Dr. Shelley Mehlenbacher joins the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine on Dec. 1 as the executive director of the Animal Health Diagnostic Center (AHDC) & New York State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. She also serves as associate dean for diagnostic operations and government relations. Mehlenbacher succeeds Dr. François Elvinger, who held the role since 2015.

“It is a pleasure to welcome Dr. Mehlenbacher to the College of Veterinary Medicine and I look forward to working with her in her new role and as a member of the college leadership team. I also want to thank Dr. Elvinger for his excellent service,” said Lorin D. Warnick, D.V.M., Ph.D. ’94, the Austin O. Hooey Dean of Veterinary Medicine.

“I’m excited by the chance to serve the veterinary and agricultural communities here in New York and beyond, and to be part of an institution that’s so deeply rooted in knowledge and discovery,” Mehlenbacher said. “Diagnostic centers sit right at the crossroads of science and service, and that combination — being able to make a tangible impact while tackling complex challenges — is something I find really rewarding.”

Mehlenbacher has over a decade of experience in regulatory veterinary medicine and public health, as well as more than five years in international trade and agricultural development. She joins Cornell from the U.S. Embassy in Brasília, Brazil, where she served as area director for the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, handling U.S. agricultural issues with Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay and Bolivia. Before this position, she served as the assistant state veterinarian at the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets, in addition to other veterinary, regulatory and public health positions.

Mehlenbacher earned her bachelor’s in science at the State University of New York at Geneseo, followed by a doctorate in veterinary medicine at the University of Tennessee and an internship in food animal medicine and surgery at Iowa State University. Mehlenbacher earned her master’s of public health at the University of Minnesota, where she finished a residency in public health and food safety. She is a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, a foreign animal disease diagnostician, and has been an active veterinary practitioner since 2000.

“I’m looking forward to getting to know the AHDC — understanding people’s work, their priorities and their vision for where the center can go in the next five years,” Mehlenbacher said. “I want to listen, learn what’s working well and explore where we can continue to excel. I’m also eager to identify new opportunities for growth and engagement, both within the AHDC and in collaboration with the broader veterinary community.”

Written by Melanie Greaver Cordova