Dean’s Message

Welcome to the College of Veterinary Medicine

The College of Veterinary Medicine at Iowa State University was the first public veterinary school in the United States. Since our founding in 1879, our graduates, faculty and staff have continued a strong tradition of leadership in teaching, learning, research and service in veterinary medicine. We take pride in our heritage and in the advances we are making today that will promise an even more exciting future.

This is an exciting time for the College of Veterinary Medicine. Our faculty, staff, students and alumni are making a global impact on animal and human health, food safety, and the discovery, prevention and treatment of emerging and re-emerging diseases. Simply put, we are transforming knowledge to transform lives!

We are also very proud of the remarkable advances our college has made in teaching professional and graduate students, providing leading-edge clinical services through our hospital and diagnostic lab, and keeping stakeholders informed through our highly effective extension and outreach programs.

We have ambitious goals for the college in the coming years. Our college has long been a leader in veterinary medicine education. We will reach our goals much as the founders of this great college did back in 1879. The obstacles faced by the faculty and students in those early years must have seemed unattainable at times but they and those that followed have created one of the greatest veterinary colleges the world has known. Following their lead, we are dedicated to creating a great workplace that provides the foundation for a great place to learn, do research and serve society.

The dedication to achieve and to stretch the boundaries of knowledge of veterinary medicine is just as great at Iowa State as it was in 1879. We are committed to our mission of enhancing the health and well-being of animals and human beings through excellence in education, research, professional practice and committed service to the State of Iowa, the nation and the world.

Dan Grooms, DVM, PhD
Dr. Stephen G. Juelsgaard Dean of Veterinary Medicine

Dean Dan Grooms with his dog Bella