The last beam is in place at New Jersey’s first veterinary school on Rowan University’s campus

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Officials and dignitaries celebrated a milestone Monday morning by grabbing a Sharpie to sign the final beam that will be put in place to finish the frame of New Jersey’s first veterinary school.

On Rowan University’s West Campus in Gloucester County sits the framing of what will be the Shreiber School of Veterinary Medicine. In less than a year, the first class of veterinary students will begin their coursework, which will involve hands-on experience from day one, according to the school’s founding dean, Dr. Matthew Edson.

“That’s what we all want to do when we come to vet school, and then we’re in a lot of books,” he said. “The books are important, but we want them to have those hands-on skills to go out into the world and make a difference from the day that they start.”

Edson said the 30 people currently on staff are working on what he describes as an “innovative curriculum.” Between now and the August 2025 opening, the school plans to hire 100 more people in the next large hiring wave, which will include clinicians to provide care for animals at an animal hospital that will operate 24 hours a day.

“They’ll do a little bit of both students and hospital,” he added, “but staffing a hospital this size requires a lot of folks.”

The school’s name was revealed at the groundbreaking in April 2023. J&J Snack Food chairman Gerry Shreiber is donating $30 million in scholarships for the school. The 162,000-square-foot facility will be split between the Shreiber School and the Virtua Health College Research Center.

Officials said this will help retain New Jersey students interested in studying veterinary medicine and provide an affordable opportunity to stay in the state to further their education.

“Students who are interested in this major, they have to go to different states, pay a lot of money … and chances are they will never come back here to practice,” said Rowan University President Dr. Ali Houshmand, who added that there was a lot of opportunity in South Jersey where there is a lot of farming and agriculture.

“There are a lot of animals,” he said. “Whether it’s feed animals, whether it’s pets, whether it’s sports animals, there are lots of them.”