Penn Vet Announces Interim Leadership for the Department of Clinical Sciences and Advanced Medicine, and Ryan Hospital

The University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine (Penn Vet) has announced two interim leadership appointments to lead its academic and clinical programs. Susan W. Volk, VMD, PhD, DACVS, has been named interim chair of the Department of Clinical Sciences and Advanced Medicine, and Deborah C. Silverstein, DVM, DACVECC, has been appointed interim associate dean and Ryan Hospital director.

In their new roles, Drs. Volk and Silverstein will work closely together to support Penn Vet’s integrated missions of patient care, education, and research and to strengthen collaboration between the School’s academic departments and clinical operations.

“Drs. Volk and Silverstein are exceptional leaders whose combined expertise in translational research and clinical medicine will help advance Penn Vet during this important period,” said Andrew M. Hoffman, DVM, DVSc, DACVIM, Penn Vet’s Gilbert S. Kahn Dean of Veterinary Medicine. “Their partnership reflects the strength of our faculty and our commitment to advancing veterinary medicine through collaboration and innovation.”

An internationally recognized veterinary surgeon-scientist and board-certified Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons, Volk earned her VMD and PhD through the University of Pennsylvania’s Veterinary Medical Scientist Training Program. A faculty member since 2007, her research focuses on the role of the extracellular matrix in wound healing, fibrosis, and cancer and is supported by multiple NIH grants and foundation awards. She currently serves as the Corinne R. and Henry Bower Professor of Surgery and is widely recognized for her mentorship and cross-disciplinary collaborations. Volk is a member of the Editorial Board of Wound Repair and Regeneration and serves on the Board of Directors for both the Wound Healing Society and the North American Veterinary Regenerative Medicine Association. In 2025, she was appointed president of the Wound Healing Society.

Silverstein is a professor of Emergency and Critical Care and the section chief of Emergency and Critical Care at Ryan Hospital. She received her DVM from the University of Georgia, where she also completed a small-animal rotating internship, followed by a residency in small-animal emergency and critical care at the University of California, Davis. A leader in her field, Silverstein is known for her expertise in managing critically ill patients and for her commitment to advancing emergency and critical care medicine. Her publications focus on the diagnosis and treatment of shock states, resuscitation of unstable patients, and changes in the microcirculation in acutely ill patients. She has contributed extensively to the field’s scholarship as co-editor of leading textbooks, including Small Animal Critical Care Medicine and Textbook of Small Animal Emergency Medicine. Silverstein frequently presents on small-animal critical care, and her expertise has been featured in media outlets such as The New York Times, PBS NewsHour, and NBC News.

As interim hospital director, Silverstein will oversee hospital operations and work with clinical and administrative leadership to ensure continued excellence in patient care. As interim chair, Volk will lead the Department of Clinical Sciences and Advanced Medicine, supporting faculty, trainees, and research programs. Together, they will help align Penn Vet’s academic and clinical priorities, foster collaboration across disciplines, and advance the School’s impact in veterinary medicine.

These interim appointments follow leadership transitions, including Brady Beale’s departure as hospital director to lead the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA), and Mark Oyama’s planned retirement as department chair following a one-year terminal sabbatical.