Dr. Ashley Mounts named Lyon College School of Veterinary Medicine clinical programs dean
by February 5, 2024 1:33 pm 491 views
Dr. Ashley Mounts of Sherwood has been named associate dean for clinical programs and outreach for the Lyon College School of Veterinary Medicine.
The Lyon College School of Veterinary Medicine will incorporate a model of workplace-based veterinary education, also referred to as the distributive model of clinical education, which utilizes off-campus clinical sites rather than the traditional on-campus veterinary teaching hospital for all or a substantial part of the student’s clinical learning.
Mounts, a native Arkansan with roots in southwest and central Arkansas, has served as a small animal clinical veterinarian for more than 15 years in the Little Rock/North Little Rock area.
She received a doctor of veterinary medicine and bachelor of science in zoology from the University of Florida. She is pursuing a master of veterinary education from Lincoln Memorial University.
“We are so pleased to welcome Dr. Mounts to the professional team building the Lyon College School of Veterinary Medicine,” said Dr. Melissa Taverner, Lyon College president. “As associate dean for clinical programs and outreach, Dr. Mounts will be in our communities, working with veterinarians in their practices to identify opportunities for clinical education, ensuring that students gain experiences that will make them practice-ready upon graduation. As a native Arkansan, Dr. Mounts understands the profound impact that the first veterinary program will have on students in our state, allowing them to train at home to serve at home if that is their goal.”
“Dr. Mounts brings an exciting combination of energy and leadership skills to this position,” said Dr. Eleanor Green, founding dean of the Lyon College School of Veterinary Medicine. “Her dedication to student success and to the Arkansas veterinary community combined with her focus on furthering the field of veterinary education will be a valuable asset to our development of the state’s first veterinary school.”
Plans are for the school to open in the fall of 2025.
The school had a deal to place its newly formed Lyon College Institute for Health Sciences, which includes the vet school and a new dental school, on the Heifer International facility in Little Rock. In November, it was announced that the deal fell through, and Lyon College is still searching for a facility in Little Rock.