researcher and administrator; and he's experienced in extension and public service work for the veterinary medicine profession. We're very pleased that he is coming back to Iowa State."

Thomson earned his D.V.M. degree from Iowa State in 1967, and was in private practice in Clearfield for 20 years. He was on the faculty of South Dakota State University, Brookings, from 1987 to 1997, serving as extension veterinarian, professor and head of veterinary science, and director of the South Dakota Animal Disease Research and Diagnostic Laboratory. Thomson was a professor and section leader of veterinary diagnostic and production animal medicine at Iowa State from 1997 until 1999, when he was named dean at Mississippi State.

A clinical epidemiologist, Thomson has conducted extensive research in several areas related to bovine production and health. He has served as an adviser to the World Health Organization on the assessment of brucellosis in humans and animals. Thomson was Veterinarian of the Year in both South Dakota (1993) and Mississippi (2003). Last year, he initiated and facilitated the development of the National Veterinary Services Act that was passed unanimously by both houses of the U.S. Congress in November.

John Thomson