Hans Coetzee appointed vice president for research

Hans Coetzee presents at a ribbon cutting for a new collaborative office space in the KSU Foundation's Edge District in January. | Download this photo.

By Rafael Garcia

K‑State News and Communications Services

Hans Coetzee, an internationally recognized expert in livestock pain management, has been appointed vice president for research at Kansas State University, following a national search.

Coetzee, who is also a university distinguished professor in K-State's College of Veterinary Medicine, had been serving as interim vice president since summer 2024.

"Since stepping into the interim role, Dr. Coetzee has provided the steady leadership our university’s research enterprise needed as we build momentum through the Next-Gen K-State strategic plan," said K-State President Richard Linton. "His reputation as a collaborative colleague who works across disciplines, combined with his skill in fostering meaningful engagement, positions him perfectly to implement our vision of becoming the nation’s leading next-generation land-grant institution."

As a member of the president’s cabinet, Coetzee will be the university's chief research officer in implementing the Next-Gen K-State strategic plan to grow the university's research enterprise, with a strong focus on conducting world-renowned, problem-based interdisciplinary research that solves grand challenges and makes transformative impacts.

He will be responsible for supporting K-State faculty as they seek and obtain extramural research funding, strengthening research facilities and infrastructure, overseeing commercialization and startup incubation, developing external partnerships and engaging in public outreach.

Hans Coetzee.

"I am honored and humbled to lead research at Kansas State University as we work together to advance creativity, discovery and innovation — positioning K-State as the next-gen land-grant institution," Coetzee said. "By empowering our exceptional faculty, staff and students, investing in collaborative infrastructure, and streamlining our processes, we will accelerate innovation and transform groundbreaking research into practical solutions for society’s most important challenges."

Coetzee will oversee research across the university's colleges and multiple research centers, as well as administration of the university's key research support units, including the Kansas State University Research Foundation, the Office of Research Development, the Office of Sponsored Programs, and the Office of Research Integrity, Compliance and Security.

Additionally, several independent, interdisciplinary research and support facilities — including the Biosecurity Research Institute, the National Agricultural Biosecurity Center, the Biotechnology Core and Training Facility, the Electronics Design Laboratory — will report to Coetzee.

Coetzee is an accomplished researcher, with a distinguished career in veterinary medicine and pharmacology research that includes more than 230 peer-reviewed scientific papers and $22 million in research funding. He has established himself as a world-leading expert in assessing and relieving pain in livestock species, and his work has been instrumental in clearing the way for the first regulatory approval of livestock analgesics, which has eased the pain of millions of farm animals.

For this impactful research, Coetzee has been recognized with several honors and accolades, including the National Academy of Sciences' 2025 Prize in Food and Agriculture Science. He was the first North American recipient of the World Veterinary Association Global Animal Welfare Award and the second recipient of the World Buiatrics Congress Ruminant Well-being Achievement Award. He was also recognized with the American Veterinary Medical Association Animal Welfare Award and the American Association of Bovine Practitioners Award of Excellence.

He is a member of the American Society of Animal Science, the American Dairy Science Association, the American Veterinary Medical Association, the American Association of Bovine Practitioners and the Royal Veterinary College.

Coetzee earned his Bachelor of Veterinary Science — the equivalent of a U.S. Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine — from the University of Pretoria, South Africa, and a doctoral degree in veterinary microbiology from Iowa State University. In addition to being a European Specialist in Welfare Science, Ethics and Law, Coetzee holds a specialist certificate in cattle health and production from the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, London, and dual board certification in the American College of Veterinary Clinical Pharmacology and the American College of Animal Welfare.

At K-State, Coetzee has previously served as an assistant and associate professor of clinical sciences, associate dean for research and graduate programs, and head of the Department of Anatomy and Physiology in the College of Veterinary Medicine. He was promoted in 2022 to university distinguished professor, K-State's highest faculty honor, and he is a past recipient of the Commerce Bank and W.T. Kemper Foundation Distinguished Graduate Faculty Award and the K-State Alumni Association's Ron and Rae Iman Outstanding Faculty Award for Research.

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