New dean named to lead Missouri-Columbia CVM

Columbia, Mo. — Dr. Neil Olson is the new dean of the University of Missouri-Columbia (MU) College of Veterinary Medicine, effective Sept. 1.

Dr. Neil Olson

Currently the associate dean for research and graduate studies at North Carolina State University (NCSU) College of Veterinary Medicine, Olson plans to be on MU's campus by mid-August to greet students and faculty members when they return for the fall semester.

"This is an incredibly important position on this campus and is a central component of what we do here at Mizzou as well as across the state," says Brian Foster, MU provost. "We're very pleased that Neil Olson accepted the position. He received a very positive reception from both on and off-campus constituents when he came here for an earlier visit."

With a bachelor's degree in veterinary science and a doctorate of veterinary medicine, Olson has been with NCSU since 1982 and has held a multitude of administrative appointments — including being the former director of graduate programs, the Summer Research Internship Program and the Biomedical Imaging Center.

"I'm very excited about this position, and I think that MU's College of Veterinary Medicine has many areas of strength that are especially important today, including the faculty's expertise in infectious diseases, their work with outreach programs to the rest of the state and region and the nature of their collaborations throughout campus and the nation," Olson says. "This is the only veterinary college in the state, and I would like to see this college ranked in the top five veterinary schools in the nation in a short period of time. I'm looking forward to this exciting challenge."