AAVMC Names Emma Read Chief Executive Officer

Washington, D.C. (October 29, 2025) — AAVMC is pleased to announce it has appointed Emma Read, DVM, of The Ohio State University (OSU) Chief Executive Officer. She will assume the role on February 1.

After an international search, the AAVMC Board of Directors selected Read for her demonstrable passion for advancing veterinary clinical skills training.

“As I take on the role of CEO at AAVMC, I am deeply honored and energized by the opportunity to work alongside college leaders from around the world to recognize, celebrate, and advance excellence in veterinary education,” says Read. “While challenges will be inevitable and old problems will demand fresh thinking, I am confident in the creativity and resilience of our community. At the heart of it all is an enduring truth: veterinary educators have much to be proud of. Together, we will continue to lead courageously—shaping the future of health professions education and empowering the next generation of veterinarians to make an impact.”

Read will lead AAVMC into its next phase of strategic growth. Her immediate priorities will focus on what the association can bring as added value for member institutions: assisting with implementation of competency-based veterinary education and admissions best practices, embracing technological advances, supporting faculty and staff development and retention, reinforcing quality house officer training opportunities, reimagining ways to address workforce development challenges, and strengthening relationships across members and with our partners.

“Dr. Read possesses the unique combination of visionary leadership, educational innovation, and operational expertise to guide AAVMC forward,” says Bonnie Rush, DVM, Dean of the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and AAVMC President and Board Chair. “Her expertise in transforming veterinary education through curricular innovation, focus on outcomes assessment, and unwavering commitment to clinical excellence align with our mission. The Board is confident that under her leadership, we will expand AAVMC’s impact and continue to set the standard for veterinary education and institutional growth across the profession. We are thrilled to welcome her as our new CEO.”

Read has had an illustrious career in veterinary education, marked by leadership, innovation, and a deep commitment to the profession. Since 2018, she has served as Associate Dean for Professional Programs at OSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine, where she also holds the prestigious Ruth Stanton Chair in Veterinary Medicine. In this role, she recently led a comprehensive curricular redesign, enhancing the college’s academic framework and student experience.

Before joining OSU, Read held several key positions at the University of Calgary. She was among the founding faculty of the university’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in 2007. From 2008 to 2015 she served as Chair of the Clinical Skills Program, and in 2015 she was appointed Associate Dean, Academic.

Earlier in her career, Read taught large-animal surgery at the Ontario Veterinary College and practiced in Calgary at a surgical referral clinic specializing in international sport horses.

A graduate of the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Read completed a residency in large-animal surgery at the University of Georgia’s College of Veterinary Medicine. She is a Board-certified Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons.

Read is an internationally renowned veterinary educator who has delivered countless invited talks and workshops, published a number of peer-reviewed manuscripts, guest-edited several special editions for journals, authored several book chapters, and edited a textbook, Veterinary Clinical Skills.

In addition to her academic and clinical accomplishments, Read has a long-standing record of service to AAVMC and the broader veterinary profession. She is a past president of the American Association of Equine Practitioners (and the fifth female president of the organization since its inception in 1954); a founding member of AAVMC’s Competency-Based Veterinary Education Task Force, which implemented national standards for outcomes-based veterinary education; chair-elect for the Council on Outcomes-Based Veterinary Education; an editorial board member for the Journal of Veterinary Medical Education; founding co-chair of the AAVMC Council for International Veterinary Medical Education, which fosters educational exchanges between accredited and nonaccredited veterinary programs globally; and a past member of the leadership team for AAVMC’s Spectrum of Care Initiative, which hosted the first international meeting focusing on this new teaching model. In 2023, she was named Distinguished Expert in the Academy of Veterinary Educators.

Read succeeds Andrew T. Maccabe, DVM, who stepped down after 12 years in the role.

NOTE TO JOURNALISTS: To schedule an interview with a member of the AAVMC team, contact AAVMC Media Relations. Find more news in our Newsroom.

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About AAVMC
The American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) advances the health and wellbeing of humans, animals, and the environment by strengthening veterinary medical education. Working with its member institutions at Council on Education-accredited colleges and schools worldwide, AAVMC develops educational standards, facilitates research collaboration, and supports curriculum innovation to prepare veterinarians who can address critical challenges, including emerging zoonotic diseases, food safety and security, antimicrobial resistance, and the changing role of animals in society.