Jen Tompkins to lead revamped Office of Animal Research Compliance

Jen Tompkins has been named the new Director of the Office of Animal Research Compliance at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She is starting in her new role on January 27, 2025.

Tompkins has years of industry experience as a veterinary technician and Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee staff support associate. Most recently, she has been Senior Associate, IACUC Administrator for Elanco Animal Health in Fort Dodge, Iowa. She is a Registered Veterinary Technician, Laboratory Animal Technician, Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner, and Certified Professional IACUC Administrator.

“I am honored and delighted to join the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign,” said Tompkins. “I am really looking forward to working in a university environment with a wonderful collaborative culture.”

Animal use in research and teaching is a highly regulated activity. With experienced staff already in place, Tompkins will lead OARC’s programs that ensure compliance with federal regulations for the 200-plus investigators who use more than 40,000 animals in university research and teaching activities. OARC also manages the university’s Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). The Chancellor-appointed committee is required by Federal law to provide oversight over university research and teaching activities that involve animals.

“I am delighted to welcome Jen as our inaugural Director of the Office of Animal Research Compliance,” said Patty Jones, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation in Compliance. “She brings wonderful experience and a fresh perspective to our campus. With our renaming of the IACUC Office as the Office of Animal Research Compliance, we are making great strides in elevating our commitment to animal welfare in research.”