April 30, 2025
Dr. Locke Karriker, Morrill Professor and the Dr. Douglas and Ann Gustafson Professor for Teaching Excellence in Veterinary Medicine, has been named the chair of the Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine and the executive director of the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. His appointment is effective May 12, 2025.
A faculty member in the College of Veterinary Medicine since 2003, Karriker is the director and founder of the Swine Medicine Education Center (SMEC), the only such center in the country dedicated to providing veterinary students and practicing veterinarians from across the world with extensive hands-on experiences and education in swine health and production.
While at Iowa State, Karriker previously served as VDPAM’s interim department chair for more than a year and is a member of the Presidential Advisory Council on Combating Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria. Karriker was named a Morrill Professor at Iowa State for his demonstrated success in teaching and learning in the classroom and has held the Gustafson Professorship since 2014.
In addition to the Morrill Professor and Gustafson Professorship, Karriker is the recipient of several Iowa State University awards for teaching excellence. These include the ISU Excellence in Remote Instruction Award, the ISU Award for Outstanding Achievement in Teaching, and the CVM Faculty Member of the Year.
The American Association of Swine Veterinarians awarded Karriker with the Howard Dunne Memorial Award in 2014 and he was named the Alumnus of the Year for Mississippi State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine in 2012. He is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine.
Karriker replaces Dr. Pat Halbur in these positions. Halbur is retiring after 35 years of service to the College of Veterinary Medicine in a variety of positions including interim dean.