We are delighted to congratulate our Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. Stuart Fitzgerald on his appointment to this exciting new advisory council through which he will help to shape the next generation of veterinary leaders from NC State. Stuart joins a powerhouse team of leading industry experts from across the animal health community including Dr. Dottie Cimino Brown, chief scientific officer at Mars Veterinary Health; Dr. Kate Christmas, director of strategic partnering at Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health; and Dr. Mike McFarland, executive vice president and chief medical officer at Zoetis.
PRESS RELEASE from NC State on the initiative below.
NC State College of Veterinary Medicine Dean Kate Meurs kicked off a new initiative this week with an all-day campus event for members of her recently created Industry Advisory Council.
Meurs established the council to provide guidance and support to the college on global animal health needs and to give input on training programs for veterinary students, house officers and graduate students interested in exploring careers in the animal health industry.
“Our new strategic plan includes an emphasis on developing and strengthening partnerships, and we thought it would be so beneficial to engage in a more formal way with leading animal health industry partners,” Meurs says. “I’m so excited about the amazing industry leaders who have agreed to partner with us on our advisory council.”
The council also is expected to provide input on research goals for underserved animal health needs and guidance on how to develop more relationships between the college and other potential industry partners.
In addition to strengthening partnerships and community engagement, the college’s new strategic plan has four other goals: to lead in trainee-centered learning, life-changing research and innovative patient-centered care and to build a thriving college community with a common sense of purpose, pride and belonging.
Within the partnership goal, the college seeks to leverage the college’s unique strengths and resources, enhance global health programs, expand services for the community and increase national and international visibility.
“We are so excited to start on this new strategic plan, particularly with its new emphasis on partnerships and community,” Meurs says. “It will provide a wonderful road map for the next five years.”
In her position at Mars Veterinary Health, Dr. Brown provides strategic and innovative leadership to build science functions across the company globally. She previously led the Translational Comparative Medical Research program at Elanco Animal Health, where she focused on therapeutic drug development. She also spent 25 years at the University of Pennsylvania as a professor of surgery and clinical epidemiology.
Dr. Christmas has held numerous cross-functional positions at Boehringer Ingleheim Animal Health for 20 years, including senior scientist in Pharmaceutical Clinical Development and leadership roles in regulatory affairs, pharmacovigilance and sales and marketing. She currently is responsible for working with external partners to identify science partnerships and innovative assets to complement the BIAH pipeline.
“Our new strategic plan includes an emphasis on developing and strengthening partnerships, and we thought it would be so beneficial to engage in a more formal way with leading animal health industry partners. I’m so excited about the amazing industry leaders who have agreed to partner with us on our advisory council.” — Dean Kate Meurs
Dr. Fitzgerald, who spent 16 years in clinical practice as both an associate and hospital owner, leads TriviumVet’s clinical and regulatory activities to support new animal drug development for global markets. Previously, he worked at EirGen Pharma, an Irish pharmaceutical manufacturer, specializing in high-potency products for human oncology and endocrinology applications.
At Zoetis, Dr. McFarland serves as a leading voice of customers inside and outside the company. He previously served as group president at Accelerated Growth Businesses, where he looked after a portfolio of Zoetis businesses, including Global Diagnostics, Genetics, BioDevices, Precision Livestock Farming and Platinum Performance. He also has 15 years experience in emergency medicine, including five years as the medical director for one of the country’s first after-hours emergency practices in Dallas, Texas.
“I am so excited to have these advisers as part of the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine community,” Meurs says. “We’re hoping to convene twice a year to work on specific goals for the college. I can’t thank them enough for their support.”