Clemson University's veterinary college meets its inaugural class

The Harvey S. Peeler Jr. College of Veterinary Medicine (HPCVM) at Clemson University recently welcomed members of its inaugural class during its Accepted Students’ Day on its South Carolina campus.¹ The event on March 14, 2026, aimed to prepare the incoming students for the start of their academic experience and included a special announcement of full scholarships for 6 recipients.

The scholarships are funded by the Darla Moore Foundation, which recently created Clemson University’s Darla Moore Scholars of Veterinary Medicine program. The full scholarships cover tuition, fees, and living expenses for up to 4 years of veterinary medicine study. Additionally, 2 scholarships covering tuition were awards to other students.²

Clemson’s first HPCVM class will comprise 60 students from South Carolina and 20 out-of-state students. According to Steven Marks, BVSc, MS, MRCVS, DACVIM, dean of the HPCVM, the university is continuing to raise funds for scholarships to ease the financial burden on veterinary students. “We're actually able to give all 80 students in the first-year class some scholarship money, but 6 students received the Darla Moore Scholars award,” Marks said in a dvm360 interview.

The Darla Moore Scholars recipients were celebrated at the awards announcement during Accepted Students’ Day. They were selected from 8 communities in South Carolina’s rural Pee Dee region, which relies heavily on animal health for its agricultural industries. However, access to veterinary services is limited in the region.²

Marks said it was important that the scholarship recipients come from underserved areas because they may return to underserved areas. “Clemson is built on the foundation of servant leadership, and so we will encourage our students to return to the community as leaders [and] as veterinarians. I think that'll meet the needs of the state. Miss Moore grew up in that region, and she'd like to see students return to that region and be successful,” Marks said.

Darla Moore, the scholarship’s benefactor, noted in a public statement that it can be more challenging to find opportunities to study veterinary medicine in under-resourced rural areas. "Talent is everywhere, but opportunity isn’t. I was deeply appreciative for the educational opportunities that I received, so it was a privilege to give these students such good news, and it was inspiring because I know how hard they have worked,” Moore said.

The full-scholarship recipients include some first-generation college students. “My hope is that students in that region will see how successful these students are, and they'll be role models, and they'll want to pursue career paths the same way these students did,” Marks said.

Members of the incoming inaugural class had the opportunity to network with future classmates during Accepted Students’ Day. They were also measured for their formal white coats, took photos with the Clemson Tiger mascot, and toured the HPCVM campus, which is an active construction site as it continues to be developed.¹

“Universities like Clemson have provided such profound possibilities for so many, and the ripple effect of being educated and going out into a community is just inestimable. It's an incredible chance for these veterinary medicine students and the communities that they will serve," Moore added.

Marks said the HPCVM—South Carolina’s only veterinary college—views itself as belonging to the entire state, despite being housed at Clemson. The CVM is also striving to help improve the human-animal bond across the US and elsewhere. “We’re working hard to contribute to the veterinary workforce and provide well-trained veterinarians to enter the community, and we will work side by side with our colleagues,” he said.

References

1. Harris S. Clemson welcomes inaugural class of veterinary medicine students to campus. Harvey S. Peeler Jr College of Veterinary Medicine. March 17, 2026. Accessed March 17, 2026. https://news.clemson.edu/clemson-welcomes-inaugural-class-of-veterinary-medicine-students-to-campus/
2. Clemson News. Darla Moore Scholars of Veterinary Medicine established. Harvey S. Peeler Jr. College of Veterinary Medicine. March 15, 2026. Accessed March 18, 2026. https://news.clemson.edu/darla-moore-scholars-of-veterinary-medicine-established/