Cyril Clarke receives 2024 Distinguished Alumnus Award from LSU School of Veterinary Medicine
Cyril Clarke, executive vice president and provost at Virginia Tech, has been honored by the Louisiana State University (LSU) School of Veterinary Medicine with its 2024 Distinguished Alumnus Award for Ph.D. graduates.
The award recognizes alumni for their accomplishments and for having made outstanding contributions to research, One Health, and service to LSU Veterinary Medicine and the community.
Clarke is only the second recipient of LSU’s Distinguished Alumnus Award for Ph.D. graduates.
Recipients of the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine Distinguished Alumnus Award are selected by a large committee that includes past recipients, the dean, the associate dean for student success, chairs of the Board of Alumni committee, and the president of the Student American Veterinary Medical Association.
A native of Johannesburg, South Africa, Clarke earned his professional veterinary degree from the University of Pretoria (South Africa), a master's degree in higher education from Oklahoma State University, and a Ph.D. in veterinary pharmacology from LSU. He is certified as a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Clinical Pharmacology.
Clarke’s initial faculty appointment was at Oklahoma State University in 1987, where he also served as an academic department head and associate dean for academic affairs in the Center for Veterinary Health Sciences. Supported by corporate, state, and federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture and National Institutes of Health, Clarke’s research focused on the interactions between antibacterial agents, animal patients, and infectious microbes. He is a recipient of the Pfizer Award for Research Excellence.
In 2007, Clarke was appointed the Lois Bates Acheson Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine at Oregon State University. During his time as dean, Clarke continued to teach pharmacology to veterinary students. In addition to receiving a Certificate of Excellence in Teaching, Clarke was honored with the Oregon Veterinary Medical Association's President's Award.
With a distinguished career as a veterinarian, clinical pharmacologist, teacher, researcher, and academic leader, Clarke joined Virginia Tech in October 2013 as dean of the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine. Clarke became the executive vice president and provost of Virginia Tech in January 2019, after serving in an interim capacity since November 2017.
Clarke has held leadership positions in several professional organizations, including the board of directors for the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges and past president of the American College of Veterinary Clinical Pharmacology. He is also a past member of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics Advisory Board and the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education, the accrediting agency for veterinary medical education in North America.
