College of Veterinary Medicine at A-State Adds Two Professors to Growing Faculty

JONESBORO – The College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) at Arkansas State University has added two new faculty members to the growing college instructional staff.

Dr. Philip Johnson has joined the CVM as a professor and associate dean for professional education. Dr. Scott Reiners will serve as teaching associate professor of equine practice.

Johnson received a bachelor’s degree from the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Bristol, followed by a master’s degree focusing on equine medicine and surgery training at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Johnson holds multiple credentials, including being a member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.

“My principal duties include provision of oversight for our Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) curriculum, assessment of DVM program outcomes, and promotion of faculty development and effectiveness in teaching,” said Johnson.

“I will also contribute to the teaching mission of the college, my area of specialty in that regard being equine internal medicine. As part of the leadership team, I will participate in other activities as needed for accreditation and various other duties at the dean’s specific request.

Johnson has helped educate students for more than three decades at Mississippi State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and the University of Missouri.

“Our evolving brand-new program is bringing together experienced, like-minded educators who are immensely excited about delivering an outstanding modern curriculum,” Johnson added.

“This program is competency-based and community-centered, designed to deliver practical and up-to-date veterinary medical education with emphasis on graduating new veterinarians who are ready and excited to begin their professional careers at its conclusion.”

He said the staff of the CVM is especially devoted to supporting the veterinary health needs of Arkansas and surrounding areas by providing a valuable DVM program for the 2026 cohort.

Reiners started his veterinary career early on as a licensed veterinary technician, working in that position for nine months in Africa. He graduated from Kansas State University with a DVM degree. He also attended the Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, completing an ambulatory internship, followed by his surgical residency at the Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine.

“My main role is to teach practical clinical skills to the students involving horses, which are skills I have picked up over the last 29 years in equine practice,” said Reiners.

In 2003, Reiners opened a full-service, multi-million-dollar facility in Virginia, which specialized in sports medicine and rehabilitation for horses.

“We are developing an equine ambulatory practice which will assist the community, both veterinarians and horse owners, with their equine needs,” Reiners added.

He is a diplomate of two specialty colleges, the American College of Veterinary Surgery and the American College of Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation.

“The goal is to teach and train students to become the predominant practice-ready veterinarians to serve the needs of Arkansas. From the beginning to the end of their education, they will be swathed with educational lectures and time-tested clinical skills,” he added.

Construction of the CVM will be completed in spring 2026. The 56,000-square-foot facility is anticipated to open that fall with its first cohort of 120 students.

About Arkansas State University
Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association, A-State is the state’s second-largest university. With its mission to educate leaders, enhance intellectual growth and enrich lives, the flagship institution of the ASU System currently enrolls over 17,000 students at campuses in Jonesboro and Queretaro, Mexico. A-State, classified by The Carnegie Foundation as a Research 2: High Spending and Doctorate Production institution, balances its funded research programs with student-friendly instruction in more than 160 degree programs. Current initiatives include opening the state’s first public veterinary school, unifying the region’s workforce development offerings, a steel and advanced materials research center, and agri-health research at Arkansas Biosciences Institute. A-State offers freshman to physician pre-medical and pre-veterinary pathway programs, eliminating traditional barriers while preparing the next generation of healthcare leaders in Arkansas and the Mississippi Delta.