Budke Named Department Head Of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences
Story by Ainsley Treesh, VMBS Marketing & Communications
Dr. Christine Budke has been named the head of the Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences (VIBS) at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (VMBS).
Budke, a VIBS professor, has served as the interim VIBS department head since 2024.
“Dr. Budke represents the Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences with distinction,” said Dr. John R. August, the Carl B. King Dean of Veterinary Medicine. “Under her leadership, I am confident that VIBS will continue to demonstrate excellence in its academic, research, and service missions.”
Budke’s research focuses on epidemiology, burden of disease indicators, zoonotic diseases, and international veterinary public health. She is also the senior lead scientist at the Institute for Infectious Animal Diseases and an associate editor for the journal Preventive Veterinary Medicine.
In addition to her research, Budke is a highly recognized educator, having been awarded the Texas Veterinary Medical Association Teaching Award and the Bridges Teaching and Service Award. She has also mentored more than 70 graduate students during her time at the VMBS.
Budke also serves as director of the VMBS’ Master of Science in Veterinary Public Health & Epidemiology (VPHE) Program, which includes an option for students to enroll in the VPHE and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) Combination Degree program, leading to concurrent graduation with both degrees in four years. The first cohort of four students graduated from that program in May 2025.
“I’m honored and excited about taking on this role and having the opportunity to continue building on the department’s reputation for conducting innovative biomedical research and educating the next generation of veterinarians and biomedical scientists,” Budke said.
Budke’s initiatives as department head include recruiting high quality researchers and instructors while also increasing the department’s research visibility.
Budke earned her DVM degree from Purdue University. After veterinary school, she also completed a Ph.D. in epidemiology from the University of Basel in Switzerland.
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Contact Information: Jennifer Gauntt, Director of VMBS Communications, Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, jgauntt@cvm.tamu.edu, 979-862-4216
