Charles River Laboratories Internat-ional, Inc., announced on Oct. 30 the election of Cummings School Dean Deborah Kochevar to its Board of Directors.
"There is a long history between Charles River Laboratories and the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, neither of which would have existed without Dr. Henry Foster," Kochevar said in an e-mail, referring to the founder and former chief executive officer of Charles River Laboratories, who was also involved in the founding of the Cummings School.
Kochevar added that "serving on a board at a company like Charles River — leader in the life sciences sector in Massachusetts — will help keep me informed of the changing needs for veterinarians and biomedical scientists in industry."
Tom Keppeler, a spokesperson for Tufts' veterinary school, said the dean's new role would enhance her work in the academic realm. "Dr. Kochevar's serving on this board will give her greater insight into what the life sciences industry is looking for and hoping for from the veterinarians they hire," he said. "This further strengthens the school's links to the biomedical industry."
Kochevar's duties as a member of the board will include serving on the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee, whose members recommend nominees for appointment to the Board.
Charles River Laboratories provides products and services that help advance drug development by pharmaceutical, biotechnical and governmental companies and agencies. The company employs over 9,000 people worldwide.
"Dr. Kochevar is widely regarded as one of the industry's leading experts in veterinary medicine. She will bring a unique perspective to the board as we continue to identify new opportunities that help our clients accelerate their drug development programs," James Foster, chairman, president and CEO of Charles River Laboratories, said in a press release. He is the son of Henry Foster, the company's founder.
"My expertise is in pharmacology and cellular and molecular biology," Kochevar said. "I have been involved in academic veterinary medicine for more than 20 years, and I have had the advantage of viewing science and medicine from multiple perspectives, including as a research scientist, clinician and veterinary medical educator."
As to what Kochevar will bring to the role, she said, "I will share perspectives from academic veterinary medicine that I hope will help Charles River think strategically about their services to those who discover and develop pharmaceuticals and medical devices that potentially benefit both humans and animals."
Kochevar does not see the new position compromising her work at the Cummings School.
"This will not change my role at Tufts," Kochevar said. "Keeping my finger on the pulse of these needs is key to long-term strategic planning for the Cummings School and, more generally, for the veterinary profession."
Kochevar, who graduated from Rice University in 1978 with degrees in English and biology, received her doctorate of veterinary medicine in 1981 from Texas A&M University and her Ph.D. in cellular and molecular biology from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in 1987.
She is currently the Henry and Lois Foster Professor and Dean of the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, and was previously the associate dean for professional programs and the Wiley Chair of Veterinary Medical Education at Texas A&M's College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.
Kochevar was a national research service award fellow at the National Institutes of Health from 1984 to 1986, and held a year-long spot as Congressional Science Fellow for the Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee in Washington, D.C.
She has also received such honors as the Norden Distinguished Teacher Award, the Student American Veterinary Medical Association's National Teaching Award in Basic Science, and the Association of Former Students' Distinguished Achievement Award in Teaching at Texas A&M.
