Dr. Lonnie King chosen as new OSU veterinary college dean

Columbus, Ohio

-- Dr. Lonnie King, currently the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) National Center for Zoonotic, Vector-Borne and Enteric Diseases, will take over as dean of The Ohio State University (OSU) College of Veterinary Medicine Sept. 1.

Courtesy The Ohio State University

Dr. Lonnie King

“Dr. King is a remarkably accomplished scholar and a national leader in understanding emerging diseases as well as the connections between human and animal health,” says OSU President E. Gordon Gee regarding the July 30 announcement of King’s appointment. “His enormous talents will be invaluable in leading our gifted faculty and making out top-tier veterinary medicine program even stronger."

While King was not on the list of three dean candidate finalists announced by OSU a few months ago, Melissa Weber, a college spokesperson, says the school’s board could not come to a unanimous decision among those former three finalists, so the officials went back to the drawing board.

“They were looking for someone with a particular visionary leadership strategy,” Weber says.

King did not apply for the post, but rather was nominated for it, Weber says. The nomination resulted in a recruitment call from OSU's Gee to join the college as dean.

“Dr Gee was able to apply a little more positive persuasiveness,” Weber adds.

King, a native of Wooster, Ohio, earned his bachelor’s and DVM degrees from OSU and worked as a private practitioner in Ohio and Georgia for seven years. He also earned a master’s degree in epidemiology from the University of Minnesota while on special assignment with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and a master’s of public administration from American University.

“It is with a real sense of pride and enthusiasm that I return to my roots and alma mater as dean,” King says in a prepared statement. “Society has expanding needs and expectations for the veterinary profession and this college is well-positioned to be a national and global leader in both defining and meeting those needs.”

Though King has worked most recently for the CDC, he also served as dean of Michigan State University's College of Veterinary Medicine from 1996 to 2006. At USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, King directed the development of the National Animal Health Monitoring System and served as both the country’s chief veterinary officer and director for national veterinary and animal-health programs. King also helped start the National Alliance for Food Safety and has authored more than 100 publications. He is a board-certified member of the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, completed the Senior Executive Fellowship Program at Harvard University, and served as president of the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges from 1999 to 2000. He also has served as vice-chair for the National Commission on Veterinary Economic Issues.