Melissa Mazan Named Interim Dean of Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine

Melissa Mazan, D.V.M., Diplomate ACVIM, V93, professor of large animal internal medicine and an internationally recognized equine veterinarian, researcher, educator, and longtime academic leader at Tufts University, has been named dean ad interim of Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, effective September 1, 2026.

Mazan succeeds Alastair Cribb, D.V.M., Ph.D., FCAHS, and brings decades of experience at Cummings School as a student, clinician, researcher, teacher, and administrator.

Over the course of her career, she has served in numerous leadership roles at the school, including associate dean for professional education, associate chair of clinical sciences, director of the Isaam M. Fares Equine Sports Medicine Program at the Hospital for Large Animals, and director of the Tufts Equine Bronchoalveolar Lavage (BAL) Cytology Laboratory. At the university level, she was a founding member of the Faculty Senate and served as its president.

"Stepping into this role comes with a real sense of awe and responsibility," Mazan said. "I've spent my entire professional life here, and it's an honor to help lead this school into its next chapter."

A Career Built at Cummings School

Mazan first came to Cummings School as a veterinary student after completing an undergraduate degree in history from Yale University. After earning her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree in 1993, she completed advanced training in equine medicine, including internships and residencies, before joining the faculty.

Since then, she has helped shape nearly every aspect of the school's mission. Her work has ranged from clinical practice and hospital leadership to teaching, curriculum development, faculty governance, research, and international outreach. Along the way, she established herself as a leading expert in equine asthma and respiratory disease-becoming a founding member of the international Equine Asthma Group-while building a reputation as a collaborative leader and mentor.

Her research has included studies in physiology, regenerative medicine, stem cell science, and respiratory disease. She directs the Tufts BAL Cytology Laboratory, which provides BAL cytology interpretation for veterinarians and horses across the country. She has also led educational and international initiatives, including helping to establish a mobile veterinary clinic in Rwanda.

Throughout her career, Mazan has eagerly embraced a range of responsibilities.

"I've experienced every part of this school firsthand," she said. "I've been deeply immersed in clinics, research, teaching, and administration. That experience has helped me understand how all the pieces of the school fit together."

That breadth of experience, she said, will help her guide the school during a period of continued growth and innovation.

Melissa Mazan, dean ad interim of Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine

Advancing Veterinary Education

Among Mazan's most significant contributions has been her leadership in veterinary education. She has played a central role in examining and redesigning the school's curriculum to ensure that graduates are prepared for an increasingly complex profession.

"The curriculum wasn't broken," Mazan said. "Our graduates have been extraordinarily successful. The challenge was that veterinary medicine continues to evolve, and the amount of information students need to master continues to expand."

The redesigned curriculum emphasizes clinical reasoning, communication skills, critical thinking, and hands-on learning alongside foundational scientific knowledge. Students are introduced earlier to clinical experiences and practical skills while also being challenged to analyze emerging research and solve complex problems. Mazan credits the expertise, enthusiasm, and dedication of the faculty and staff for making the new curriculum a reality. "The entire campus stepped up to deliver on the promise of a transformative education," she said.

Mazan points to the accomplishments of Cummings School graduates as evidence of the strength of the school's approach. The school consistently ranks among the top veterinary schools in licensing examination performance, and its alumni hold leadership positions throughout the profession in academia, clinical practice, industry, and public service.

"We strive not for adequacy but for excellence," she said. "Our goal is to prepare students to succeed on day one and well beyond day one."

Priorities for the Future

As dean ad interim, Mazan said she will focus on supporting the school's core missions and building on the foundation of Strategic Vision 2030 and its goals of exceptional education, extraordinary clinical care, transformative research, and sustainable culture. This vision is already gaining external recognition, as the school continues to rise in rankings, recently reaching #22 in the world and #11 in the United States in the QS World University Rankings for Veterinary Science.

"For us, this recognition isn't the finish line," Mazan said. "It is motivation to keep building the education, research, and clinical excellence that will carry Cummings School into the top five."

In addition to her focus on the educational mission, Mazan's other priorities are investing in faculty success and supporting the clinical, translational, and basic science research that form a vibrant biomedical enterprise. "It will also be important," she said, "to strengthen collaboration across schools and disciplines at Tufts, continuing to connect faculty to colleagues throughout the university."

She will also help oversee major facilities initiatives designed to support the school's continued growth. She plans to champion the development of the Veterinary Clinical Education Center, which will house centers of clinical excellence for Henry and Lois Foster Hospital for Small Animals along with clinical and translational research.

Together with the soon-to-be-completed Veterinary Learning Center for preclinical education, Mazan anticipates these investments will help the school produce veterinary clinicians ready to meet the demands of an increasingly advanced field, advance research that benefits animal and human health, and provide innovative, compassionate patient care. She noted that as the school's clinical and preclinical facilities take shape, she also hopes to look at what more can be done to support research infrastructure over time.

"We have extraordinary faculty, staff, and students," Mazan said. "My job is to help create the environment where they can do their best work."

Part of what makes that possible, she said, is the combination of D.V.M. students and graduate students learning and working alongside one another. "Clinical questions help to push the science forward, and the science comes back to inform how we practice medicine. As our graduate student population continues to grow, that combination is becoming an even greater source of strength for us."

Building on a Strong Community

Mazan said one of the school's greatest strengths is its culture.

"When you have talented people, you have to give them the support and the stage to succeed," she said. "That's true for students, faculty, and staff."

She hopes to continue fostering the collaborative and supportive environment that has distinguished Cummings School throughout its history while helping prepare the next generation of veterinary and biomedical leaders.

For Mazan, the opportunity is especially meaningful because of her deep ties to the institution.

"This school has been my home for a very long time," she said. "I care deeply about its future, and I'm excited about what comes next."

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