2020VIRGINIA-MARYLAND

COLLEGE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE

37th Annual

COMMENCEMENTDOCTOR OF VETERINARY MEDICINE PROGRAM

Friday, May 15 | 7:30 p.m.

VIRGINIA-MARYLAND COLLEGE OF VETERINARY MEDICINEVirtual Commencement Ceremony Program

May 15, 2020

WelcomeDr. Gregory B. Daniel, Interim Dean

Commencement SpeakerDr. Kevin Lahmers, Associate Professor, Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology

Richard B. Talbot AwardDr. Catherine Werker PouliotValedictorian, Class of 2020

Phi Zeta RecognitionDr. Katherine E. Wilson, Assistant Professor, Large Animal Clinical Sciences

Recognition of Graduates

Dr. Jennifer L. Hodgson, Associate Dean, Professional ProgramsDr. Timothy Bolton, Assistant Professor, Small Animal Clinical Sciences,

Outstanding Instructor Award, Class of 2020

Veterinarian’s OathDr. Elizabeth Cottrell, President

Maryland Veterinary Medical Association

Welcome to the ProfessionDr. Jay H. Margolis, President

Virginia Veterinary Medical Association

Presentation of Class GiftDr. Francis Rowe, Class of 2020

Class President RemarksDr. Carli Williams, Class of 2020

Class MotivationDr. Jillian Gimmy, Class of 2020

Closing RemarksDr. Gregory B. Daniel

Class FarewellSpecial Commencement Guests

MusicDr. Marion F. Ehrich, Professor Emerita, Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology

Dr. Thomas E. Cecere, Associate Professor, Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology

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Maylin AkellaLenna Milarys Alvarez

Anna Marie ArtaleEmily Davison BakerMiranda Lee Baker

Alicia Michelle BensonEmily Margaret Bishop

Stephanie Anne BlanchardKristin Monique Blount

Chelsea Anne BondAmy Danielle Brulo

Andrea Isabel CalzadaJonathan Tripp Cappelmann

Bryant Reaume ChapmanAntonio Pietro Conte

Taylor Lindsey CoombsThomas Benjamin CromerAshley Nicole Crossman

Haley Elizabeth DavisMolly Elizabeth Delaney

Christina DoverAngela Helen DurkacGregory Alan Echols

Caroline Julia EckstromMorgan Leigh Eggleston

Rebecca Lea EllisAlison Emiko Everett

Frances FanJared Michael-McNeill Fish

Ryan FultonApril Renee Gardner

Jessica Elizabeth GeiermannJana Christine Gerding

Courtney Anne GermrothHeather Sylvia Gerrish

Savannah Marie GiannasiErin M. Gibbemeyer

Cassandra GildayJillian Nicole Gimmy

Alexandra Nicole GiosaSolitaire Ashley Goldfield

Megan GrahamSamantha Ann Habib

Alys Amelia HarshbargerKerri Renee Houser

Patrick Vincent Hurley, Jr.Ashley Sue Iadonisi

Joseph Peter IannielloAngela Marie IvesTaschua A. Jeboda

Katherine Elizabeth JenkinsKatelyn Virginia JonesHeather Marie Jordan

Max JurigaElizabeth Loranne Kawecki-Wright

Morgan Leigh KlineElda Kwong

Danny Lee LaderbergKelsey Anne LambNicole Marie LloydKelsey Renee LowryJeffrey Steven Lung

