Jan Thomas

Jan Thomas is a veterinary scientist and career academic. Thomas is currently the sixth vice-chancellor of Massey University, New Zealand and the second woman to hold the position. Thomas is the first female veterinarian and only the second veterinarian to become a Vice-Chancellor in either Australia or New Zealand. Thomas has stated she believes university education should be accessible to all, and believes in high-quality online education that is delivered in ways that cater to the student. She has been a supporter of indigenous and minority groups throughout her career. Upon joining Massey University, she took up lessons in te reo Māori in an effort to become fluent in the language. Thomas has stated her ambition for Massey University is to become a te Tiriti-led organisation and contribute to a socially progressive Aotearoa. Early career Prior to her academic career, Thomas worked as a veterinary surgeon, diagnostic veterinary pathologist and a private laboratory consultant. After graduating BVMZ in 1983 she spent a year working in a small-animal clinic in Perth, WA, then moved to Melbourne to do her master's degree, which she completed in 1986. Thomas returned to Murdoch University in 1987 to work in diagnostic veterinary pathology and was awarded membership of the Australian College of Veterinary Scientists. Thomas decided to pursue a career in academia having seen the power universities have to transform lives. Academic career Thomas holds a Bachelor of Science in veterinary biology (1981), a Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery (1983), both from Murdoch University in Perth, Australia; a Master of Veterinary Studies in pathology from the University of Melbourne (1986) and a Doctor of Philosophy from Murdoch University (1997), where she gained a reputation for excellence in research and scholarship as a supervisor of PhD students. Thomas has published widely on her veterinary research, including articles on feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) infection and clinical pathology, topics that were part of her PhD.