150th Anniversary Professor Salisbury appointed interim dean of Purdue’s College of Veterinary Medicine

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue 150th Anniversary Professor S. Kathleen Salisbury, associate dean for academic affairs in the College of Veterinary Medicine and professor of small animal surgery, has been appointed interim dean of the college, effective July 1.

She succeeds Willie Reed, who is stepping down after more than 17 years as dean and 25 total years of service to the university. Reed was honored for his pioneering efforts in a building-naming ceremony during Friday’s (June 7) Purdue Board of Trustees meeting.

Salisbury, whose research areas include veterinary medical education and soft-tissue surgery, joined the veterinary school faculty in 1984. She was appointed chief of small animal surgery in 1988 and named assistant dean for academic affairs in 2005. A recognized leader in the field who is passionate about veterinary medical education, she has been recognized for developing a national and international veterinary education model and specialist training and has been involved in every major curriculum revision in the College of Veterinary Medicine.

In 2018 Salisbury was named a 150th Anniversary Professor by the Office of the Provost. She is a member of Purdue’s Book of Great Teachers, a charter member of the Teaching Academy and an honored mentor of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons Foundation. In 2007 Salisbury was the recipient of the national Carl J. Norden-Pfizer Distinguished Teacher Award, considered the most prestigious teaching award in veterinary medicine. She has also received many college-level awards, including Purdue Veterinary Medicine’s Career Teaching Award, Alumni Outstanding Teaching Award and Weedon Faculty Recognition Award.

“Associate Dean Salisbury has exactly the right mix of expertise and experience to accelerate the college's progress in this interim role as we launch our One Health initiative,” said Patrick Wolfe, Purdue provost and executive vice president for academic affairs and diversity.

“I look forward to leading our outstanding faculty, staff and students through this transition,” Salisbury said. “I will follow Dean Reed’s example of excellence and dedication in serving the college.”

Salisbury earned a Master of Science in veterinary medicine and completed her residency at Purdue in 1984. She earned a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Michigan State University in 1979.

Lucy Flesch, Purdue’s Frederick L. Hovde Dean of the College of Science and professor of earth, atmospheric, and planetary sciences, is chairing an advisory committee to assist in the search for Reed’s permanent successor, with finalists expected to visit campus at the start of the fall semester.

About Purdue University

Purdue University is a public research institution demonstrating excellence at scale. Ranked among top 10 public universities and with two colleges in the top four in the United States, Purdue discovers and disseminates knowledge with a quality and at a scale second to none. More than 105,000 students study at Purdue across modalities and locations, including nearly 50,000 in person on the West Lafayette campus. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue’s main campus has frozen tuition 13 years in a row. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap — including its first comprehensive urban campus in Indianapolis, the Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr. School of Business, Purdue Computes and the One Health initiative — at https://www.purdue.edu/president/strategic-initiatives.

Writer: Kami Goodwin, kami@purdue.edu

Media contact: Tim Doty, doty2@purdue.edu

Sources: Patrick Wolfe

S. Kathleen Salisbury