Claire Bruno Named Assistant Dean of Admissions and Student Life at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine

The University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine (Penn Vet) has named Claire Vanna Bruno, a senior higher education professional with more than 18 years of recruitment experience, as its new Assistant Dean of Admissions and Student Life. Her appointment will begin on July 25, 2022.

Bruno comes to Penn Vet from Villanova University’s School of Business, where she served as Assistant Dean of Graduate Admissions and oversaw that institution’s wide-ranging recruitment plans for 12 graduate programs including Villanova’s MBA, Executive MBA, and specialized masters programs. Prior to her appointment as Assistant Dean in 2020, she served as that school’s Director of Graduate Admissions, and Director of Diversity Initiatives. Bruno previously held admissions positions at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School and at Temple University’s Fox School of Business.

As Assistant Dean of Admissions and Student Life, Bruno will be responsible for delivering visionary leadership to achieve strategic recruitment, retention, and graduation goals; and oversee all aspects of admissions, financial aid, and student life. She will also lead best practices and benchmarking initiatives to measure progress toward strategic enrollment objectives, as well as supporting student academic success.

“Claire has an outstanding record of achievement. She brings extensive expertise in graduate admissions and firsthand knowledge of the value of inclusion and diversity efforts,” said Andrew M. Hoffman, DVM, DVSc, Gilbert S. Kahn Dean of Veterinary Medicine. “Her belief in our relationship-oriented culture, and in the unique nature of our veterinary program, will be essential as we prepare students for whatever career pathways they invent, whether in private practice or research, academia or public policy, or some unique combination of all.”

Bruno’s most significant accomplishments at Villanova include a yield program that penetrated smaller recruiting markets in the southern and midwestern regions of the United States, a substantive programmatic posture that integrated diversity and inclusion within Villanova’s business school culture, and precise corporate outreach that accelerated employer desirability for Villanova business school students.

“I am thrilled and honored to join Penn’s School of Veterinary Medicine,” said Bruno. “The School has a dynamic and forward-looking educational mission, and a vision for the future of veterinary medicine. I welcome this extraordinary opportunity to work with the entire Penn Vet community in preparing our students for a world characterized by rapid medical discovery and escalating societal needs.”

About Penn Vet

Ranked among the top ten veterinary schools worldwide, the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine (Penn Vet) is a global leader in veterinary education, research, and clinical care. Founded in 1884, Penn Vet is the first veterinary school developed in association with a medical school. The school is a proud member of the One Health initiative, linking human, animal, and environmental health.

Penn Vet serves a diverse population of animals at its two campuses, which include extensive diagnostic and research laboratories. Ryan Hospital in Philadelphia provides care for dogs, cats, and other domestic/companion animals, handling more than 30,000 patient visits a year. New Bolton Center, Penn Vet’s large-animal hospital on nearly 700 acres in rural Kennett Square, PA, cares for horses and livestock/farm animals. The hospital handles more than 6,300 patient visits a year, while our Field Services have gone out on more than 5,500 farm service calls, treating some 22,400 patients at local farms. In addition, New Bolton Center’s campus includes a swine center, working dairy, and poultry unit that provide valuable research for the agriculture industry.