Monday, September 26, 2005

Lisa Freeman Named Associate Dean of Research

By Brennan Engle

MANHATTAN -- Dr. Lisa C. Freeman has been appointed associate dean of research and graduate programs at the Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine.

A faculty member in the department of anatomy and physiology at the college since 1994, Freeman was named to the position Sept. 15.

She earned her doctor of veterinary medicine degree and master's degree in reproductive physiology from Cornell University in 1986 and a doctorate in pharmacology from Ohio State University in 1989. She also worked for three years as a postdoctoral fellow and research scientist at the University of Rochester School of Medicine in Rochester, N.Y., before coming to K-State.

Freeman has served as a research mentor and role model for postdoctoral students, clinical residents and young faculty members, many of whom have pursued professional positions in biomedical sciences and veterinary medicine. She was named Outstanding Woman Veterinarian of the Year in 2002 by the Association of Women Veterinarians for her achievements in the profession.

She became director of Mentored Training, which included administering the Research Scholars Program at the College of Veterinary Medicine, in 2001. Her efforts were instrumental in obtaining funding for the program through the National Institutes of Health and Merck-Merial Foundation. K-State is now nationally recognized for its programs to expose veterinary students and clinical residents to the basic research enterprise.

Ralph Richardson, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine, said Freeman will be a long-term asset to the college.

"The College of Veterinary Medicine is indeed fortunate to have someone of Freeman's caliber taking on this leadership role," Richardson said. "She is internationally recognized for both her research and her leadership skills. She is the ideal person to help the college capitalize on opportunities relating to veterinary and comparative medicine, food safety and biosecurity."

Freeman believes researchers from K-State can play an even larger role in research on diseases that affect humans and animals.

"The veterinary college will be a major contributor to the Kansas City Area Life Sciences Institute initiatives in companion animal health and food animal production. I think there will be significant opportunities coming our way," she said.

Collaborating with other research and health institutions will be a crucial step for the College of Veterinary Medicine to meet the needs of a changing society, she said.

"This is a time when K-State can also become a major player on the national scene as far as research," Freeman said. "The ability to create connections and collaborations in a horizontal fashion will be vital in conducting research during the next couple of decades. K-State is one of the places where I think people are eager to work with each other and form partnerships."

Freeman plans to improve the recruitment, training and retention of students pursuing research careers in biomedical sciences. Enhancing graduate student programs is her top priority. She also would like to create additional research training opportunities for veterinary students and graduate veterinarians.

A Fellow of the American Council on Education, Freeman spent the 2004-2005 academic year at the University at Buffalo in New York, taking part in a program that allows faculty to work with senior leadership of a different university. She worked with the school's provost and vice president of research on an extensive strategic planning effort.