In the Office With Dr. Stephen Cole

When Dr. Stephen Cole’s father dropped him at college, dad predicted son would never leave higher ed. He was right.

Cole is a born academic — inquisitive, tenacious, open to discovery, and passionate about learning and teaching. He’s also wickedly funny, a talent he puts to good use as a member of ComedySportz, Philadelphia’s longest-running comedy theater. The humor/intellect combo makes for an adored professor: Cole received the Class of 2023 Award for Spirit from the Penn Vet chapter of the Student American Veterinary Medical Association (SAVMA).

“With improv, you never know what's going to happen when you walk into a scene — there's freedom in ambiguity and I have a high threshold for it,” he said. “This is helpful in improv, but also in diagnostics research and teaching. It’s okay not to know something and to ask about it — to be wrong... or right.”

A board-certified microbiologist, Cole studies antibiotic-resistant bacteria in companion animals. This includes educating students and veterinarians in antimicrobial stewardship, which is the focus of his current study. “It’s a multicenter study with 250 veterinary students, from five vet schools, on the effectiveness of using a mnemonic device to choose an antibiotic. I’m very excited to see and share the results.”

1. Adler and Princess Margaret. Adler is our 11-year-old ‘pittie’ mix. She came with Clarke [Garthwaite, V'15], my husband, who got her a week before we met. She’s the best dog ever. She recently had emergency surgery at Ryan Hospital — it was so reassuring to know she was in the hands of my colleagues, who I’d trust with my own life! Princess Margaret is our 3-year- old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. She was abandoned as a puppy at Clarke’s practice. She is just the most ridiculous dog! We love them both so much.

2. Pillows. I study a bacteria called CRE — carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales.
My colleague Jackie Dietrich gave me this pillow [right] for Christmas last year. Clarke and I were married a month earlier and at first glance I thought the pillow said Stephen and Clarke together forever. Then I looked again and realized, ‘Oh goodness, this is Stephen and CRE together forever!’ It’s hysterical: my bacteria and I are going to be together forever. The stuffed bladder [top right] was a gift from a student who worked on a urinary tract infection (UTI) project with me — at one point I thought I’d study UTIs. My mom gave me the animal cell pillow. She knows I work with animals. I don’t do anything with animal cells whatsoever, but it’s cute.

3. Art & Science. This print of fungi is quite beautiful. My brother and sister-in- law gifted it to me when I was appointed to the faculty.

4. Hysterical. I listen to a feminism podcast called Hysteria. These funny pieces are cutouts from the podcast’s calendar. I love the messages delivered through colorful and cute illustrations. I always have strong opinions on things, some important and some not, and the sign on the door is how I feel every day.

5. Size Matters. Microbiology jokes are always great. I like having a fun office. It makes me feel more at home. We spend so much time in our offices, why not be comfortable and enjoy them.

6. Surrounded by Pride. One year at Penn Vet’s SAVMA auction, I bid on and won a basket of Pride goodies from Lambda Vets (the School’s LGTB+ club). The contents and much more Pride stuff are all over my office — it’s very important for me to be proud and out and represent for our students.