Dr. Baljit Singh moving into dean's office in Veterinary Medicine

Dr. Baljit Singh is a renowned veterinary educator, researcher and administrator. Starting Sept. 1, he can add dean of the University of Calgary Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (UCVM) to his impressive resume.

Singh takes over from UCVM founding dean Dr. Alastair Cribb, who left the position earlier this year after 10 years at the helm.

And how does Singh feel about the move and his new leadership position? “It’s a mixture of excitement, joy and a healthy dose of nervousness,” he says. “I’m encouraged by the fact that I come from a veterinary school right across the provincial boundary and I have some familiarity with the UCVM.”

Prior to accepting the position at UCVM, Singh served as associate dean of research at the University of Saskatchewan’s Western College of Veterinary Medicine. He is looking forward to living in Calgary and is particularly excited to lead such a unique faculty.

“It’s not a standard run-of-the-mill veterinary program,” says Singh. “I don’t think there’s any other program around that has this type of collaborative arrangement within the faculty and with the communities outside the university.”

Singh comes to Calgary with his wife Sarbjit Kaur Gill, their 12-year-old son Pahul, and a three-year-old black Labrador named Boomrang. Gill has degrees in biology and education from India and was a teacher in India. After taking more courses in education at the University of Saskatchewan, she taught part-time in a Montessori school in Saskatoon. Pahul, who starts Grade 7 in September, enjoys mathematics, debating, baking, and doing Rubik’s Cubes, and is also learning how to play Indian classical drums called “tabla.”  

“We all are happily looking forward to meeting many new people and becoming a part of the UCVM community,” says Singh.

First task is to listen to what faculty and staff have to say

Singh received a Bachelor of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry and Master of Veterinary Science from Punjab Agricultural University in Punjab, a PhD from the University of Guelph, and postdoctoral training at Texas A&M University and Columbia University.

He views the fact that UCVM is a relatively young faculty as an opportunity.

“People are more open to change, and more open to developing new initiatives compared to very well established faculties,” says Singh. “Being a new faculty it was also able to bring in professors, researchers and ideas from across the globe.”

Singh believes his first task as dean is to listen to what faculty and staff have to say to determine how best to steer the faculty.

“Each veterinary faculty has its own unique culture,” he explains. “I first have to understand and immerse myself in the culture at UCVM before I can take some meaningful steps.”

“My style of working is very collegial, collaborative and also decisive because at the end of the day as the head of the faculty there are decisions to be made.”