Leadership Transition at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine

Dear Tufts community members,

We are writing to share an important leadership update at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine. After many years of distinguished service, Alastair E. Cribb will step down as dean, effective August 31, 2026. During his tenure, Dean Cribb provided impactful leadership that has shaped the school’s trajectory and positioned it for long-term success.
Most notably, together with the Cummings School community, he led the development and implementation of Strategic Vision 2030, establishing a shared roadmap that reaffirmed the school’s excellence in veterinary education, research, and clinical innovation while charting bold directions for growth. Under his leadership, the school redesigned and launched a new doctor of veterinary medicine curriculum; expanded its entering class; advanced major capital initiatives, including the new Veterinary Learning Center currently under construction; and prepared for reaccreditation.

Dean Cribb also strengthened student recruitment and retention and oversaw significant enhancements in pre-clinical and clinical education. His commitment to building a sustainable, forward-looking research and clinical enterprise led to increased research activity, improved clinical operations, and plans for a new Veterinary Clinical Education Center, including an expanded Foster Hospital for Small Animals, and improved research facilities. Dean Cribb also strengthened the school’s already rich history of giving back to community and society through various clinical care programs and initiatives. Equally important, he fostered a culture of transparency, engagement, and shared purpose. Dean Cribb will remain a valued ambassador and advisor to the school and the university in the years ahead. His message to the Cummings community follows below.

While Dean Cribb’s legacy will be difficult to match, we are pleased to share that Dr. Melissa R. Mazan has agreed to serve as dean ad interim, effective September 1, 2026, until Dean Cribb’s permanent replacement is named and takes office.

To share a little bit more about Dr. Mazan, she currently serves as associate dean for professional education and is a professor of large animal medicine. An internationally recognized expert in equine respiratory medicine, her leadership has shaped research, education, and clinical innovation at Cummings School for more than two decades. She has been integrally involved in the school’s institutional life, and, at the university level, she was a founding member of the Faculty Senate and later served as its president, reflecting her strong commitment to shared governance and academic stewardship. Dr. Mazan’s deep knowledge of the school’s mission, operations, and community will ensure continuity as the university conducts a global search for Dean Cribb’s permanent successor. We will keep the Cummings community informed once a search committee is formed and the process is launched.

Please join us in thanking Dean Cribb for his outstanding service and in welcoming Dr. Mazan to her new role.

Sincerely,

Sunil Kumar
President

Caroline Attardo Genco
Provost and Senior Vice President