December 9, 2025
Dr. Jessica Ward, professor of veterinary clinical sciences and the Phyllis M. Clark Endowed Professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine, has been named the college’s associate dean for academic programs.
Ward has been serving in this position in an interim role since April 2025.
In this role, Ward provides administrative leadership, oversight and coordination of academic and instructional programs, academic information technology, educational outreach, distance education, and global learning opportunities.
“Jessica Ward is an outstanding clinician and educator,” said Dr. Dan Grooms, the Dr. Stephen G. Juelsgaard Dean of Veterinary Medicine. “She has unlimited enthusiasm and compassion for not only veterinary medicine but all of the college’s students.”
Before serving in the interim role, Ward was the college’s assistant dean for extramural student programs when she created and managed the ISU-CVM Practice Partners Program, which provides an equitable, centralized mechanism for employer recruitment and student job searches.
A faculty member in the College of Veterinary Medicine since 2015, Ward is board-certified cardiologist by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM). In the Cardiology Section of the Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center, Ward oversees fourth-year students, interns and residents. She teaches clinical cardiology to third-year veterinary students and performs clinical research.
During her Iowa State tenure has received numerous teaching awards including the ISU Award for Early Achievement in Teaching, the Zoetis Distinguished Veterinary Teacher Award, the College of Veterinary Medicine Award for Early Achievement in Teaching, and the SAVMA Award for Teaching Excellence in Clinical Sciences. She is also the recipient of the William O. Reece Advising Award and the International Service Award, both in the College of Veterinary Medicine.
Other awards include the ACVIM William R. Fenner Early Career Award for Outstanding Service.
Ward has served in a variety of leadership roles in national and professional organizations including several for the ACVIM and as a American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Council on Education accreditation site visitor. She is also a member on the Iowa Veterinary Medical Association (IVMA) Foundation Board of Directors.
Ward earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from North Carolina State University and completed her cardiology residency at the same institution.