About The School of Veterinary Medicine
Dean Osburn
Bennie Osburn, Dean
After more than 40 years in the profession, Dean Bennie I. Osburn remains an enthusiastic advocate of veterinary medicine and education. Osburn received his DVM degree at Kansas State and earned his PhD in comparative pathology from UC Davis. He found his academic home at UC Davis in 1970 and became dean in 1996.

Osburn's faculty experience includes 20 years as associate dean for research and leadership in other programs. His research accomplishments emphasize healthy food animals. He played a key role in discoveries about bluetongue and other viruses, and he has published 285 scientific articles.

As dean, Osburn has been instrumental in increasing class size and the number of specialty residents. He led a $354 million long-term facilities program, raising more than $130 million in private support that helped begin 5 buildings in 5 years. He has guided the establishment of centers of excellence in comparative medicine, wildlife health, food safety and more. He also helped create joint ventures such as the UC Veterinary Medical Center - San Diego and the UC Davis Master of Public Health degree program.

While president of the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges from 2003 to 2005, Osburn launched a national initiative to meet an urgent need for public practice veterinarians. He helped increase the number of post-graduate public health programs in veterinary colleges from 4 to 15.

Among his honors are membership in the American Association for the Advancement of Science as well as recognition by the American College of Veterinary Pathologists, the American Association of Veterinary Immunologists, the American Veterinary Epidemiology Society and the National Academy of Practice in Veterinary Medicine.

Osburn continues to broaden awareness of the veterinary profession's vital contributions to animal health, public health and environmental health.