MEURS CHOSEN AS NEW DEAN OF THE COLLEGE

Meurs Chosen as Dean of College of Veterinary Medicine

First woman and first endowed chair recipient

Kate Meurs has been named dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine at North Carolina State University following a nationwide search. Her appointment became effective April 1.

Meurs is the first female dean of the college and the inaugural recipient of the Randall B. Terry Jr. College of Veterinary Medicine Endowed Dean’s Chair. The foundation has made many significant investments in the college over the years

Meurs had been interim dean of the college since Jan. 18. Former dean Paul Lunn left NC State to become dean of the University of Liverpool School of Veterinary Science.

“Dr. Meurs is one of the foremost leaders in veterinary medical education and an incredibly strong researcher and teacher as well,” said NC State Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Warwick Arden in announcing the appointment. “Her service to NC State and the veterinary medicine profession give her the in-depth knowledge, understanding and experience to lead the college in strategic growth, strengthening it as a premier destination for veterinary faculty, staff and students. I look forward to working with her as she continues to fulfill the college’s and NC State’s mission and vision.”

Meurs joined NC State in 2011 as associate dean for research and graduate studies in the College of Veterinary Medicine. In 2020 she was named the Randall B. Terry Jr. Distinguished Professor in Comparative Medicine.

Under Meurs’ leadership as associate dean, the college’s annual extramural and federal research funding experienced exponential growth.

In 2020, the CVM received 235 grants totaling $20 million, up from $8.8 million seven years ago.

Federal grants under her watch have also risen sharply, from $3.7 million in 2013 to Laura Nelson, associate dean and director of academic affairs at the CVM, said Meurs’ track record as associate dean was one of program building.

“While this charts out in outcomes such as grant dollars and publication numbers, the way that she did this was by thinking about what people needed to be successful and working to creatively provide those supports,” Nelson says. “She realized that progress comes only through investment in people – as individuals and as professionals. I know that she will bring this approach to her role as dean, and I am excited to see where it can take the college.”

Meurs also developed the college’s first undergraduate research program, along with a combined DVM/master of public health program with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Gillings School of Public Health.

“It is exciting to have someone who is familiar with the CVM, and with exceptional credentials, become the new dean of the college,” says Alexis A. Roach, a third-year DVM student. “It is also gratifying to witness the first female in this position on the NC State CVM campus. I look forward to her appointment and to seeing the visions she has for the college come to fruition.”

Meurs’ own ongoing groundbreaking research has identified the genetic basis for numerous feline and canine cardiac diseases, including mitral valve degeneration. Her work has refined treatment approaches for feline cardiomyopathy and long QT syndrome, a heart rhythm disorder.

Her work helped grow the Comparative Biomedical Sciences doctoral program both in number of students and in the diversity of the student body and added two new concentration areas. In 2017, she was integral in launching the Biomedical Partnership Center on the college’s campus.

“My internship at the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine in 1990 had a profound impact on the trajectory of my career and I am so grateful for the opportunities that the program provided me,” Meurs said. “I was fortunate to return to the college 10 years ago and be part of its growth in the past decade. I am so honored to now have this opportunity to step into this leadership role of this outstanding college with the incredibly talented and dedicated faculty, staff, students and trainees.”

Prior to joining NC State, Meurs served in faculty and administrative positions at Washington State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and the Ohio State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine.

“Dr. Meurs was one of my professors when I was a veterinary student at Ohio State,” Nelson says. “It has been a pleasure to get to know her as a colleague over the five years that I've been at the CVM. I am so grateful to be a part of the CVM leadership team as she takes on her new role.”

Meurs is board certified from the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Cardiology). She is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, Phi Zeta Honor Society and the National Council of University Research Administrators. Her areas of interest include familial aspects of cardiovascular disease, especially cardiomyopathy.

Meurs received her Bachelor of Science in zoology, as well as her DVM, from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She also holds a Ph.D. in genetics from Texas A&M University. She completed a small animal internship at NC State and a cardiology residency at Texas A&M University.

THINK AND DO

Aspiring veterinarians and biomedical scientists choose NC State College of Veterinary Medicine because they know they will receive a world-class education and access to exceptional opportunities they can’t get anywhere else.

We lead the way in educational innovation as

we train the next generation of healers. We are driving new methods that provide experiential learning and individualized career paths to improve the educational experience for each student. Our faculty and clinicians are recognized worldwide as experts in their fields.

We solve global challenges in animal and

human health. Our industry partnerships, clinical trials and groundbreaking research have an immeasurable impact.

We save and change the lives of more than

35,000 patients every year. The top-rated NC State Veterinary Hospital is one of the largest facilities in the nation. Board-certified specialists in more than 30 disciplines provide world-class, compassionate care every day.