The MSU College of Veterinary Medicine recently announced the naming of two associate deans.
Julie Funk has been named associate dean of professional academic programs and student affairs. She will provide leadership to all academic and clinical veterinary programs. Vilma Yuzbasiyan-Gurkan was named associate dean for graduate studies and interim associate dean of research. She will provide leadership and oversight for all college research, promote research development by working with faculty to enhance research funding and serve as college liaison with funding agencies. Both appointments are effective July 1.
Funk joined the college in 2006, and has served as the director of the online Master of Science in Food Safety Program and also as associate professor of pre-harvest food safety in the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences.
“Dr. Funk is an excellent addition to my leadership team," said John Baker, dean of the college. "She is an outstanding administrator with proven experience in curriculum development, student performance and organized veterinary medicine. I’ve known Dr. Funk since she was a veterinary student at MSU, and I am confident that her exceptional skills will enhance the growth and performance of our student body and her leadership will benefit the college in myriad areas.”
Under her leadership, the program was recognized as the leading food safety degree program in the country by food industry leaders, prospective and current students, alumni and in a third-party market research report.
Funk earned her doctor of veterinary medicine degree from the MSU College of Veterinary Medicine, and completed a residency in population medicine and a master’s degree in veterinary clinical sciences from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign College of Veterinary Medicine. She earned a Ph.D. in comparative biomedical sciences from the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine.
Yuzbasiyan-Gurkan has served as the chair of the Research Committee for the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges for the last two years. She has developed strong relationships with the American Veterinary Medical Association and the AAVMC in order to enhance the profile of veterinary scientists and to bring opportunities for them to contribute to the biomedical enterprise.
“I am pleased to welcome Dr. Yuzbasiyan-Gurkan to my leadership team,” said John Baker, dean of the college . “I am confident she will influence stronger collaboration across the college and university, foster faculty mentorship, and continue to guide our graduate students toward success in today’s challenging research climate.”
Yuzbasiyan-Gurkan earned her Ph.D. in biochemistry with minors in physiology and biophysics at the University of Istanbul Medical School. She completed her post-doctoral training in human genetics at the University of Michigan Department of Human Genetics.
Her current research focuses on three areas: cancer research and comparative cancer genetics (canine and feline), utilizing genomic approaches to understand diseases in animals, and stem cell and regenerative medicine.