Founding dean of Veterinary Medicine Dr. Alastair Cribb appointed dean at Tufts University

It is bittersweet that I am sharing with you today that Dr. Alastair Cribb, founding dean of UCalgary’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (UCVM) has been appointed dean of the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, effective July 15, 2019. This appointment recognizes Alastair’s personal leadership within the post-secondary landscape and how UCVM’s reputation has grown internationally.

Dr. Cribb joined the University of Calgary in 2006. As inaugural dean of UCVM, Dr. Cribb was an outstanding visionary and advocate for the faculty — both internally and externally — creating numerous key connections within the local, national, and international community. UCVM students, faculty and staff described his leadership as inspirational.

Under Dr. Cribb’s direction, the faculty grew from a promising, enterprising startup to a unique and well-respected faculty offering community-based and research-intensive learning opportunities. As a result of Dr. Cribb’s ongoing pursuit of excellence, UCVM is regarded as one of the top research veterinary medical schools in the country and our veterinary science subject was recently ranked third in Canada. The UCVM’s Distributed Veterinary Learning Community represents an innovation in education that is a model for other veterinary medical schools to emulate.

In 2016, Dr. Cribb was succeeded by current dean of UCVM, Dr. Baljit Singh, and in 2018 after completing his administrative leave, he returned to the role of professor in clinical pharmacology at UCVM.  

Dr. Cribb completed his DVM degree at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon in 1984. Following an internship and two years in mixed practice in the Maritimes, he obtained his PhD in pharmacogenetics and clinical pharmacology at the Hospital for Sick Children at the University of Toronto in 1991. He followed this with an MRC postdoctoral fellowship at Dalhousie University. He then spent four years in drug safety assessment with Merck & Co. in West Point, PA. In 1996, he joined the Atlantic Veterinary College in Charlottetown as a professor of clinical pharmacology where he spent 10 years.

He was previously a CIHR/MRC Scholar, a Canada Research Chair in Comparative Pharmacology and Toxicology, and one of Canada's Top 40 under 40. He was a member of CIHR's Governing Council for five years and is also a fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences. Additionally, in 2016, Dr. Cribb was named Veterinarian of the Year by the Alberta Veterinary Medical Association.

An outstanding scholar, leader and mentor, we want to thank Dr. Cribb for his contributions to the University of Calgary and wish him well in his new role at Tufts University. 

Please join me in congratulating Alastair on his appointment.

Dru Marshall
Provost and Vice-President (Academic)