Dean Joan Hendricks Receives Trustees Council for Penn Women-Provost’s Award

Date: Apr 19, 2018

Dean Joan Hendricks speaks at the Trustees’ Council of Penn Women luncheon. Photo by Eddie Marenco.

[April 19, 2018; Philadelphia, PA] – Joan C. Hendricks, Gilbert S. Kahn Dean of the School of Veterinary Medicine (Penn Vet), is the recipient of the Trustees’ Council of Penn Women (TCPW) Provost Award for exceptional contributions to the lives of women at the University of Pennsylvania and the wider academic community. Dean Hendricks was presented with the award during a luncheon on Thursday, April 12^th.

Hendricks has been a faculty member at Penn Vet for more than 30 years. She rose to chief of Critical Care in the Department of Clinical Studies, and founded the School’s Veterinary Clinical Investigations Center. In 2001, she became the first woman to hold an endowed professorship at the School – the Henry and Corinne R. Bower Professor of Small Animal Medicine. Five years later, in 2006, Hendricks was named the Gilbert S. Kahn Dean of Veterinary Medicine. She became the third woman dean of a veterinary school in the nation and the first at Penn Vet.

“I could not possibly have been more surprised and delighted to find out about receiving this award. Receiving it from the amazing people who constitute the Trustees’ Council of Penn Women makes it even more meaningful. Learning who nominated me took my breath away,” said Hendricks. “I am deeply grateful to my colleagues. Penn provided immense privilege to have a career that challenged me to bring every aspect of myself to work, and the fact I am a woman was embraced. It would be my fondest hope and wish that the amount of fun I have had is seen as a positive example for today’s female students and faculty.”

Hendricks joins a select group of faculty who have received the award including Dr. Susan Davidson, Penn Engineering; Dr. Afaf Meleis, Penn Nursing Science; and Dr. Stephanie Abbuhl, Penn Medicine. Established in 2009, the award recognizes significant contributions by University faculty to advancing the role of women at the University of Pennsylvania. Award nominations are made by deans, department chairs, center directors, and faculty members.

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 34,600 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 6,200 patient visits a year, while our Field Services have gone out on more than 5,500 farm service calls, treating some 18,700 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.