October 27, 2015
Bruce Schultz to be interim head of anatomy and physiology department
Bruce Schultz has been appointed interim head of the anatomy and physiology department in the College of Veterinary Medicine, effective Dec. 1. The current head of the department, Mike Kenney, has accepted a position as associate dean for research in the College of Science at the University of Texas, El Paso. Kenney has served at K-State's College of Veterinary Medicine for 23 years.
Schultz has been on K-State's veterinary college faculty since 1997 when he was appointed as an assistant professor. In 1999, he accepted a secondary appointment with the Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station and in 2004, he was elevated to the rank of associate professor. Schultz joined the graduate faculty for the Graduate Biochemistry Group and he was promoted to full professor in 2009.
"Dr. Schultz has many years of experience with the department and has served as the associate department head of anatomy and physiology since 2012," said Dean Tammy Beckham. "I am looking forward to having him serve in this position and lead the department as we move forward. I also look forward to seeing Dr. Schultz taking a more prominent role in the administration of the college."
"I appreciate having the support of my colleagues and the confidence of our administration to fill in for this position," Schultz said. "We want to have a smooth transition and help keep the department moving forward with the same momentum that we enjoyed under Dr. Kenney's leadership."
Schultz earned a bachelor's degree in animal science/agricultural economics in 1983 and a master's degree in veterinary science in 1985, both at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. He earned a doctorate in the field of veterinary medicine from Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, in 1991. After graduating, he became a postdoctoral fellow in the physiology and biophysics department at the University of Alabama, Birmingham, and then served as adjunct professor for the biology department at Judson College in Marion, Alabama, in 1994. The next three years he was a research assistant professor in the cell biology and physiology department at the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania before joining the faculty at Kansas State University.
As a principal investigator, Schultz has obtained 11 grants in extramural research funding of more than $2.2 million, with the primary portion of these grants devoted to the study of cystic fibrosis. He has published more than 50 articles in refereed journals, more than 10 invited reviews and book chapters, and more than 150 published abstracts. He holds a patent for diarylsulfonylureas, which is used in treating secretory diarrhea.
In 2006, Schultz received the Pfizer Award for Research Excellence from the College of Veterinary Medicine. He received the Lazaro J. Mandel Young Investigator Award in 2004 from the American Physiological Society and in 1999, he was recognized with an Alumni Achievement Award from Wisner-Pilger High School in Wisner, Nebraska, where he grew up.
As a mentor, Schultz has helped more than 20 of his students and mentees receive research awards, graduate fellowships, scholarships and other scholarly awards. He also has served on numerous university, college and departmental committees, councils and the K-State Faculty Senate.