OSU selects animal-borne disease expert as dean
The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine has selected a distinguished alumnus to fill its top post. Dr. Lonnie J. King, who received his DVM degree there in 1970, was named dean of the college, effective Sept. 1.
In his nearly 40-year career, Dr. King has established himself as an accomplished scholar and national leader in understanding emerging diseases as well as the connections between human and animal health, said Ohio State President E. Gordon Gee in a university news release.
Dr. King started out in private practice, eventually making his way to the Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. There, he dedicated 19 years of his career, culminating in his serving as the agency's administrator for four years. During that period, he also served as the country's chief veterinary officer for five years and worked extensively on global trade agreements and protecting the nation's plant and animal resources. He left APHIS briefly to serve as the director of the AVMA Governmental Relations Division from 1987-1988.
Dr. King also served as dean at the Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine from 1996-2006. He left this position to join the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as its first director of the Office of Strategy and Innovation. Most recently, he was director of the CDC's National Center for Zoonotic, Vector-Borne, and Enteric Diseases, in which he led activities for surveillance, diagnostics, disease investigations, epidemiology, research, public education, policy development, and disease prevention and control programs.
Among Dr. King's many accomplishments and titles, he is a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, served as president of the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges from 1999-2000, and was the vice chair for the National Commission on Veterinary Economic Issues from 2000-2004.
Dr. King helped start the National Alliance for Food Safety, served on four National Academy of Sciences committees, and was elected as a member of the Institute of Medicine of The National Academies in 2004. Most recently, he chaired the National Academies Committee on Assessing the Nation's Framework for Addressing Animal Diseases.
Dr. King replaces the interim dean, Dr. John A.E. Hubbell, who was in the position since July 1, 2008. Prior to Dr. Hubbell, Dr. Tom Rosol served as the veterinary college's dean for three years. He is now special assistant to the university's senior vice president for research.