Dr. Sara E. Gonzalez has been named the Cooper-Mukharji Professor in Veterinary Medicine. Gonzalez is clinical associate professor of community practice and assistant hospital director of the University of Georgia Pet Health Center, a Spectrum of Care Clinic.
“We are fortunate to have such a distinguished clinician teach our next generation of veterinarians and lead our Pet Health Center/Spectrum of Care Clinic,” said Dean Lisa K. Nolan. “Dr. Gonzalez excels at ensuring our students are practice-ready upon graduation.”
Gonzalez is the first to hold the professorship created by Carolynn Cooper and Pratap Mukharji.
“It is incredibly humbling to be honored with a professorship,” Gonzalez said. “For the past decade, I have dedicated my professional life to education, with the goal of generating veterinarians that are compassionate, realistic, and knowledgeable.
“The majority of our graduates enter small animal general practice, providing the bulk of care to dogs and cats. Acknowledgement of the contributions of a general practitioner brings recognition to the importance of this role in veterinary medicine.”
Gonzalez received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine in 2011. She joined UGA VetMed in 2019 as a clinical assistant professor of community practice in the department of small animal medicine and surgery.
Her teaching focus is on small animal primary care, Spectrum of Care, small animal dentistry, and clinical skills.
In her role as director of the pet health center, Gonzalez oversaw the $5 million expansion of the college’s community clinic into a Spectrum of Care facility, made possible with a grant from the Stanton Foundation.
Recently, the center achieved Gold Certification as a Cat Friendly Practice through the Feline Veterinary Medical Association. This certification recognizes the team’s commitment to providing a low-stress, feline-focused experience for cat patients and their families.
Gonzalez said small animal medicine became her mission while she was still in high school and caring for a sick pet bird.
“Caring for animals is a part of my identity and honoring the human-animal bond by helping owners provide the best possible care for their pets is one of my most important missions,” she said. “Shaping the future of veterinary medicine allows my impact in the field to be exponential.”
