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.