Fall 2012/Winter 2013 Aesculapian Magazine - University of ...
Fall 2012/Winter 2013 Aesculapian Magazine - University of ...
Fall 2012/Winter 2013 Aesculapian Magazine - University of ...
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
The <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Georgia<br />
<strong>Aesculapian</strong><br />
®<br />
College <strong>of</strong> Veterinary Medicine<br />
<strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2012</strong>/<strong>Winter</strong> <strong>2013</strong><br />
Vol. 13 , No. 1<br />
Picture Your Pet<br />
Finalists from our<br />
<strong>2012</strong> Photo Contest<br />
Find out more about our<br />
cover dog, Hurley, on<br />
page 15.<br />
Also Inside: Student Finds Pathway to Research A Cat’s Eye View Summer in Bahrain
<strong>Aesculapian</strong><br />
<strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2012</strong>/<strong>Winter</strong> <strong>2013</strong><br />
Vol. 13, No. 1<br />
EDITOR IN CHIEF<br />
Kat Yancey Gilmore<br />
MANAGING Editor<br />
Jessica Luton<br />
Contributing Writers<br />
Jessica Luton<br />
Kat Yancey Gilmore<br />
Sarah Freeman<br />
James Hataway<br />
Taylor “Eve” Winkleman<br />
Photography<br />
Sue Myers Smith<br />
Christopher B. Herron<br />
Sarah Freeman<br />
Taylor “Eve” Winkleman<br />
Design<br />
Jessica Luton<br />
ASSISTANT COPY EDITORS<br />
Carlton Bain<br />
Sue Myers Smith<br />
Administration<br />
Michael F. Adams, President<br />
Jere W. Morehead, Provost<br />
Sheila W. Allen, Dean<br />
Gary Baxter, Director, Veterinary Teaching<br />
Hospital<br />
Kat Yancey Gilmore, Director, Public Relations<br />
Sarah Freeman, Director, Hospital<br />
Communications<br />
Kathy Bangle, Director, Veterinary External<br />
Affairs<br />
Carlton Bain, Assistant Director, Development<br />
Marti Brick, Director, Alumni Relations<br />
<strong>Aesculapian</strong> is published by the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />
Georgia College <strong>of</strong> Veterinary Medicine’s Office<br />
<strong>of</strong> Public Relations for alumni and friends.<br />
Please send story ideas, class notes or letters to:<br />
Editor, <strong>Aesculapian</strong><br />
The <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Georgia<br />
College <strong>of</strong> Veterinary Medicine<br />
Athens, GA 30602-7371<br />
or email: kygilmor@uga.edu<br />
Copyright © <strong>2013</strong>, The <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Georgia<br />
No part <strong>of</strong> this publication may be reproduced<br />
without permission from the editor.<br />
The <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Georgia is committed to<br />
principles <strong>of</strong> equal opportunity and affirmative<br />
action.<br />
UGA College <strong>of</strong> Veterinary Medicine<br />
Alumni Association Board<br />
Flynn Nance, President<br />
Michael J. Topper, Immediate Past-President<br />
Chad Schmiedt, President-elect<br />
Doris Miller, Secretary-Treasurer<br />
Jon Anderson<br />
Stephen Arbitter<br />
Charlie Broussard<br />
Scott Bryant<br />
Rebecca Dixon<br />
Jamie Fleming<br />
Alan Herring<br />
Thomas Hutto<br />
Ginger Macaulay<br />
Catherine McClelland<br />
Jan Sosnowski Nichol<br />
Bill Seanor<br />
Sheila W. Allen, Dean; Ex <strong>of</strong>ficio<br />
29<br />
CVM student Erica Noland received the Morris Animal Scholarship<br />
last summer for her research proposal on canine cancer.<br />
A Message from the Dean<br />
3<br />
CollegeNews<br />
4<br />
4 News from the Veterinary Teaching Hospital<br />
5 A Cat’s View: Study Reveals World <strong>of</strong> Roaming Cats<br />
7 Deworming Drugs Led to Widespread Parasitic Resistance<br />
9 In Case <strong>of</strong> an Emergency: UGA Creates Emergency Pet Shelter Plans<br />
11 The Miracle <strong>of</strong> Rascal: One Owner’s Devoted Experience<br />
13 Picture Your Pet: Finalists from our <strong>2012</strong> Contest<br />
StudentNews<br />
17<br />
17 Student’s Externship in Bahrain Inspires Personal Essay, Scholarship<br />
25 Student News<br />
26 Our Student Ambassadors<br />
27 Students Participate in Science <strong>of</strong> Veterinary Medicine Symposium<br />
28 Recognitions from our <strong>2012</strong> Honors and Awards Banquet<br />
29 Morris Scholarship Helps Spur Student’s Interest in Research<br />
31 Welcoming the Class <strong>of</strong> 2016<br />
32 Omega Tau Sigma Hosting Grand Council<br />
Follow us!<br />
facebook.com/ugacvm twitter.com/ugavetmed
17<br />
A student’s externship to Bahrain inspires a photo essay and a plan for a scholarship.<br />
FacultyNews<br />
33 Faculty News<br />
33<br />
35 New model explains puzzling Lyme disease patterns<br />
35 Jackwood, Edwards appointed to endowed pr<strong>of</strong>essorships<br />
35 Barsanti honored by Cornell CVM<br />
