Karen Perry appears to join Ohio State veterinary faculty
Bottom line
Version 1
Ohio State appears to have announced the appointment of veterinary orthopedic surgeon and educator Karen Perry to its College of Veterinary Medicine, based on a June 3, 2026 faculty profile-style post that lists her by name and headshot. Additional recent professional materials indicate Perry has transitioned from Michigan State University to The Ohio State University, where she is described as a tenured professor in small animal orthopedics and as being recruited to help build or lead a new orthopedic surgery facility in Dublin, Ohio. Perry is widely known for her work in feline orthopedics, traumatology, limb deformity correction, and veterinary education. (events.aona.org)
Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, this looks like a notable faculty and specialty-care move in a tight education-workforce environment. Ohio State has been signaling broader investments in workforce growth, continuing education, and clinical capacity, including plans to gradually expand DVM class size through its Protect OHIO initiative. Bringing in a nationally recognized orthopedic surgeon with deep teaching credentials could strengthen referral services, advanced surgical training, CE programming, and academic visibility, especially in companion animal orthopedics and feline care. (vet.osu.edu)
What to watch: Watch for a formal Ohio State announcement clarifying Perry’s title, service line responsibilities, and how her arrival fits into the college’s Dublin-area orthopedic expansion. (vet.osu.edu)
Version 2
A June 3, 2026 Ohio State College of Veterinary Medicine post appears to mark the arrival of Karen Perry, a well-known small animal orthopedic surgeon and educator, to the faculty. While the source material provided is sparse, broader web research strongly suggests Perry has moved from Michigan State University to The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, where recent course and faculty materials describe her as a tenured professor in small animal orthopedics. (vet.osu.edu)
That would be a meaningful hire. Perry has built an international profile in feline orthopedics, traumatology, arthroscopy, and limb deformity correction. Before this apparent move, she served at Michigan State University, where she was named the Pat Carrigan Chair in Feline Medicine and held leadership roles in small animal surgery. Her earlier career included training at the University of Edinburgh and a faculty post at the Royal Veterinary College in London, along with a master’s degree in veterinary education. (cvm.msu.edu)
The strongest evidence of the transition comes from multiple 2026 professional education listings. AO Vet North America event materials published in spring 2026 state that Perry “transitioned to The Ohio State University,” where she is “currently a Tenured Professor in Small Animal Orthopedics,” and say she was recruited to help create a new orthopedic surgery facility for Ohio State in Dublin, Ohio. Those materials are not the same as a formal university press release, but taken together with the June 3 Ohio State faculty-style page, they point to a real appointment rather than a one-off speaking affiliation. (events.aona.org)
Ohio State’s own recent messaging provides useful context for why this matters now. The college has been emphasizing growth in clinical reach, continuing education, and workforce development. Its Protect OHIO initiative, launched in 2025, is aimed at expanding the veterinary workforce, especially in rural and large-animal practice, and college leaders have said they intend to increase class size over time beginning in fall 2026. At the same time, Ohio State has been reshaping its CE offerings to reach more practitioners around the state. A high-profile specialty hire fits that broader strategy of expanding educational and clinical capacity. (vet.osu.edu)
There doesn’t yet appear to be much public expert commentary specifically on Perry’s move, but her professional reputation is well established. Michigan State has highlighted her as a leading figure in feline medicine and orthopedics, and ACVS educational materials position her as a recognized voice on feline orthopedic disease and complex surgical decision-making. That kind of standing matters for referral hospitals and veterinary colleges alike, because faculty recruitment increasingly doubles as a signal about service-line investment, residency training strength, and institutional ambition. (cvm.msu.edu)
Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, this story sits at the intersection of education and workforce. Specialty faculty are hard to recruit, and their impact extends beyond the operating room. A surgeon-educator like Perry can influence case referral patterns, student exposure to orthopedics, resident and intern training, CE programming, and research output. Her feline-focused expertise is also notable in a field where cat-specific orthopedic evidence and training opportunities have historically lagged behind canine work. If Ohio State is indeed building out orthopedic services in Dublin, Perry’s appointment could help anchor that effort clinically and academically. (events.aona.org)
What to watch: The next step is a fuller Ohio State announcement with specifics on Perry’s title, start date, clinical caseload, and whether the Dublin orthopedic facility is new, expanded, or being reorganized. It will also be worth watching whether her arrival connects to new residency positions, CE programming, or companion animal referral growth at Ohio State over the next academic year. (vet.osu.edu)