Penn Vet welcomes Dr. Anson Tsugawa, V’98, to the School’s Board of Advisors. Following graduation from Penn Vet, Tsugawa completed a one-year internship in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery at the Metropolitan Veterinary Hospital in Akron, Ohio and a three-year residency in Dentistry and Oral Surgery at the University of California-Davis, Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital. During the final year of his residency, he was elected as Chief Resident of the Small Animal Clinic.
Tsugawa became a board-certified Veterinary DentistTM (Diplomate of the American Veterinary Dental College) in 2004 and was the 2005 recipient of the American Veterinary Dental College Outstanding Candidate Award, a national award presented to a highly qualified and productive veterinarian who has recently achieved board certification in veterinary dentistry.
Tsugawa is passionate about enhancing the student experience at Penn Vet. To support these efforts, Tsugawa has named a surgery pod as part of the Dentistry and Oral Surgery (DOS) Suite renovation and established the James K. Tsugawa Scholarship Fund, made in honor of his father.
Tsugawa is the previous chairman of the American Veterinary Dental College Examination Committee and has served as president of the North Bay Westside Chapter of the Southern California Veterinary Medical Association. He is currently the co-chair of the Foundation for Veterinary Dentistry Grants Committee and serves as a reviewer for several international high impact factor veterinary journals. Tsugawa has also authored numerous textbook chapters on veterinary oral and maxillofacial surgery and recently co-edited a textbook in veterinary dentistry that is recommended reading for candidates preparing for their specialty board examinations.
Tsugawa lives in Woodland Hills with his wife, Kristina, their blended family, and two Pugs, Ben (a.k.a., Benihana) and Katsu.