Dr. Dan Grooms began his position as dean of the Iowa State University College (ISU) of Veterinary Medicine last fall. He came to ISU from Michigan State University where was a professor, extension veterinarian, administrator and researcher, and served as chair of Michigan State’s Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences.

The Spokesman visited with Dr. Grooms recently to discuss why he’s excited about his new position and his views on key issues in animal agriculture, including concerns over foreign animal diseases, the ongoing shortage of large animal veterinarians and the proper use of antibiotics in food animals. Here are some excerpts of that interview:

Q: Tell us about your impressions of Iowa animal agriculture since you’ve been here.

A: Being from an agricultural background, I certainly knew of the importance of agriculture in the state of Iowa. But once you get here and actually start learning about it, that’s when you go ‘wow’. You see how broadly it impacts the economy. When you start learning about what people are doing from a...