John Baker, a longtime faculty member in Michigan State University's College of Veterinary Medicine, was named dean of the college effective June 20, 2014.

Baker, who has been a professor in the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences for the past 30 years, also served as the associate director of AgBioResearch at the university. He is board certified by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.

"Dr. Baker's career has provided him with a firsthand appreciation of all the roles of the college: its research, teaching and outreach missions," said MSU Provost June Youatt. "His broad understanding of the college, its assets and perhaps most significantly, its importance to the university, the science and the practitioner communities, make him ideally suited to this position at this time."

Baker's appointment was approved by the MSU Board of Trustees.

While at MSU, Baker has served in a number of other capacities, including associate dean for research and graduate studies within the college and acting director of AgBioResearch from 2004 to 2005. He began his career at MSU in the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, where he was section head for Food Animal Medicine and Surgery.

Before coming to MSU, Baker served a clinical internship and clinical residency at the University of Minnesota (1981-84), where he also received a PhD.

Originally from Ohio, Baker earned his bachelor's, master's and doctor of veterinary medicine from Ohio State University.

His primary research interest is viral respiratory diseases of livestock species.

Baker succeeds Christopher Brown as dean of the college.

June 20, 2014