Ames can become a second home for many Iowa State students and faculty. That was the case for Lisa Nolan, the Dr. Stephen G. Juelsgaard dean of veterinary medicine. Yet, the opportunity to return to her alma mater was too special to turn down.

After 25 years of being away from the state of Georgia, Nolan will return to the University of Georgia to become the dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine effective July 1, according to the University of Georgia news and information service. Nolan joined the ISU faculty in 2003 as a professor and chair of veterinary microbiology and preventive medicine. She served as associate dean of academic and student affairs in the college of veterinary medicine from 2007 to 2009 and became the dean of ISU veterinary medicine in 2011, according to ISU news. 

“Their dean had stepped down and they called me and at first I said, ‘no no no no, I’m very happy where I am’ … but you know I got thinking about it and that pull is very strong,” Nolan said. “You realize that there are certain things that have been missing in your life like the red mud line on the houses down there … and it is just part of who you are.”

It wasn’t just nostalgia that was drawing Nolan back to her alma mater. The opportunity to reconnect with former classmates and professors was appealing, as well as continuing to help the school grow.

“A lot of the people on the faculty, we were graduates together, some of my faculty that taught me are still there and I still have friends and family there after having a career elsewhere,” Nolan said.

Leaving has been a difficult decision for Nolan. She is thankful for the people who have helped her along the way at Iowa State.

“It is a big job and it is very humbling, but fortunately you are surrounded by amazing people who just get the job done,” Nolan said. “It has been a thrill and an honor; truly it has been my privilege to be the 15th dean of this college.” 

Nolan’s path was not always destined to be in veterinary medicine, but after spending time as a teacher, researcher and administrator, she can’t imagine anything else.

Most people who look to enter the Iowa State veterinary program have wanted to be a veterinarian since they were a child, but Nolan didn’t consider the profession until she moved close to a mixed animal veterinarian.

“He would stop by and pick me up when he would go on large animal calls and I would help, [even though] I didn’t know anything about it, but I learned so much and it was so satisfying helping people with their livelihoods and keeping these animals well,” Nolan said.

After graduating from the University of Georgia and working at North Dakota State University, Nolan was drawn to Iowa State because of the history and the impact the program has had on the field of veterinary medicine. She was constantly reminded of the school’s influence during her time as the dean.

“I went to Beijing and I went to their number one vet school and they kept pushing me over to take a picture next to this bust of a Chinese gentleman and it turned out he was the founding dean of the top vet school in China and he was one of our graduates.”

This will not be the first major change for Nolan. She has spent time teaching and researching, to accompany her current role in administration. Now, she can use her experience to look ahead to the next part of her career.  

“Every stage of my career, where it changed, I had some regret or at least I thought I did and then you look back and I realize I was ready for that change and so with each career stage I have found a great deal of satisfaction doing different things,” Nolan said. “You just have to be open to it, things don’t always go the way you planned, in fact they seldom do.”