37 CVM researcher developing new mumps vaccine<br />
AlumniNews<br />
39 A Message from the President <strong>of</strong> the Alumni Association<br />
39<br />
40 Alumni Pr<strong>of</strong>ile: Koren Moore Custer<br />
41 Class Notes<br />
43 Upcoming Continuing Education Schedule<br />
45 VMLC Groundbreaking<br />
46 Why I Give: Katie Beacham<br />
On the Cover:<br />
Hurley Luper’s photo<br />
was among the finalists<br />
selected from our <strong>2012</strong><br />
Picture Your Pet Photo<br />
Contest. Read Hurley’s<br />
story on page 15. Photo<br />
submitted by David and<br />
Iniray Luper.<br />
flickr.com/ugavetmed youtube.com/ugavetmed foursquare.com/ugavetmed
Dear Alumni and Friends <strong>of</strong> the College,<br />
As we settle into a new year, there is much to celebrate on the CVM’s horizon:<br />
• construction crews are scheduled to break ground on the site <strong>of</strong> our new Veterinary<br />
Medical Learning Center in March (we are still fundraising for this important<br />
project);<br />
• in a few weeks, we’ll gather to celebrate our 50th Annual Veterinary Conference & Alumni<br />
Weekend;<br />
• our first-year students are scurrying to plan our upcoming Annual Open House;<br />
• and, our Admissions Committee has just sent out acceptance <strong>of</strong>fers to admit 102 more<br />
students into the Class <strong>of</strong> 2017!<br />
But as so many <strong>of</strong> you know so well, we have much to celebrate here on a daily basis – and,<br />
we strive to showcase some <strong>of</strong> our successes in each issue <strong>of</strong> our <strong>Aesculapian</strong>. This issue is no<br />
exception. Here’s a “peek” at some <strong>of</strong> the wonderful stories that I encourage you to read:<br />
• “The Miracle <strong>of</strong> Rascal,” an amazing tale <strong>of</strong> a Yorkshire Terrier who was hit by a pickup<br />
truck, yet survived.<br />
• Hard work, and not much summer play, may pay <strong>of</strong>f big for canines – and hopefully<br />
humans, too – that suffer from malignant mammary cancer, thanks to Morris Animal<br />
Scholar Erica Noland (DVM ’14) and her mentors.<br />
• Now a second-year student, Eve Winkleman spent Summer <strong>2012</strong> working at an animal<br />
shelter in Bahrain. Her experience spurred her to find a way to help these animals in<br />
perpetuity. And her background as a photographer yielded thousands <strong>of</strong> photos for her<br />
memory – including some for our viewing pleasure.<br />
• An MRI to service large animals is among the latest technologies <strong>of</strong>fered by our UGA<br />
Veterinary Teaching Hospital (VTH). Don’t miss our VTH update!<br />
• And, some <strong>of</strong> the top photos from our recent Picture Your Pet photo contest are on<br />
display in this issue, and on the walls <strong>of</strong> our VTH.<br />
In each <strong>Aesculapian</strong>, we feature a segment we call “Why I Give.” I am always inspired by the<br />
reasons people choose to support our College. This feature on Katie Beacham will warm your<br />
heart, as it reminds us that life is a gift, each moment is fleeting, and that quality time to say<br />
goodbye to our loved ones is among the greatest gifts <strong>of</strong> all.<br />
I hope you enjoy these stories as much as I did, and thank you, as always,<br />
for your dedication and support <strong>of</strong> our College.<br />
Sincerely,<br />
Sheila W. Allen<br />
Dean<br />
3<br />
The <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Georgia College <strong>of</strong> Veterinary Medicine
CollegeNews<br />
UGA Veterinary Teaching Hospital Update:<br />
MRI, Endoscopy Towers and Lameness Locator<br />
Signal are our newest technologies<br />
Photo by Sarah Freeman<br />
The UGA Veterinary Teaching Hospital (VTH) is the proud home <strong>of</strong><br />
several new technological advancements, including this in-house<br />
MRI to service large and small animals.<br />
By Sarah Freeman<br />
The UGA Veterinary Teaching Hospital (VTH)<br />
is the proud home <strong>of</strong> several new technological<br />
advancements, including an in-house MRI, which<br />
will service both small animals and horses. Four new<br />
endoscopy towers and an equine Lameness Locator were<br />
also recently purchased.<br />
The MRI, which was delivered with the help <strong>of</strong> a crane in<br />
early November and assembled indoors due to its massive<br />
12,400-pound weight, will be housed in the Large Animal<br />
Hospital in a former exam room retr<strong>of</strong>itted specifically for<br />
the equipment. The unit is a 1.5-tesla Siemens machine<br />
and is frequently found in human hospitals.<br />
“This MRI opens up a whole new service that we’ve<br />
never had before,” commented Shannon Holmes, DVM,<br />
