Crouch Returns To VMBS As Assistant Dean For Admissions, Director For DEI

Story by Megan Myers, VMBS Communications

Dr. Elizabeth Crouch in the VBEC courtyard
Dr. Elizabeth Crouch (Photo by the Texas A&M Foundation)

Dr. Elizabeth Crouch has been named the Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences’ (VMBS) assistant dean for professional program admissions, a new position created to support enrollment for the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) program.

Crouch now also serves as the VMBS’ director for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), a position that leads the school’s goal to create a welcoming and inclusive environment for all.

Crouch previously served as the VMBS’ associate dean for undergraduate education. She is returning to the school after a brief move to the Texas A&M College of Arts and Sciences with the biomedical sciences (BIMS); university studies—Vet Med and BIMS (USVM); and translational and preclinical neuroscience (NRSC-TPC) undergraduate programs.

“Dr. Crouch has been an integral part of the BIMS program for over 21 years and she brings a wealth of experience and knowledge about admissions and ideas for improving the admissions process for applicants to our DVM program,” said Dr. John R. August, the Carl B. King Dean of Veterinary Medicine.

“The VMBS’ DEI initiatives require someone who can commit a significant amount of time to that effort,” he said. “Dr. Crouch has extensive experience in this area with the BIMS program and she will lead us to expand the impact of our DEI activities and ensure the VMBS is a place where everyone may participate as their genuine and authentic selves.”

As the new assistant dean for professional program admissions, Crouch will be responsible for executing new admissions strategies and collecting and analyzing data on DVM admissions to ensure the VMBS is meeting the needs of students and the state of Texas.

She will also play a role in outreach and recruitment for the DVM program, particularly as they support the VMBS’ diversity, equity, and inclusion goals.

“I am very excited about the intersection of diversity and inclusion with the admissions process,” Crouch said. “I would like to continue efforts to strategically recruit students from all diversity dimensions and welcome them to a school home where colleagues participate widely in inclusion and wellness initiatives.

“I am also looking forward to working with the campus Office of Diversity to continue the outstanding trajectory of our school with respect to participation in diversity initiatives, trainings, and communities that reflect the Aggie Core Values,” she said.

A lifelong Aggie, Crouch’s dedication to the VMBS stems from her own undergraduate education. She earned her bachelor’s degree in BIMS in 1991, followed by a Ph.D. in genetics in 1996 and a postdoctoral fellowship in immunogenetics at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Crouch joined the BIMS program advising team in 2001 and became assistant dean in 2015. She has received numerous honors and awards over the years for her dedication to students, including having an endowed scholarship created in her name.

The VMBS also holds a special place in Crouch’s family; her grandfather and an uncle earned their DVMs from Texas A&M.

“I am excited to return to the School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences,” Crouch said. “It has been a part of my life since childhood, as three generations of my family have degrees from this school, beginning with my grandfather in 1938.

“I started working with the undergraduate program in 2001 and have been honored and humbled to work with such a dedicated school of individuals fully committed to the success of the BIMS, USVM, and NRSC-TPC students,” she said. “It is my hope that those experiences will allow me to contribute to the strategic efforts of the Dean’s Office so that, as a college community, we continue to create a home where everyone feels welcome.”

###

For more information about the Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, please visit our website at vetmed.tamu.edu or join us on FacebookInstagram, and Twitter.

Contact Information: Jennifer Gauntt, Director of VMBS Communications, Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, jgauntt@cvm.tamu.edu, 979-862-4216


Print
Show Buttons
Hide Buttons