Jessica McArt Appointed Dean of Cornell's College of Veterinary Medicine

Dr. Jessica McArt, DVM ’07, Ph.D. ’13, has been appointed as the Austin O. Hooey Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University, effective July 15. Her appointment was approved by the Cornell Board of Trustees’ Executive Committee on May 20 and ratified by the State University of New York’s Board of Trustees on June 2.

Currently a professor and chair of the Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences at the College of Veterinary Medicine, McArt will succeed Dr. Lorin Warnick, Ph.D. ’94, who has served as dean since 2016. Warnick plans to return to research and teaching following his tenure.

Provost Kavita Bala remarked on McArt's leadership potential, stating, "Jessica is the right person to lead our world-class College of Veterinary Medicine into the future as we face new opportunities and challenges." She praised Warnick for his outstanding leadership and expressed eagerness to work with McArt on advancing the college's mission.

As dean, McArt aims to foster initiatives that enhance research collaboration and address community health needs, while also supporting students. "I am very passionate about the College of Veterinary Medicine and I’m excited to work with faculty, staff, and students to advance the opportunities this college has to offer," McArt said. She noted the solid foundation laid by Warnick during his term and expressed enthusiasm for continuing his efforts.

McArt has been a part of Cornell since 2014, initially joining as an assistant professor. From 2017 to 2022, she served as section chief in the Ambulatory and Production Medicine Clinic and worked as a visiting scientist at Agriculture Victoria in Australia in 2023-2024.

In her new role, McArt plans to maintain several initiatives from the College of Veterinary Medicine’s strategic plan, while collaborating with the college community to establish future priorities. She identifies as a community-minded leader and aims to promote collaborative programs.

Key initiatives McArt intends to build upon include partnerships with various Cornell programs such as the Center for Veterinary Business and Entrepreneurship and the Cornell K. Lisa Yang Center for Wildlife Health, which facilitate interdisciplinary research and education.

McArt acknowledges the need for collaboration among experts from different fields to address complex challenges. She plans to foster this by creating opportunities for informal gatherings and seed funding to bridge academic disciplines. Additionally, she is committed to tailoring programs to meet community needs, exemplified by Maddie’s® Shelter & Community Medicine, which recently surveyed public access to veterinary care in Tompkins County.

Regarding education, McArt envisions enabling students to integrate their interests in veterinary training with business and leadership skills. She recognizes student debt as a significant issue and will focus on finding solutions to alleviate this burden for graduates.

Moreover, McArt plans to leverage artificial intelligence to improve operational efficiencies within the veterinary hospital. Current applications include AI-assisted appointment records and radiograph interpretations, with an emphasis on teaching students how to effectively utilize evolving technologies while enhancing their clinical skills.

McArt, a trained dairy veterinarian and epidemiologist, specializes in dairy cow diseases. Prior to Cornell, she held a position at Colorado State University. She holds a bachelor's degree from Dartmouth College and both a DVM and a doctorate from Cornell University.