a board-certified veterinary radiologist and assistant<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> diagnostic imaging. “To have an MRI inhouse<br />
to be able to do emergency MRIs, and the ability to<br />
do a horse, is a great addition to the services we <strong>of</strong>fer. It<br />
opens up more properties compared with what we had<br />
before, too, including new neurological applications.”<br />
The VTH is also the owner <strong>of</strong> four new high-definition<br />
endoscopy towers that provide not only a clearer viewing<br />
area, but one that is larger, too. Using a 1080p resolution,<br />
these units are used by Zoological Medicine, Internal<br />
Medicine, Large Animal Surgery, and Small Animal<br />
Surgery for procedures including rhinoscopy, upper<br />
and lower GIs, biopsies, arthroscopy, laparoscopy, and<br />
thoracoscopy.<br />
The Large Animal Surgery and Equine Lameness<br />
services are now <strong>of</strong>fering the technologies <strong>of</strong> the Lameness<br />
Locator to evaluate equine lameness. The Lameness<br />
Locator will add an objective analysis <strong>of</strong> the horse’s body<br />
movement to examinations for routine lameness. With<br />
the use <strong>of</strong> small inertial sensors, the Locator detects and<br />
quantifies asymmetry in the horse. The data is gathered in<br />
real-time and transmitted wirelessly to a tablet computer,<br />
which then allows for on-site analysis <strong>of</strong> the data. The<br />
system provides an analysis report that indicates which<br />
limb or limbs are involved, the magnitude <strong>of</strong> the lameness,<br />
and at which phase <strong>of</strong> the stride the horse experiences the<br />
most pain.<br />
“What I see as the most valuable use <strong>of</strong> the Lameness<br />
Locator is in the evaluation <strong>of</strong> low-grade, performancelimiting<br />
lameness, multi-limb lameness, and the objective<br />
evaluation <strong>of</strong> our diagnostic anesthesia,” said Large Animal<br />
Section Chief Randy Eggleston, DVM, a board-certified<br />
surgeon and clinical associate pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> large animal<br />
medicine. “The Lameness Locator is not meant to replace<br />
our skill as lameness diagnosticians, but instead to add<br />
an objective element to some <strong>of</strong> the more challenging<br />
lameness cases that we see.”<br />
All <strong>of</strong> these technologies, including the MRI, will move<br />
to the new Veterinary Medical Learning Center when<br />
it opens. In the meantime, these services are currently<br />
available to our clients and referring veterinarians.<br />
<strong>Aesculapian</strong> <strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2012</strong>/<strong>Winter</strong> <strong>2013</strong><br />
4
CollegeNews<br />
A Cat’s View: Crittercams Study Reveals<br />
World <strong>of</strong> Roaming Cats<br />
By Jessica Luton<br />
A collaborative study led by Sonia M. Hernandez,<br />
DVM, PhD, DACZM, in partnership with the National<br />
Geographic Society, received national media attention in<br />
<strong>2012</strong>, from the likes <strong>of</strong> the New York Times, the Huffington<br />
Post, ABC News, NBC Nightly News, and NPR, just to<br />
name a few.<br />
The project aimed to show the secret lives <strong>of</strong> roaming<br />
domestic cats by training owners to use the National<br />
Geographic Crittercam, a camera worn comfortably<br />
around the cat’s collar. The result yielded more than 2000<br />
hours <strong>of</strong> data that gave researchers a sort <strong>of</strong> reality-TV-like<br />
look into the daily lives <strong>of</strong> domestic cats’ activities.<br />
Highlights from their findings include:<br />
• Only 44% <strong>of</strong> the cats hunted wildlife, with<br />
reptiles, mammals and invertebrates constituting<br />
the majority <strong>of</strong> suburban prey; only 30 percent<br />
made successful wildlife captures.<br />
• Cat age, sex, and time spent outdoors did not<br />
significantly influence hunting behavior.<br />
• 85% engaged in at least one risky behavior,<br />
including crossing roads (45%), encountering<br />
strange cats (25%), eating and drinking<br />
substances away from home (25%), exploring<br />
storm drain systems (20%), and entering<br />
crawlspaces where they could become trapped<br />
(20%).<br />
• Male cats were more likely to exhibit risky<br />
behavior than female cats; older cats exhibited<br />
fewer risky behaviors.<br />
Among the researchers’ surprises: Cats sometimes adopt<br />
a second set <strong>of</strong> owners, going into another household for<br />
food and affection.<br />
Researchers were also surprised by the hunting habits<br />
<strong>of</strong> the cats, said Hernandez. In particular, factors such<br />
as gender were surprisingly insignificant in predicting<br />
