College of Veterinary Medicine Dean Lonnie King has been elected to the Institute of Medicine, an honor ordinarily given to physicians and researchers who study human health.

King said this rare honor is probably due in part to the increasing number of zoonotic diseases, which are passed onto humans from animals. Seventy-five percent of emerging human diseases originated in animals, he said.

"The Institute of Medicine now has a better appreciation for the importance animal health has on human health," King said.

King, who has been the dean of the veterinary college since 1996, was one of two veterinarians elected this year and one of about 12 overall veterinarian members. Sixty-five new members were elected this year.

Part of his duties as a member of the institute include participation in special committees of consultants and experts. King is already sitting on his fourth National Academy of Sciences committee and said the extra work does not detract from university business.

"They have actually enhanced my duties - they add prestige to our college and university and it helps with networking," King said. "It's a good way to get new strategic partnerships and find new colleagues."

Before coming to MSU, King worked as an administrator for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and has been a consultant with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Institute is run by the National Academy of Sciences, and members are selected for contributions to the fields of medical science, health care and public health.