2020 DOCTOR OF VETERINARY MEDICINE GRADUATES

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Linh M. LuongAnn S. Lynch

Jessica Marie MagnottiMegan Michele Martin

Dana Christine McAllisterSamantha Joy McCarter

Thomas McManusMiranda Benita Medrano

Nicholas Salvatore MillingtonMitchell Jeffrey Mills

Scott Douglas MitchellKellsie Marie Mullikin

Armaghan NasimAmanda Lee NicholsLaura Beth Parkhurst

Monika Beata PayerhinRebecca Osborn Persons

Sarah Maureen PietropaoliJessica Christine Mae Plunkard

Molly Brielle PotterCatherine Werker Pouliot

Rachel Lauren PoundMatthew Paul Price

Tierra Dominique PriceAndrew Charles Radford

Matthew P. RayMorgan Marie Rea

Meghan Shayne ReillyKathryn Margaret Ritenour

Roberto Pavel Roca HernandezFrancis Catherine Rowe

Sierra Marie RubinMatthew J. Sandler

Ashley Elizabeth SaverJoshua Connor Fischman Scharf

Olivia Paige SchiermeyerAngela Bladen Sharma

Melissa Lauren ShaughnessJake Andrew ShawKyle Allen Sinnigen

Corinne Blythe SirotaMeredith McKenna Snidow

Dania April SotoEmily Joan Rose SuessSamantha Rae Talley

Lauren A. TannerAlexa Marie Tepley

Ashley Nicole UlmerElaina Widjaja Valencia

Jeffrey Lee Vigue, Jr.Tracy Wachbrit

Eric James WallisBrooke Michelle Watson

Ashley Olivia WellsNicholas Wells

Caleb Daniel WhitfieldCarli Alese Williams

Brittany WolfeTsvetelina Stefanova Wynne

Alexandra S. YerkesGrace Fei Zhang

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Membership in Phi Zeta, the national honor society of veterinary medicine, is awarded to seniors in the top 25 percent of their class. Phi Zeta recognizes

outstanding scholarship, represents the veterinary profession's constant advancement, and promotes research in matters pertaining to

the welfare and diseases of animals.

Phi Zeta members in the Class of 2020

NATIONAL SOCIETY OF PHI ZETA, CHI CHAPTER

The Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP) is a highly competitive scholarship program offered to DVM students nationwide during their first

year of veterinary school. Upon acceptance, students are commissioned as 2nd lieutenants in the U.S. Army Medical Service Corps and train each

summer in preparation for active duty. In addition to the HPSP, a direct commissioning program is offered to graduates of accredited

schools of veterinary medicine in the U.S.; appointments to the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps are made at the rank of captain.

Upon graduation, HPSP students are promoted to captain and receivetheir first duty assignment. As the only veterinarians within the Department

of Defense, Army Veterinary Corps officers provide animal care togovernment-owned and privately owned animals of service members;food safety and defense; public health; military medical research; and

training to all branches of the military, as well as federal agenciesat more than 1,000 locations in more than 40 countries.

Kristin Monique Blount Haley Elizabeth Davis Carli Alese Williams

U. S. ARMY VETERINARY CORPS

Maylin AkellaAnna Marie ArtaleAmy Danielle Brulo

Ashley Nicole CrossmanMolly Elizabeth Delaney

Alison Emiko EverettFrances Fan

Heather Sylvia GerrishSavannah Marie Giannasi

Cassandra GildayMegan Graham

Angela Marie IvesKatelyn Virginia Jones

Elizabeth Loranne Kawecki-WrightNicole Marie Lloyd

Linh M. Luong

Ann S. LynchNicholas Salvatore Millington

Sarah Maureen PietropaoliMolly Brielle Potter

Catherine Werker PouliotMatthew Paul Price

Matthew P. RayMorgan Marie Rea

Meghan Shayne ReillyFrancis Catherine Rowe

Melissa Lauren ShaughnessJake Andrew Shaw

Brooke Michelle WatsonBrittany Wolfe

Tsvetelina Stefanova Wynne

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VETERINARIAN’S OATH

Being admitted to the profession of veterinary medicine,

I solemnly swear

to use my scientific knowledge and skills

for the benefit of society

through the protection of animal health and welfare,

the prevention and relief of animal suffering,

the conservation of animal resources,

the promotion of public health,

and the advancement of medical knowledge.

I will practice my profession conscientiously,

with dignity,

and in keeping with the principles

of veterinary medical ethics.

I accept as a lifelong obligation,

the continual improvement of my professional

knowledge and competence.

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COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER Dr. Kevin Lahmers

A clinical associate professor of anatomic pathology in the Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Kevin Lahmers has supported the college’s teaching, clinical, and research missions since joining the faculty in 2013.