whether a cat was a hunter. And only a minority <strong>of</strong> the<br />
cats hunted, but the hunting habits <strong>of</strong> the cats are still<br />
significant for urban wildlife populations.<br />
“Probably the most surprising finding is that the most<br />
frequent prey were reptiles,” she said. “Birds and small<br />
mammals receive a lot <strong>of</strong> media attention and are more<br />
easily ‘noticed’ by owners (e.g., coming home to a pile<br />
<strong>of</strong> feathers) than a dead (and likely desiccated) lizard on<br />
the porch, so it makes sense. But reptiles play extremely<br />
important ecosystem functions (e.g., lizards consuming<br />
insects) in our backyards and should receive more<br />
attention.”<br />
The recent media attention, she added, was actually<br />
spurred by a press release from the American Bird<br />
Conservancy that used the results <strong>of</strong> the study to<br />
extrapolate the number <strong>of</strong> hunting cats in the country and<br />
its potential effect on bird populations.<br />
“We are happy that it has re-initiated a conversation<br />
about why we need to supervise our cats when they are<br />
outdoors for two reasons,” she said.<br />
First, cats that hunt are adding to all the other alreadypresent<br />
pressures on our urban wildlife, she said. For some<br />
people, urban wildlife is sometimes the only wildlife that<br />
they will get to see or experience and urban habitats may<br />
be the last frontier for some species, so it would be nice to<br />
keep it free <strong>of</strong> non-native predators.<br />
5<br />
The <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Georgia College <strong>of</strong> Veterinary Medicine
Photos courtesy <strong>of</strong> kittycams.uga.edu<br />
“Second, no veterinarian will dispute that cats that<br />
live indoors or are supervised when outdoors live<br />
longer, healthier lives,” she said. “As a former clinician,<br />
first <strong>of</strong> small animals, I hated to see cats poisoned or<br />
hit by vehicles brought to the clinic. Later as wildlife<br />
practitioner, I felt it was unfair that so many critters<br />
would end up in the hospital with fatal injuries from<br />
cats.”<br />
The study is now looking for funding to apply this<br />
technology to study a colony <strong>of</strong> feral cats that are<br />
managed as a trap-neuter-release colony and whose<br />
manager is truly interested in knowing what the cats<br />
are doing.<br />
“We know there are behavioral differences between<br />
owned pet cats and feral cats and we would like to<br />
understand how that translates to their hunting<br />
behavior,” she said. “We are looking for other feral cat<br />
colony managers who would be willing to collaborate<br />
on this effort because this technology and its analysis<br />
is a very objective methodology and we are interested<br />
in bridging the gap between cat and wildlife activists<br />
and solid science.”<br />
Hernandez is an assistant pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> wildlife disease<br />
who is jointly appointed to the CVM’s Southeastern<br />
Wildlife Disease Study and the UGA Warnell School <strong>of</strong><br />
Forestry and Natural Resources. Her co-collaborators on<br />
the project were: The National Geographic Society; John<br />
P. Carroll, pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> wildlife ecology and management<br />
at Warnell; and, graduate student Kerrie Anne Loyd.<br />
Sponsorship for the project was provided by: The<br />
National Geographic Society; Kenneth A. Scott<br />
Charitable Trust, a KeyBank Trust; the Morris Animal<br />
Foundation Veterinary Scholars Program; Oconee<br />
Rivers Audubon Society; the Warnell School <strong>of</strong> Forestry<br />
and Natural Resources; Pender Pet Caring Foundation.<br />
For More<br />
Information<br />
For more details on the study,<br />
including video footage and photos,<br />
visit: www.kittycams.uga.edu<br />
<strong>Aesculapian</strong> <strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2012</strong>/<strong>Winter</strong> <strong>2013</strong> 6
CollegeNews<br />
Overuse <strong>of</strong> Deworming Drugs Led to<br />
Widespread Resistance Among Parasites<br />
By James Hataway<br />
long-forgotten foe is beginning to reemerge on<br />
A pastures and meadows around the world, and farmers<br />
are finding that they have no way to combat it. Parasitic<br />
worms infecting cows, sheep, goats and horses are<br />
becoming resistant to the drugs used to kill them, and if<br />
changes are not made in how the few remaining drugs that<br />
still work are used, there may be no way left to fight the<br />
growing threat, according to Ray Kaplan, a <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />
Georgia pr<strong>of</strong>essor in the department <strong>of</strong> infectious diseases.<br />
