About Dr. Rush
A distinguished educator and leader in veterinary medicine, Dr. Bonnie R. Rush earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree at The Ohio State University.
She completed a rotating internship in large animal internal medicine and surgery before returning to OSU for a graduate program combined with residency training that culminated in her earning a master’s degree. She is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) and has authored more than 110 journal articles, 30 book chapters, and a textbook.
Rush began her career at Kansas State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine in 1993 as an associate professor of equine internal medicine, where her focus on the immunology and immunotherapy of respiratory diseases in horses earned her national and international recognition. Over her more than 30-year career at Kansas State, Rush went on to serve as department head, teaching hospital director, executive associate dean, and interim dean.
As the Hodes Family Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine at Kansas State from 2017–2025, Rush earned a national reputation for advancing veterinary education, student wellness, faculty development, and community outreach while championing research excellence and clinical service. She led the creation of multiple Doctor of Veterinary Medicine certificate programs and expanded clinical outreach through high-impact shelter medicine and community rotations. She also launched a donor-funded student wellness program — now a national model for veterinary schools — and oversaw major faculty and staff development initiatives, as well as the renovation of teaching and hospital facilities.
Her leadership helped secure federal funding from the National Institutes of Health to support a new biomedical research facility on the Kansas State campus.
She began her role as the dean of the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences in August 2025.
Rush also currently serves as president and board chair of the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges, a role that gives her a national platform to address the future of veterinary education and workforce development.
For her work, she has been awarded the 1996 and 2003 Carl J. Norden Distinguished Teacher Award, the 2002 Pfizer Award for Research Excellence, and the 2004 Outstanding Woman Veterinarian of the Year. She also received the Presidential Award for Meritorious Service from the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges for her service toward Competency-Based Veterinary Education and is listed in the top 1% of published authors worldwide in Veterinary Education 2013–2023.