Leading the new DVM curriculum’s first course, Normal Animal, and the Laboratory Services clerkship, Lahmers interacts with hundreds of veterinary students and has worked with each member of the DVM Class of 2020 in the classroom, in the lab, and in small groups. He has also taught in Breathing and Circulating, Applied Diagnostics, Advanced Histopathology, and Current Technologies in Research, and mentors master of public health students in their capstone experiences.

An expert in the epidemiology of tick-borne diseases in domestic animals, Lahmers serves as the associate director of and head of research and development for the veterinary college’s on-site diagnostic lab, the Virginia Tech Animal Laboratory Services, or ViTALS. He works in conjunction with the lab’s clinical microbiologist to identify threats, develop appropriate diagnostic tests, and rapidly respond to emerging diseases.

Lahmers’ current research focuses on the extension of molecular techniques to advance veterinary diagnostics, with emphasis on next-generation sequencing for disease detection and characterization; the epidemiology of tick-borne diseases in domestic animals; and collaboration involving foodborne and waterborne disease and cardiovascular disease.

A diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists and a member of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, American College of Veterinary Pathologists, and American Association of Bovine Practitioners, Lahmers earned a B.S. in animal science and a doctor of veterinary medicine from The Ohio State University. He then completed a doctorate in veterinary science as part of a combined anatomic pathology residency and Ph.D. program at Washington State University.

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RICHARD B. TALBOT MEMORIAL AWARDDr. Catherine Werker Pouliot

Each year, the veterinary student who has achieved the highest academic standing in the graduating class receives the Richard B. Talbot Memorial Award, named in honor of the college’s founding dean.

The Class of 2020 valedictorian is Catherine “Kate” Werker Pouliot, of South Berwick, Maine, a graduate of the mixed animal track.

Pouliot, who earned a B.S. in animal science from the University of Maine, was drawn to the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine because of the new curriculum introduced in 2016, which enables practical experience sooner.

Though initially not inclined to specialize, Pouliot met cardiologist Bill Tyrrell (DVM ’92), VMCVM’s 2019 Lifetime Achievement Alumni Award recipient, during a mentoring event at the college. That interaction led to conversations with former cardiology professor Jonathan Abbott and cardiology residents Hyeon Jeong and Giulio Menciotti. On the heels of these interactions, Pouliot decided to pursue cardiology.

As a student, Pouliot was a research assistant in the Zajac Parasitology Lab and worked on a retrospective cardiology study with Abbott.

Pouliot is headed to Texas A&M University to complete a yearlong small animal rotating internship, aiming for a cardiology residency afterwards.

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VIRGINIA-MARYLAND COLLEGE OF VETERINARY MEDICINEFaculty

Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology

M. D. Lee, Department HeadI. C. AllenR. J. Avery (Emeritus)S. BarrettD. J. Blodgett (Emeritus)K. M. BoesS. M. Boyle (Emeritus)F. CarvalloC. CaswellT. CecereC. R. Clarke (Provost)L. CorcoranD. Cordes (Emeritus)S. Coutermarsh-OttJ. DavisN. DuggalM. F. Ehrich (Emerita)F. ElnadyL. A. Eng (Emeritus)P. Eyre (Dean Emeritus)S. FarrisL. E. Freeman (Emeritus)J. HeW. R. HuckleB. S. Jortner (Emeritus)B. G. KleinK. LahmersT. LeCuyerJ. C. Lee (Emeritus)T. LeRoithD. S. LindsayX. LuoJ. B. Meldrum (Emeritus)

X. J. MengH. Misra (Emeritus)D. M. Moore (Emeritus)P. MortonY. A. PanC. J. Pfeiffer (Emeritus)G. K. Saunders (Emeritus)D. SchabdachG. Schurig (Dean Emeritus)B. J. SmithS. A. SmithD. P. SponenbergN. SriranganathanS. SwangerM. TheusT. E. Toth (Emeritus)J. D. WegerJ. R. WilckeH. XieL. YuanA. M. ZajacK. L. Zimmerman

Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences

D. M. Wong, Department Head M. N. AdamsJ. G. Barrett S. H. Bogers J. M. Bowen (Emeritus)M. BrookhartJ. A. BrownV. A. Buechner-MaxwellT. BurnsC. R. ByronS. G. Clark

