October 01, 2020

Lincoln Memorial University College of Veterinary Medicine in Harrogate, Tennessee, announced the appointment of Dr. Stacy Anderson as its new dean in August.

Dr. Anderson joined the veterinary college in 2015 and has since served as associate dean for academic affairs, director of large animal clinical skills, and an associate professor of large animal surgery.

“Dr. Anderson has a passion for veterinary education and is dedicated to the CVM’s mission of producing confident, competent day-one veterinarians,” said Clayton Hess, LMU president, in a university press release. “Over the last five years, she has implemented new initiatives, developed an innovative curriculum, and had a positive impact on our students, faculty, and staff. We look forward to her leadership in training future veterinarians in Appalachia and beyond.”

Dr. Anderson is from a family of veterinarians and veterinary educators. Her father, Dr. Brad Thacker, was a swine veterinarian who was on the faculty at Michigan State University and Iowa State University. Her mother, Dr. Eileen Thacker, led a research group at ISU focused on swine respiratory diseases.

Dr. Anderson succeeds Dr. Jason Johnson, who was a founding member of the veterinary college. Dr. Johnson took a position at Idexx as vice president and global chief medical officer, but will also serve as chair of the veterinary college advisory board.

“Through the years I have watched Dr. Anderson grow and I have recognized she is a natural-born leader,” Dr. Johnson said in the university press release. “I’m absolutely convinced she is the perfect person to continue to advance the mission of the college. She possesses a true passion and innate skill to innovate and advance veterinary education, not only at LMU but within all veterinary academia. I am super excited to watch the lasting impact she will have on education.”

Dr. Anderson graduated from ISU veterinary college. She completed a large animal surgical residency at Western College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan. She obtained board certification from the American College of Veterinary Surgeons in 2013. She completed a doctoral degree evaluating the lifespan of equine neutrophils in inflammatory conditions.

More recently, Dr. Anderson was the chair in 2018 of the LMU veterinary college’s Curriculum Review and Revision Task Force, which focused on the preclinical curriculum. She previously worked as the LMU representative for the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges Leadership Academy. Dr. Anderson won the Class of 2020 Teacher of the Year award and the Zoetis Distinguished Veterinary Teacher Award.

She plans to continue teaching while balancing her new role in the administration.