Kaplan has studied drug-resistant parasites for<br />
years, and his findings recently published in the journal<br />
Veterinary Parasitology warn that the continued overuse <strong>of</strong><br />
deworming drugs has the potential to create parasites that<br />
cannot be killed.<br />
“We’re already seeing the<br />
worst-case scenario playing<br />
out,” Kaplan said. “In goats<br />
particularly, which have the<br />
worst problems with parasites<br />
and drug resistance, we quite<br />
frequently see farms that<br />
have parasite resistance to all<br />
dewormers. Some <strong>of</strong> these<br />
farms reached the point where<br />
they no longer could control<br />
the effects <strong>of</strong> the parasites and<br />
decided to go out <strong>of</strong> business.”<br />
It wasn’t always this<br />
way. Forty years ago when<br />
deworming drugs were widely<br />
adopted by farmers and<br />
ranchers, the new treatments looked like a simple solution<br />
to an age-old problem. Parasites typically do not cause<br />
severe illness or death, but they do make animals grow<br />
more slowly and produce less meat, milk or wool.<br />
With the simple application <strong>of</strong> a drug, farmers were<br />
able to raise animals that were bigger, stronger and more<br />
productive. Veterinarians and parasitologists advised<br />
widespread use <strong>of</strong> the new drugs as a prophylactic. Rather<br />
than treating only the animals with heavy parasitic<br />
infections that were ill, farmers frequently started giving<br />
doses to all animals.<br />
The Haemonchus contortus, also known as the barber pole worm,<br />
shown with its eggs. Photo provided by the Kaplan Lab.<br />
“It was like a golden age where all <strong>of</strong> a sudden the<br />
parasites that farmers have been dealing with for so long<br />
were gone,” Kaplan said. “Our animals never looked better,<br />
they never produced better, and so it made sense to keep<br />
giving animals these drugs.”<br />
But as farmers reaped the benefits, parasites were<br />
slowly evolving immunity to the drugs. Eventually, the<br />
drugs stopped working, and farmers scrambled for new<br />
pharmaceuticals–or made cocktails comprised <strong>of</strong> several<br />
drugs to keep the worms at bay.<br />
Kaplan worries that if the industry continues<br />
to overuse the few remaining drugs that still work,<br />
widespread resistance will decrease the pr<strong>of</strong>itability <strong>of</strong><br />
raising livestock and force<br />
more farmers out <strong>of</strong> business.<br />
To correct the problem,<br />
Kaplan says farmers must<br />
adjust their attitudes about<br />
parasites and make some<br />
fundamental changes to how<br />
they care for their animals.<br />
“We’re trying to change<br />
the paradigm <strong>of</strong> parasite<br />
control so that farmers are<br />
willing to accept a certain level<br />
<strong>of</strong> production loss in exchange<br />
for sustainability,” Kaplan said.<br />
“We need to use less <strong>of</strong> these<br />
drugs and use them more<br />
intelligently and selectively.”<br />
The mere presence <strong>of</strong><br />
parasites in an animal is no cause for alarm. In fact, it is<br />
something Kaplan would like farmers to view as natural<br />
and normal. Most animals have only low-level worm<br />
infections, so rather than treating every animal to prevent<br />
the development <strong>of</strong> worms, Kaplan suggests reserving drug<br />
use only for those animals that develop large or dangerous<br />
infections. This will limit the number <strong>of</strong> parasites exposed<br />
to the drugs, and slow the development <strong>of</strong> resistance.<br />
Kaplan also suggests changing the ways in which<br />
farmers allow their animals to graze. The parasitic worms<br />
live in the gastrointestinal tract <strong>of</strong> livestock, and eggs are<br />
7<br />
The <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Georgia College <strong>of</strong> Veterinary Medicine
passed in animal feces. The eggs hatch and develop into<br />
worm larvae, which then crawl onto the grass. Livestock<br />
become infected when they graze on the pasture and ingest<br />
the larvae.<br />
If animals are allowed to graze freely on large, open<br />
pastures, they will naturally tend to favor some segments<br />
<strong>of</strong> the pasture more than others. As they congregate more<br />
in those areas, they come in contact with more fecal matter<br />
and, consequently, more parasites, he said.<br />
A simple solution to this problem is to divide the<br />
pasture into segments with fencing and to periodically<br />
rotate animals to new grass. The new areas have fewer<br />
parasites, and many <strong>of</strong> the parasites left behind on old<br />
