Hyemi Sevening Named Associate Dean for Institutional Advancement at Penn Vet

By: Martin J. Hackett Date: Jan 19, 2021

[January 13, 2021; PHILADELPHIA] The School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn Vet) has named Hyemi Sevening, a senior fundraising professional with more than 17 years of development experience, as its new Associate Dean for Institutional Advancement. Her appointment will begin on January 19, 2021.

Sevening comes to Penn Vet from the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of California at Davis (UC Davis), where she served as Assistant Dean of Advancement and oversaw that institution’s wide-ranging fundraising efforts. Prior to her appointment as Assistant Dean in 2017, she served as that school’s Interim Assistant Dean of Advancement and Senior Director of Development, and she previously held fundraising positions at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis and at Iowa State University’s College of Engineering.

As Associate Dean for Institutional Advancement, Sevening will be responsible for the overall conceptualization, planning and execution of a coordinated program of private source fund raising, constituent relations, and communications to support the long and short range goals of the School. She will also lead the closing of The Power of Penn Vet Campaign.

"Hyemi has an outstanding record of achievement. I am confident that Hyemi will be an extraordinary fundraiser, thought-partner, colleague, and team builder,” said Andrew M. Hoffman, DVM, DVSc, Gilbert S. Kahn Dean of Veterinary Medicine. "Her impressive background and expertise in both veterinary health care and higher education will be essential as we advance our ambitious plan to accelerate veterinary medicine’s impact on animal, human, and environmental health.”

Some of Sevening’s most significant accomplishments at UC Davis include leading efforts toward the $500 million “Expect Greater” School of Veterinary Medicine campaign goal, directing a $44 million annual fundraising and planned gift program, doubling annual giving contributions, establishing the inaugural Terry Holliday Equine and Comparative Neurology Presidential Chair, and garnering unrestricted programmatic support for the school’s centers and institutes.

“I am thrilled and honored to join Penn Vet, which has a distinguished legacy of translational research and clinical veterinary specialties,” said Sevening. “The School has a dynamic and forward-looking educational mission, and a vision for the future of veterinary medicine. As we move into an exciting new decade, I welcome this extraordinary opportunity to work with the entire Penn Vet community in achieving the School’s goals.”

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.