Dr. O’Connor is the Interim Associate Dean of Students Engagement and Success at the College of Veterinary Medicine. The Office of Students Engagement and Success overseas academic success, admissions, student life and pre-veterinary advising in the college. As a researcher, Dr. O’Connor is a quantitative epidemiologist specializing in research synthesis and evidence-based veterinary medicine. She has authored over 200 peer-reviewed publications and led influential initiatives, including the REFLECT and Vet-STROBE statements, which have significantly improved the reproducibility and transparency of veterinary research. She also founded and leads SYREAF (Systematic Reviews of Animals and Food), a widely used resource for researchers conducting systematic reviews. Her expertise has been sought by global regulatory agencies, including the European Food Safety Authority and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. As an ADVANCE fellow at Iowa State University, she conducted research on barriers to faculty promotion, an area that continues to inform her leadership approach at MSU.
After 20 years as a teacher and researcher at Iowa State University, Dr. O’Connor moved to Michigan State University in 2020. She serviced as Chair of the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences since 2020 to May 2025 and is currently Interim Associate Dean of Student Engagement and Success since December 2024 at the College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. O’Connor also Co-Interim Director of the MSU Veterinary Medicine Center, from June 2020 to October 2021. Dr. O’Connor has played a critical role in institutional projects, including support of the university’s efforts to raise $35M in state funding for a new Dairy Research and Teaching Center. Dr O’Connor is also a driver for planning and fundraising efforts for an equine research facility. These initiatives required high-level collaboration with university administration, state legislators, faculty and industry stakeholders to advance MSU’s education and research mission.
As a strong support of the land grant mission and the role of higher education in society, Dr. O’Connor is committed to faculty development, improving institutional governance and a broad understanding of scholarship relevant to a modern R1 and land grant university. She has implemented faculty mentoring programs, improved promotion and tenure review processes, and spearheaded efforts to ensure salary equity within her department.