Former OSU dean candidate to take over Saskatchewan vet college

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

-- The University of Saskatchewan's Board of Governors has approved the appointment of Dr. Douglas Freeman, a former dean candidate at The Ohio State University, as the new dean for the Western College of Veterinary Medicine.

Freeman's 26 years in veterinary medicine include stints as a private practitioner, an administrator of clinical and diagnostic services, a researcher and an academic department head. Since 2001, he has been a professor and head of the Veterinary Diagnostic Services and Veterinary Microbiological Science at North Dakota State University in Fargo, N.D.

Freeman completed a DVM degree, a clinical residency, and a Masters in Theriogenology at the University of Minnesota. He followed up with a PhD in reproductive physiology at the University of Idaho. He is also a diplomate in the American College of Theriogenologists.

Freeman will replace current dean, Dr. Charles Rhodes, in March 2010. Rhodes is retiring after 39 years at the college and eight years as its dean.

In the announcement, the university's provost and vice president, Brett Fairbairn, said Freeman's "broad experience, approachable personality and collaborative manner" make him a perfect fit for the job.

In April, Freeman was on a short list of candidates for veterinary college dean at The Ohio State University. In July, Dr. Lonnie King from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention took that job.