pasture will die naturally before the animals return.<br />
“This decreases exposure,” Kaplan said. “Although it’s<br />
the same number <strong>of</strong> animals on the same amount <strong>of</strong> land,<br />
by rotating pastures, the animals are less exposed to the<br />
parasites and have less need for treatment.”<br />
These methods have proven successful in farms<br />
Kaplan has visited where parasite drug resistance was<br />
extremely high, and he hopes that they serve as an example<br />
Haemonchus contortus worms in the stomach <strong>of</strong> a sheep. You can see<br />
the “barber pole” appearance <strong>of</strong> the worms. Photo courtesy <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Kaplan Lab.<br />
to other farmers who might be hesitant to adopt the simple,<br />
more sustainable approach.<br />
“If you use a drug to kill an infectious agent such as<br />
bacteria, viruses or parasites, eventually you probably will<br />
get drug resistance,” Kaplan said. “But how rapidly that<br />
occurs, whether it occurs over several years or several<br />
decades, will be determined by how the drug is used.”<br />
Don’t miss the College <strong>of</strong> Veterinary Medicine’s next<br />
OPEN HOUSE<br />
Friday, April 5th, <strong>2013</strong><br />
For more information or for directions to the College, please visit us at:<br />
www.vet.uga.edu/openhouse
CollegeNews<br />
In Case<br />
<strong>of</strong> an<br />
Emergency<br />
UGA College <strong>of</strong> Veterinary<br />
Medicine prepares<br />
emergency shelter for pets<br />
By Sarah Freeman<br />
When the word “emergency” is spoken in the halls <strong>of</strong><br />
the UGA College <strong>of</strong> Veterinary Medicine (CVM),<br />
most people think <strong>of</strong> a medical emergency, which can<br />
be treated in the UGA Veterinary Teaching Hospital.<br />
However, thanks to a dedicated group <strong>of</strong> faculty and staff members,<br />
there is another type <strong>of</strong> emergency with which the CVM is involved:<br />
helping healthy animals that need somewhere to go when disaster<br />
strikes their home. The answer is in the creation <strong>of</strong> the Pet Friendly<br />
Shelter.<br />
The mostly likely scenario for using this type <strong>of</strong> shelter would<br />
be if a hurricane or some other natural disaster hit the coast <strong>of</strong><br />
Georgia, explains Steffen Sum, DVM, an assistant pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> small<br />
animal internal medicine. Sum and six CVM colleagues, including<br />
committee chair Amie Koenig, DVM, an associate pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> small<br />
animal emergency/critical care medicine, have been instrumental in<br />
developing the plan for the animal shelter.<br />
9<br />
The <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Georgia College <strong>of</strong> Veterinary Medicine
If the shelter is ever needed, it would be housed in<br />
the UGA Livestock Instructional Arena on Milledge<br />
Avenue in Athens, south <strong>of</strong> the State Botanical Garden <strong>of</strong><br />
Georgia. The shelter can accommodate up to 250 dogs,<br />
up to 150 cats, and approximately 30 small mammals, like<br />
hamsters and gerbils. No reptiles or birds are allowed, and<br />
large animals, such as horses, would be referred to other<br />
facilities, <strong>of</strong> which the CVM has a list. The shelter would<br />
be open to, and free for, pets whose owners are staying at<br />
the human shelter at the UGA Ramsey Student Center.<br />
“This is an extension <strong>of</strong> the human shelter,” Sum says.<br />
“Ramsey can accommodate up to 500 people, and we<br />
estimate for every 10 people there may be one pet. It’s<br />
hard to know how many pets would come, but this<br />
animal shelter should be sufficient. We hope we never get<br />
activated, but we have to be prepared.”<br />
The advantages <strong>of</strong> using<br />
the UGA Livestock Arena,<br />
which is operated by the<br />
UGA College <strong>of</strong> Agricultural<br />
and Environmental Sciences<br />
(CAES), are that it contains<br />
some climate-controlled<br />
areas, it is presently set up<br />
for animals, and it is in close<br />
proximity to the human<br />
shelter, as well as to the CVM,<br />
which will provide staffing<br />
for the facility. Plans call for<br />
faculty members, technicians and students to take on<br />
various roles if the shelter should be activated, and FEMA<br />
would reimburse the shelter for most <strong>of</strong> the expenses.<br />
Since 2006, when Congress passed the Pets Evacuation<br />
and Transportation Standards Act (PETS Act), a<br />
committee from the CVM has been creating plans to<br />
establish and staff an emergency animal shelter. The PETS<br />
