The Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) has named Glen Hoffsis, DVM, MS, DACVIM, as the recipient of the 2020 Senator John Melcher, DVM Leadership in Public Policy Award. Established in 2007, this annual award recognizes leadership in public policy that advances veterinary medical education and success in advocating for veterinary medical education on a national or international scale.
“Every day, educators and researchers at our member institutions make outstanding contributions to academic veterinary medicine that inspire others, contribute to medical breakthroughs and work to educate upcoming generations of veterinarians,” says AAVMC Chief Executive Officer Andrew T. Maccabe, DVM, JD, MPH, in a press release about the announcement.
Dr. Hoffsis has an extensive resume as a leader within academic veterinary medicine, including more than 20 years of experience as the dean of three veterinary medical colleges. He was founding dean of the Lincoln Memorial University (LMU) College of Veterinary Medicine in Tennessee, where he currently serves as special assistant to LMU’s president. Previously, he served as dean of the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine and The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine.
At LMU, Dr. Hoffsis led a team that created more than 300 clinical affiliate distributive education sites for fourth-year veterinary students. At the University of Florida, he was instrumental in developing multiple educational programs, including rehabilitation, advanced cancer therapy, hyperbaric and alternative therapy, emergency and critical care, and wellness care.
Gary Vroegindewey, DVM, MSS, DACVPM, director of LMU’s One Health Program, nominated Dr. Hoffsis, writing that he is “an acknowledged thought leader in the modernization and delivery of veterinary education,” and that his many deserving accomplishments extend beyond veterinary medicine to encompass economics, public health, research, practice and public policy.
Dr. Hoffsis is past president of the AAVMC and the American Association of Bovine Practitioners. He has served on the board of directors of Banfield Pet Hospitals and is the former chair of the FDA’s Veterinary Medicine Advisory Committee. In 2018, he received the American Veterinary Medical Association’s Meritorious Service Award.
“My experience with the FDA made me see the importance of veterinarians interacting with major policymakers,” Dr. Hoffsis said in a video created by the AAVMC. “Public policy is really important for veterinarians to be engaged in, and the leaders of our academic institutions probably are the key leaders.”
