Athens, Ga. — Sheila W. Allen, an associate dean and acting department head in the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, will become interim dean of the college when the current dean, Keith Prasse, retires early next year.
Allen, who has been on the veterinary college faculty since 1986, will become interim dean March 1, 2005, pending approval by the University System of Georgia Board of Regents, Arnett C. Mace Jr., senior vice president for academic affairs and provost, announced today. Prasse, who has been on the faculty 32 years and served as dean since 1996, is retiring effective Feb. 28.
Mace said a search committee will be appointed to conduct a national search to identify a permanent dean.
Allen has been associate dean for academic affairs in the college since 1997 and is also serving as acting head of the department of small animal medicine and surgery. She earned a master’s degree in veterinary clinical pathology from the college while serving her residency in small animal surgery. She holds bachelor’s and doctor of veterinary medicine degrees from Cornell University.
“Dr. Allen has served the College of Veterinary Medicine and the University of Georgia with distinction,” said Mace. “She is recognized nationally for her scholarship, teaching and administrative talents and expertise. The college and the university are fortunate to have a person with Sheila’s abilities and expertise to serve as interim dean following Dean Prasse’s retirement. I look forward to working with Sheila to advance the college’s goals and objectives.”
Allen is a specialist in surgery with expertise in oncologic and reconstructive surgery and perioperative pain management. A Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons, she has developed computer-assisted techniques for teaching basic surgical skills and has received numerous awards for her innovations in instruction.
As associate dean for academic affairs, she has been a leader in revising the college’s DVM curriculum to give students more flexibility in focusing on their areas of interest. She guided the faculty in changing college admissions procedures to allow for assessing applicants on criteria in addition to academic credentials. She also led the college in expanding its enrollment to meet the rising demand for veterinarians.
Allen has been an elected member of the Board of Regents of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons and was appointed to serve on the group’s examination committee. She was chair of the research committee, which is responsible for awarding Surgeon in Training grants and Diplomate Investigator awards, and was also chair of the publications committee, which has oversight of the group’s professional journal, Veterinary Surgery.
She also served on the examination committee of the European College of Veterinary Surgeons, and she has been active in the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges, serving as executive committee chair of Associate Deans for Academic Affairs.
At UGA, Allen has been a member of the Undergraduate Enrollment Management Task Force and the Honors Program Faculty Council. She has served on the University Council curriculum committee and its subcommittee on the cultural diversity curricular requirement.