Act was adopted in response to Hurricane Katrina and the<br />
fact that many people did not follow orders to evacuate<br />
because they were afraid to leave their pets. Many <strong>of</strong><br />
the shelters were not equipped to provide shelter for the<br />
animals. To avoid situations like this in the future, each<br />
state was charged with coming up with a way to address<br />
these scenarios.<br />
Georgia’s former governor, Sonny Perdue, charged<br />
Dean Sheila Allen with setting up an ad-hoc committee<br />
to come up with suggestions. Research was done by<br />
contacting several agencies that worked with animals<br />
“There is still a lot <strong>of</strong> work left,”<br />
concluded Sum, “but, a plan exists<br />
and now we have to implement the<br />
plan. People consider pets to be<br />
members <strong>of</strong> their family, and there<br />
has to be a plan to help these family<br />
members. It’s better to be prepared<br />
than surprised.”<br />
during Hurricane Katrina, as well as with other CVMs,<br />
about programs they implement. While some states have<br />
mobile units that provide assistance to animals in case <strong>of</strong><br />
emergency, or pet-friendly human shelters, no other state<br />
is known to have an animal-specific emergency shelter.<br />
After the ad-hoc group met and planned over a twoyear<br />
period, there was so much work to be done that a<br />
permanent committee was established to work closely with<br />
the CAES, the UGA Office <strong>of</strong> Security and Emergency<br />
Preparedness (OSEP), and several other organizations.<br />
Although a lot <strong>of</strong> work has been done and there is a large<br />
to-do list, the animal emergency shelter could be activated<br />
at any time, should the need arise.<br />
“We have made some significant progress,” says Sum,<br />
“but there are still a lot <strong>of</strong> details to put together.”<br />
This fall, the Georgia Emergency Management Agency<br />
(GEMA) sponsored a mock<br />
emergency exercise where the<br />
shelter opened and accepted<br />
pets (which were actually<br />
stuffed animals). Participants<br />
in the exercise included the<br />
CVM, the UGA Center for<br />
Agribusiness & Economic<br />
Development, the OESP, the<br />
UGA Community Emergency<br />
Response Team (CERT),<br />
CAES, the American Red<br />
Cross, and representatives<br />
from local animal shelters. The exercise took staff<br />
members through many scenarios from setting up<br />
operations, computer systems, and photographing the pets<br />
for identification, to responding to different emergencies<br />
like what to do if an owner is bitten by an animal or how to<br />
prevent the pets from being lost or stolen.<br />
The exercise was a good practice run, and helped<br />
highlight issues that need improvement. Securing pledges<br />
<strong>of</strong> help from vendors in case <strong>of</strong> emergency, working with<br />
student groups like the UGA CVM’s student chapter <strong>of</strong><br />
the Association <strong>of</strong> Shelter Veterinarians to plan annual<br />
training, and improving ventilation <strong>of</strong> the building are a<br />
few <strong>of</strong> the items on the to-do list.<br />
“There is still a lot <strong>of</strong> work left,” concluded Sum, “but,<br />
a plan exists and now we have to implement the plan.<br />
People consider pets to be members <strong>of</strong> their family, and<br />
there has to be a plan to help these family members. It’s<br />
better to be prepared than surprised.”<br />
<strong>Aesculapian</strong> <strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2012</strong>/<strong>Winter</strong> <strong>2013</strong> 10
CollegeNews<br />
The Miracle<br />
<strong>of</strong> Rascal<br />
By Sarah Freeman<br />
Photo courtesy <strong>of</strong> Carmen Studio Story<br />
John Mazzola and his dog, Rascal, are inseparable.<br />
They have been since John Mazzola’s wife, Penny,<br />
found Rascal in a pet store when he was just a puppy.<br />
“I am so thankful Penny found him. She knew I was<br />
mourning the loss <strong>of</strong> my previous dog, Gizmo, who passed<br />
away after 14-and-a-half years. She knew I needed a<br />
Rascal in my life.”<br />
Whether John Mazzola and Rascal are walking around<br />
town doing errands, going to s<strong>of</strong>tball games at the local<br />
park, or riding in Mazzola’s car (affectionately called the<br />
“Rascal-mobile” because <strong>of</strong> his “1Rascal” license plate), the<br />
two have created a very special bond. And the dedication<br />
Mazzola showed Rascal by coming to visit him nearly<br />
every day <strong>of</strong> Rascal’s nearly two-and-a-half week stay and<br />
two surgeries at the UGA Veterinary Teaching Hospital<br />
(VTH) is even more testament to their bond.<br />