J. F. CurrinL. A. DahlgrenK. EstelleG. F. Fregin (Emeritus)R. A. FunkW. B. Gross (Emeritus)S. R. GuynnM. KelleherC. T. Larsen (Emeritus)E. MacDonaldH. C. McKenzie IIIK. D. PelzerR. S. PleasantB. J. Purswell (Emeritus)D. S. ReederK. C. Roberts (Emeritus)W. K. ScarrattH. H. SchrammE. SchaeferM. L. ShepherdJ. StewartW. S. SweckerN. A. White (Emeritus)K. E. WilsonS. G. Witonsky

Dr. Gregory B. Daniel, Interim DeanDr. S. Ansar Ahmed, Associate Dean, Research and Graduate Studies

Dr. Jennifer L. Hodgson, Associate Dean, Professional ProgramsDr. Xiaoping Zhu, Associate Dean, Maryland Campus

Dr. William S. Swecker Jr., Director, Veterinary Teaching HospitalDr. Michael Erskine, Director, Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center

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Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences

P. N. Henao-Guerrero, Interim Department HeadA. U. Arendse J. A. AbbottA. U. ArendseD. L. Barber (Emeritus)S. L. BarryL. E. BartlT. BoltonM. BorgarelliR. E. CarpenterC. B. Carrig (Emeritus)J. CecereK. S. ClappV. K. CorriganS. M. DeMonacoN. DervisisA. FigueiredoM. D. FreemanD. C. GrantI. P. HerringS. KlahnS. LahmersO. I. LanzM.S. Lieb (Emeritus)M. M. LarsonW. E. MonroeN. MuroM. T. NappierD. L. PancieraV. ParanjapeJ. L. PetrovitchJ. P. Pickett (Emeritus)R. RamosR. M. Rodriguez-GalarzaJ. H. RossmeislD. M. SawyereR. ShinnH. L. ThamG. C. Troy (Emeritus)J. L. TuohyJ. D. WilsonA. Wilkinson

Department of Population Health Sciences

L. L. Hungerford, Department HeadK. J. Redican, BSPH Program DirectorV. E. Ragan, Director, Center for Public and Corporate Veterinary MedicineK. W. Hosig, Director, Center for Public Health Practice and ResearchS. G. Wenzel, Director, New River Academic Health DepartmentC. BakerA. S. BertkeA. CohenN. CookJ. M. GohlkeJ. L. HodgsonK. W. HosigT. KerkeringJ. M. PelzerF. W. Pierson (Emeritus)P. O. PithuaC. L. RistR. SilvermanA. SmithS. G. WenzelS. R. WerreJ. A. Zambriski

Veterinary Medicine at the University of Maryland

G. BelovM. GhanemW. Li D. NelsonU. PalS. RileyS. SamalM. ShiN. L. Tablante Jr.E. G. ViktorovaX. YangY. L. Zhang

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VIRGINIA-MARYLAND COLLEGE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE

Founded in 1980, the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine is a leading biomedical teaching and research center, enrolling more than

490 doctor of veterinary medicine students, 74 master of public health students, and 70 biomedical and veterinary sciences master’s and Ph.D. students.

The college is a partnership between the land-grant universities, Virginia Tech and the University of Maryland. The college's main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia, features the Veterinary Teaching Hospital and large animal field services, which together treat more than 68,000 animals annually. Other

locations include the Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center in Leesburg, Virginia, and the Gudelsky Veterinary Center in College Park, Maryland.

The college’s 3,266 DVM alumni work in private practice, in industry, and in local, state, and federal agencies. College faculty and students also conduct a broad spectrum of basic/molecular and translational/applied research that is strongly

focused on animal health and productivity, and human health and well-being.

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YOU’VE COME A LONG WAY . . .

CONGRATULATIONS, CLASS OF

2020

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2020VIRGINIA-MARYLAND

COLLEGE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE

37th Annual

COMMENCEMENTDOCTOR OF VETERINARY MEDICINE PROGRAM

Friday, May 15 | 7:30 p.m.