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Dean of MU College of Veterinary Medicine to Step Down

University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine

The dean of the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine announced Wednesday he will be stepping down from his current position effective August 15, 2017.

Neil Olson has been the dean of the MU College of Veterinary Medicine since 2007. He said he feels his job at MU is “completed,” and he is leaving the college in better shape than he found it.

Olson will soon be starting a new position as the dean of the School of Veterinary Medicine at St. George’s University in St. George’s, Granada.  

He called this new position is an “opportunity of a lifetime”

“I have spent 10 years here at MU,” Olson said. “I am very proud of the list of accomplishments - I feel are quite substantial. I had a great team to work with. It's just a good opportunity - a good time to say goodbye and welcome the new opportunity.”

A press release from the MU College of Veterinary Medicine lists several of Olson’s accomplishments as dean, such as establishing the Veterinary Health Center ― Wentzville, increasing the college’s enrollment and growing the college’s endowment.

Olson said that in his opinion, one of his greatest accomplishments has been the diversification of the revenue streams for the College of Veterinary Medicine. He added that in the face of large funding cuts, it is critical for other MU colleges to work toward diversifying their own sources of income.

“That is the kind of the thing that all colleges at MU need to be doing. It has to become more entrepreneurial and less dependent on state funding,” Olson said. 

Olson says there isn’t a timeline to find his replacement yet, but he expects an interim dean to be announced soon.

Rebecca Smith is an award-winning reporter and producer for the KBIA Health & Wealth Desk. Born and raised outside of Rolla, Missouri, she has a passion for diving into often overlooked issues that affect the rural populations of her state – especially stories that broaden people’s perception of “rural” life.