NC State’s Arden is President of Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges

Dr. Warwick Arden, interim provost and dean of College of Veterinary Medicine at North Carolina State University, has been named president of the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC). The appointment for the 2009-10 term is effective immediately.

The AAVMC coordinates the affairs of veterinary colleges in the United States, Canada, England, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, representing more than 4,000 faculty, 5,000 staff, 10,000 students and 3,000 graduate students. Its more than 60 member institutions include selected departments of veterinary science, comparative medicine and veterinary medical education institutions.

As president, Arden heads the 11-member board of directors that works with the AAVMC national staff in reviewing recommendations and reports from the association’s numerous standing committees and task forces.

“This is a challenging time for our colleges as we seek to meet changing societal demands for veterinary expertise,” Arden says. “Ours is an exceptionally diverse profession and the AAVMC is committed to training outstanding graduates who not only care for companion animals, horses, food animals and wildlife, but who support global public health by ensuring food safety and food security, investigating infectious diseases, advancing the frontiers of comparative medicine through leading biomedical research, and serving as stewards of our precious ecosystems.”

Arden, who was appointed as NC State’s interim provost in May, became dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine in 2004. He served as professor and head of the Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign prior to coming to NC State. Arden received his degree in veterinary science from the University of Sydney, Australia, and received his board certification in veterinary surgery from the American College of Veterinary Surgeons in 1990.

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