Small Animal Internist Appointed as Assistant Dean for Curriculum and Professional Development

A specialist in small animal internal medicine and faculty member in the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Dr. Andrew Woolcock, is now serving in a new leadership role in the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Woolcock was appointed as assistant dean for curriculum and professional development effective June 1.

Dr. Woolcock became board-certified in small animal internal medicine in 2015 and joined the Purdue faculty that same year. He was promoted to associate professor in 2021.

In his new role, Dr. Woolcock will focus on curriculum oversight, organization, review, and assessment. He will work closely with instructors and the academic success team to align the DVM curriculum with its overall programmatic outcomes and help refine the processes by which the college collects data to assess the success of our educational program. Dr. Woolcock will collaborate regularly with the Associate Dean of Academic Success, the Director of Outcomes Assessment, the Veterinary Education Support Team (VEST) and the Student Success Center to ensure the students experience a DVM program that is focused on their success, that the faculty have the resources they need to teach their expertise, and that the college is able to document this work in order to improve these processes in the future.

“The last ten years as a PVM faculty member have been incredibly rewarding, especially seeing the talented veterinarians we graduate from our program, and the tireless work of the faculty and staff that help realize this dream for so many students,” Dr. Woolcock said, as he shared about what attracted him to the new position. “I see this role in curricular leadership as an opportunity to refine how we document and share the efforts and successes of our program, so that the future of PVM honors—and is built on—its past.”

Dr. Woolcock further explained that, as an internist, curiosity, skepticism, and the value of details are constant drivers in his approach to medicine. “I’m excited for the opportunity to bring those qualities to this new role. This is a chance to be curious about new things, to learn more about how our faculty approach their teaching, and to determine what resources could improve their experience.”