Rate My Professor Mark Rutherford

Mark Rutherford, MS, PhD, is Emeritus Professor in the Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. He earned his BS and MS degrees in chemistry from Illinois State University, a PhD in immunology from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, and completed postdoctoral training at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Rutherford joined the College of Veterinary Medicine faculty as an Assistant Professor around 1993 and advanced to full Professor. He served as Director of Graduate Studies for the Comparative and Molecular Biosciences graduate program, was appointed Associate Dean for Graduate Studies in 2008, and directed the Veterinary Summer Scholars Program. After 31 years of service, he retired on September 6, 2024, and joined the emeritus faculty.

His research specializes in molecular immunology, with a focus on the molecular aspects of host-pathogen interactions, employing transcriptome approaches to study host responses and pathogen mechanisms. He has authored over 70 journal articles, reviews, and book chapters, including 'Genetic risk factors for insidious equine recurrent uveitis in Appaloosa horses' (2014, Animal Genetics), 'The Cryptosporidium parvum transcriptome during in vitro development' (2012, PLoS ONE), and 'Association of the porcine transforming growth factor beta type I receptor (TGFBR1) gene with growth and carcass traits' (2012, Animal Biotechnology). Rutherford coordinated graduate courses in ethical conduct of animal research, grant writing, and seminars, and instructed veterinary and undergraduate immunology courses. He advised 11 graduate students and 6 postdoctoral trainees, and served on 55 thesis advisory committees. He received the University of Minnesota Provost’s Award for Excellence in Academic Unit Service in 2023 and advocated for diversity, equity, and inclusion in graduate education.