UT Veterinary Medicine Dean Elected to American Academy of Microbiology
Paul Plummer, dean of the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine, has been elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology - the honorific leadership group within the American Society for Microbiology. His election places him among 63 scientists from 14 countries chosen as the 2026 Fellowship Class from a pool of 145 international nominations.
Fellowship is awarded annually through a peer-review process evaluating scientific achievement and original contributions that have materially advanced the field of microbiology. The process is selective: this year, 63 nominations succeeded from 145 submitted internationally.
A Career Centered on Antimicrobial Resistance
Plummer's election reflects a research career built at the intersection of veterinary medicine and public health. A veterinary microbiologist and board-certified large animal internal medicine specialist, he has focused particularly on antimicrobial resistance - a challenge that affects animal health, human health, and food systems simultaneously.
He currently serves as chair of the Presidential Advisory Council on Combatting Antimicrobial Resistant Bacteria and as executive director of the National Institute of Antimicrobial Resistance Research and Education. Both roles position him at the center of national policy conversations about how to slow the spread of drug-resistant pathogens across species and environments.
"It is an incredible honor to be elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology," said Plummer. "Advancing research in microbiology and antimicrobial resistance has been central to my career, and I look forward to working with colleagues to improve animal and public health through scientific discovery and collaboration."
A Global Cohort
The 2026 class draws from Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Israel, the Netherlands, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. That geographic breadth reflects both the scope of microbiology as a discipline and the international nature of challenges such as antimicrobial resistance, which does not respect national borders.
"Academy Fellows are leaders in their field whose work influences the direction of scientific discovery and its role in society," said Vanessa Sperandio, chair of the Academy Governors. "Election to the Academy is a significant professional milestone."
The Academy's Role in Microbiology
The American Academy of Microbiology operates within the American Society for Microbiology, which counts more than 38,000 scientists and health practitioners as members. The Society advances the microbial sciences through conferences, publications, certifications, and educational programs, and the Academy component serves as its scientific leadership council - a body whose Fellows collectively represent the field's track record of discovery and influence.
For more than 50 years, the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine has focused on animal, human, and environmental health through education, research, and clinical care. UTCVM is part of the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture.