Donald F. Smith, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell, has announced three key leadership appointments to focus on the college's missions of education, research and service: Katherine M. Edmondson, assistant dean for learning and instruction; Douglas D. McGregor, associate dean for research and graduate education; and Robert O. Gilbert, associate dean for clinical programs and professional service.

"With these appointments, the scholarship of education, research and service each will be represented at the executive level of the college," Smith said. "Though the apportionment of faculty effort may differ among the areas of scholarly endeavor, the standards of quality, the rigor with which performance is assessed and the institutional rewards for attaining excellence must be similar in perception as well as reality."

The veterinary dean said the key to the organization initiative is a focus on academic departments as the principal administrative units at the college for the full range of faculty activities, including professional service and teaching. As part of the process, the dean and the faculty are proceeding with the clustering of academic departments into basic biomedical and clinical science domains. The clusters will support the creation of an environment that fosters integration of the academic programs across departments and between the basic and clinical sciences, Smith said.

In the newly created post as assistant dean for learning and instruction, Edmondson will serve as the principal college officer promoting the scholarship of teaching. She also will hold responsibility for administration of the offices of D.V.M. admissions, student services, the registrar, financial aid, educational development and the nondepartmental teaching facilities of the college.

Edmondson formerly served as director of the college's Office of Educational Development for seven years. She was instrumental in the development and implementation of the college's innovative, case-based academic program, established as the college's formal veterinary curriculum in 1993. Her research interests include students' approaches to learning, development of science curricula, faculty development and learning in the professions.

As associate dean for research and graduate education, McGregor continues in a post he has held for seven years, serving as the principal college officer for promoting the scholarship of research. Additionally, he has administrative responsibility for the college's Office of Sponsored Programs, the Graduate Education and Research Office and research service units within the college.

The major research interests of McGregor, a professor of immunology in the college's Department of Microbiology and Immunology since 1976, are in cellular immunology and infectious diseases. Since 1991, McGregor has administered the Leadership Program at Cornell, a renowned summer program for D.V.M. students interested in research careers. He also served as associate dean for research at the college in 1988-90 and as director of the James A. Baker Institute for Animal Health from 1976-91. He is associate director of the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station, Ithaca, and a member of the Cornell Research Council and the college's executive committee.

In the new position of associate dean for clinical programs and professional service, Gilbert will serve as the principal college officer promoting the scholarship of professional service. He also will have administrative responsibility for the full range of academic, clinical and professional service programs of the Department of Clinical Sciences, the Diagnostic Laboratory and the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital.

Gilbert will assume full administrative duties of his new position Jan. 1, 1998. He previously served the college as associate professor of theriogenology in the clinical sciences department, chief of the Section of Theriogenology and director of the Bovine Research Center at Cornell. Known internationally for his record of clinical service and applied research in the field of theriogenology and reproductive biology, Gilbert is a diplomate of the American College of Theriogenologists, a member of the New York State Veterinary Medical Society and the American Veterinary Medical Association, as well as the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.