STARKVILLE, Miss.—Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine has announced the promotion of Dr. Brittany Moore-Henderson to the newly created role of assistant dean for student success and inclusive excellence.
In this position, Henderson, who currently serves as director of admissions and recruitment will expand her role to bolster student-centered initiatives and foster an inclusive community of belonging for MSU CVM students, faculty and staff.
“I am excited that this new role allows me to continue to serve students beyond the admissions process to meet their growing needs and help them develop into veterinary leaders that are prepared to meet the needs of a diverse society,” Henderson said.
The MSU CVM’s mission is to protect and improve the health and well-being of animals and people, while contributing to the economic development of Mississippi and surrounding regions. To accomplish this mission, the CVM must increase access to education and encourage students from all backgrounds to consider career paths in veterinary medicine.
“To attract people from different backgrounds into veterinary medicine, the MSU CVM must be a place where all feel welcome and supported,” said MSU CVM Dean Dr. Nick Frank. “The term inclusive excellence captures this point because we are saying that excellence can be achieved by including everyone in the work we do. We must include people from rural and urban areas, those from different socioeconomic backgrounds, individuals from all racial and ethnic groups, and those with different perspectives from our own.”
Henderson grew up in Pickens, Mississippi, and earned her undergraduate degree in biology from Jackson State University and her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from MSU CVM. She then completed a community outreach veterinary internship and an American Board of Veterinary Practitioners canine and feline residency at MSU CVM before joining the faculty in 2019 as a clinical instructor.
Through the years, Henderson has been actively involved with a number of activities and initiatives aimed at promoting veterinary medicine as a career, including Vet Camp, This is How We Role, and VetAspire, a program she created specifically to allow underserved populations the opportunity to experience a day in the life of a veterinarian and encourage the pursuit of a career in veterinary medicine.
Dr. Henderson is a member of the National Association of Black Veterinarians, American Veterinary Medical Association and Mississippi Veterinary Medical Association, and is actively involved with the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges. She is also an assistant clinical professor in community veterinary services in the MSU CVM Animal Health Center.
MSU College of Veterinary Medicine provides two full years of clinical experience with students receiving training in all species and completing more than 50 surgeries prior to graduation. The college is nationally recognized for its shelter medicine and aquaculture programs, as well as research in antimicrobial resistance. It is the only college of veterinary medicine to lead a USAID innovation lab and offers both B.S. in veterinary medical technology and joint DVM-PhD programs. For more information, visit http://www.cvm.msstate.edu/.
