Dr. Chris Adin selected as dean of UF’s College of Veterinary Medicine

Press release from UF Health

BY KELLY SOBERS

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Following an extensive national search, Christopher Adin, D.V.M., DACVS, has been selected as the eighth dean of the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, effective Sept. 4.

Adin is a renowned board-certified small animal surgeon, clinician-scientist, and educator with three decades of excellence in research, clinical care, and professional service, including the last eight in leadership roles at the college. He is currently the college’s executive associate dean, a position he has held since 2022, after chairing the Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences from 2018 to 2022.

“Dr. Adin is dedicated not only to the well-being of our pets but also appreciates the economic importance of animals in a state with 1 million beef and dairy cows, more horses than the state of Kentucky has, and our beloved manatees,” said J. Scott Angle, Ph.D., senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources at UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, or UF/IFAS, and chair of the search committee that identified Adin as a finalist. “He also understands the land-grant mission and the importance of the college’s commitment to teaching, research, and extension components of that mission.”

As dean, and amid the college’s 50th anniversary celebrations, Adin will take the reins of one of the premier colleges of veterinary medicine, recognized for its leading-edge clinical care, internationally renowned research footprint, and reputation for cultivating new generations of curious, creative, and compassionate veterinary and biomedical leaders.

The college features a nation-leading small animal clinical case load, is ranked No. 6 on U.S. News & World Report’s top veterinary colleges and — in collaboration with UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences and UF Health, the university’s academic health center — plays an important role in the state and region’s unique ecosystem, agricultural, aquaculture, and livestock industries.

“This appointment is a tremendous honor, and I’m grateful for the trust placed in me to serve as the next dean of the UF College of Veterinary Medicine,” Adin said. “This leadership role is both a great privilege and responsibility. I am incredibly grateful for Dean Zimmel’s exceptional mentorship and leadership in establishing a firm foundation and launch pad for the college’s bright future. Our accomplishments in research, top-quality instruction, and advanced clinical care have catapulted the college into the upper echelon of veterinary colleges. It is now my responsibility to leverage that reputation by continuing to make a real impact.”

As executive associate dean, Adin has had a comprehensive view of college operations, coordinated the college’s compliance and data reporting, led recruitment efforts, and fostered implementation of several strategic initiatives, from revision of the college’s promotion and tenure guidelines to incorporating award-winning community-building initiatives throughout the college and hospitals. With people and culture at the heart, he has worked with a team of well-being champions to incorporate systemwide use of the American Hospital Association Well-Being Playbook and adoption of the Well-Being Index as a validated tool.

“Dr. Adin’s decades of clinical experience as a board-certified small animal surgeon, his extensive research publication record, and his passion for teaching and mentorship make him exceptionally well qualified to serve as dean,” said UF President Stuart R. Bell.

Adin steps into the role with a vision of accelerating the college’s transformation into a research powerhouse that drives scientific discovery and translates innovation to clinical impact, leveraging the unparalleled infrastructure and collaborative opportunities of a top five land-grant university, UF Health, and UF/IFAS.

A frontrunner in veterinary education, the college just completed its four-year DVM class expansion to 150 students while simultaneously maintaining faculty-to-student ratios and saw a 45% increase in DVM applications. Next fall, with the incoming DVM Class of 2031, the college will introduce a revised curriculum, designed to further strengthen learning outcomes and support student success. A soft tissue surgeon, Adin has trained more than 1,800 veterinary students in basic surgical skills through thousands of hours of laboratory teaching.

Adin earned his undergraduate degree in zoology with honors from Duke University and his doctoral degree in veterinary medicine with distinction from Cornell University. He completed his fellowship residency training in hemodialysis and renal medicine and small animal surgery, respectively, at the University of California, Davis.

He began his academic career as an assistant professor at the UF College of Veterinary Medicine in 2001 and followed with stops at both The Ohio State University and North Carolina State University before returning to Gainesville for good in 2018. While at Ohio State, Adin received training as a clinician-scientist with support from a KL2 Award from the Ohio State University’s Center for Translational Sciences Institute.

His translational research program has focused on improving outcomes in organ and cellular transplantation through manipulation of the heme-oxygenase system. His contributions to clinical care include the invention of a canine artificial urethral sphincter that is used in small animal surgery practices around the world. He later developed an additional novel biomedical implant — a hydraulic occluder for the treatment of vascular anomalies in dogs — that was successfully brought to market.

Adin’s national involvement in veterinary medicine professional organizations extends decades. Most recently, he’s served as director of the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges Leadership Academy. His accolades span the teaching and research spectrum, including UF’s Small Animal Teacher of the Year Award in 2024 and 2025, the Excellence in Teaching Award at Ohio State in 2015, and the International Renal Interest Society Award in 2003.

“At heart, I am a veterinarian, and I love getting to use my skills to help animals and people, but it was my exposure to scientific discovery and teaching during my residency training that drew me to academia,” Adin said. “I continue to see these areas as the core of who we are at the CVM. We have unrivaled opportunities at UF, UF/IFAS, and UF Health to push the boundaries in clinical care, education, and translational research to advance the science of animal, human, and environmental health. I am thrilled to get started.”