Hilda Mejia Abreu, PhD, assistant dean for the Office of Admissions and Scholarships and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion for the MSU College of Veterinary Medicine, has been named chair of the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) Admissions and Recruitment Committee (ARC) effective July 1, 2017. The position is awarded to individuals who exercise their knowledge and understanding of the veterinary school application process and their willingness to serve AAVMC.

The AAVMC is a nonprofit membership organization that works to protect and improve the health and welfare of animals, people, and the environment through the advancement of academic veterinary medicine. ARC, a committee assigned by the AAVMC Board of Directors, is responsible for addressing issues related to centralized admissions service created by the AAVMC member institutions and AAVMC recruitment strategy.

Mejia Abreu has been a member of the AAVMC since March 2016 and was nominated by her colleagues for the chair of ARC position in June 2017. “My colleagues are amazing,” says Mejia Abreu. “They trust me and respect my work.”

Serving as the ARC chair, Mejia Abreu focuses on developing and implementing a recruitment plan, spearheading technological advancements with the Veterinary Medical College Application Service (VMCAS) for adopting common application requirements, and creating an agenda for the admissions group.

“I am honored,” says Mejia Abreu. “I’m excited about the committee as a whole—being able to say I had something to do with the National Recruitment Plan and bringing new tools that students can use throughout the application process.”