Our Dean, Our Mission, & Our Priorities

A Message from Dean Andrew Hoffman

Penn Vet’s tradition of excellence is marked by our deep commitment to education, advanced clinical care, and innovative research.

At the center of our efforts is compassion for both animals and people, as well as the preservation of a healthy environment.

People look to veterinarians as professionals who not only deliver healthcare throughout the lifespan of animals, but also improve our quality of life within that context.

We value relationships with our clients and further their interests along with those of the local community.

Moreover, as a profession and an institution, veterinarians are well positioned to contribute solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges, including food security, biosecurity, biodiversity, antimicrobial stewardship, and climate change.

On the campus where modern veterinary medicine was born, we have an obligation to train a diverse student body on emerging career pathways. Adapting the curriculum to a new vision of the veterinary profession will be critical to our success. Penn Vet will further strengthen our profession by enabling broader opportunities through novel certificate and dual degree programs that break down traditional boundaries between the veterinary and other professional disciplines: public health, human healthcare, social policy, business, and law. As a result, graduating VMDs will be better prepared to fashion their own career goals, and ultimately contribute more creatively and effectively towards building a better world.

We have an outstanding foundation on which to build our future success. I look forward to soliciting insight and ideas from students, alumni, overseers, faculty, and staff as we shape the future of not only Penn Vet, but that of the next generation of veterinary professionals.

Warmest regards, 

Andrew M. Hoffman, DVM, DVSc, Diplomate, ACVIM

Gilbert S. Kahn Dean
School of Veterinary Medicine
University of Pennsylvania

Our Priorities

• Revolutionize Veterinary Career Paths

  We will re-imagine our curriculum to prepare current and future veterinarians for “practice-ready” careers, and for new, novel opportunities in public and human health.

  • Design a new curriculum for the 21^st Century, emphasizing critical-thinking, decision-making, communication, collaboration, public health, and population healthcare
  • Capitalize on the profession’s ability to respond to societal needs through, new “VMD-plus” dual degree programs

  • Create a state-of- the-art Clinical Simulation and Skills Learning Center at New Bolton Center, giving students access to the latest-technology based tools to refine their clinical and technical skills before working with live animals.

  • Support entrepreneurial veterinarians looking to drive change and create social impact
• Ensure Global Health

  We will reduce the burden of infectious disease and tropical disease in developing nations by accelerating scientific discovery into effective treatments.

  • Exploit our expertise in immunology, vaccinology, and host-pathogen interactions
  • Facilitate multi-disciplinary, university-wide disease research for the benefit of human medicine
  • Build our mighty faculty base through endowed chairs and professorships to push the frontiers of disease research
• Foster Agricultural Sustainability

  We will bring Penn Vet’s wide range of agricultural resources to bear on the sustainability of food systems, from production to consumption to food waste management.

  • Reimagine New Bolton Center’s conventional farm facilities into an integrated, sustainable model
  • Invest in educational programming and “agricultural brand-building” to generate awareness among, and connection to, consumers and food market structures
  • Grow student scholarships in agriculture, particularly within fields of study exploring biosecurity, and the overall food industry
• Maximize Animal Well Being and Healthcare Outcomes

  We will innovate access to primary care and optimize our extensive specialty care services to enrich the quality of life for all animals.

  • Build a state-of-the-art facility for emergency and critical care at Ryan Hospital
  • Build a body of patient-centered research by funding endowments for professorships and clinical research
  • Provide advocacy and effective instruction in animal welfare