Rascal, a Yorkshire Terrier who weighs not even 15<br />
pounds, was hit by a pickup truck while he and Mazolla<br />
were walking near their home in downtown Gray, Ga., in<br />
early August. Mazolla scooped Rascal up and whisked him<br />
to their local veterinarian in Gray who gave Rascal an IV,<br />
took initial X-rays and sent him to the UGA VTH.<br />
“My veterinarian said the only chance Rascal had was to<br />
go to the UGA Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Athens,”<br />
recalls Mazzola about the day he, his wife and Rascal made<br />
their first trip to the UGA VTH. “We made it to Athens in<br />
about half the time it should have taken, and they knew we<br />
were coming. The UGA emergency veterinarians were out<br />
in the parking lot to meet us at the car.”<br />
Rascal immediately went into the emergency room<br />
where several fractures were confirmed; the doctors also<br />
found damage to his abdomen, including a ruptured<br />
bladder. He was put on a ventilator to help his breathing.<br />
“At the initial meeting that night, I was falling to pieces.<br />
11<br />
The <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Georgia College <strong>of</strong> Veterinary Medicine
My wife was falling to pieces. His condition was not good<br />
and we didn’t know what would happen to him.”<br />
The next several days were a roller coaster <strong>of</strong> emotions,<br />
filled with uncertainty, then optimism, then more<br />
concerns.<br />
“The miracle <strong>of</strong> Rascal was actually two-fold,” recalls<br />
Mazzola. “The first miracle was surviving the first 24<br />
hours and then a five-hour surgery. The second major<br />
miracle came when E. coli bacteria set in a few days after<br />
the accident. For the second time, we were told the next 24<br />
hours would be critical. And again, he pulled through.”<br />
Through all <strong>of</strong> Rascal’s peaks and valleys during his stay<br />
at the hospital, John Mazzola was there almost every day.<br />
Several nights he even stayed in a local hotel to ensure he<br />
could visit early the next morning.<br />
“The miracle <strong>of</strong> Rascal was actually<br />
two-fold,” recalls Mazzola. “The<br />
first miracle was surviving the first<br />
24 hours and then a five-hour surgery.<br />
The second major miracle<br />
came when E. coli bacteria set in a<br />
few days after the accident. For the<br />
second time, we were told the next<br />
24 hours would be critical. And<br />
again, he pulled through.”<br />
must have been painful, the hospital staff at UGA always<br />
made sure Rascal was comfortable. I think he got better<br />
care there than most people get in a human hospital. If<br />
anything happens to me, take me to the veterinary<br />
hospital!” says Mazzola.<br />
Now, more than five months after the surgery, Rascal is<br />
doing great.<br />
“The fact that Rascal is alive today really is a miracle,”<br />
asserts Mazzola. “Rascal is back to his old self. He jumps<br />
on the s<strong>of</strong>a and wants to do everything he used to do. He<br />
has gained some weight, too, and you can’t really tell where<br />
his scars are.”<br />
“You need to know that my local veterinarian did not<br />
think that Rascal would live long enough to get from Gray<br />
to Athens, but she did not realize that Rascal was in God’s<br />
hands,” recalls Mazzola. “He got us there, and He knew<br />
that your faculty and staff would do the rest.”<br />
“Every morning started with an update <strong>of</strong> how Rascal<br />
had done the night before, and what time I could see him<br />
that day,” remembers Mazzola. “In the first 72 hours, I<br />
must have gotten six phone calls with updates, plus my<br />
visits. I thought that was really great to reassure me at such<br />
a critical time.”<br />
Mazzola really got to know the receptionists, the doctors,<br />
the veterinary technicians, and the rest <strong>of</strong> the staff during<br />
his frequent visits.<br />
“After all that he went through, and knowing that it<br />
Rascal<br />
Photo courtesy <strong>of</strong> Carmen Studio Story<br />
<strong>Aesculapian</strong> <strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2012</strong>/<strong>Winter</strong> <strong>2013</strong> 12
CollegeNews<br />
Picture<br />
your<br />
pet<br />
Photogenic Felines<br />
and Camera-happy<br />
Canines Chosen as<br />
<strong>2012</strong> ‘Picture Your<br />
Veterinarians Pet’ Finalists<br />
serving public By Sarah Freeman<br />
health in the<br />
Epidemic<br />
Intelligence<br />
........................<br />
After a multi-year hiatus, the UGA<br />
Veterinary Teaching Hospital’s (VTH)<br />
Picture Your Pet contest returned with a flurry<br />
in <strong>2012</strong>. We received more than 250 wonderful<br />
entries <strong>of</strong> personable pets displaying a range <strong>of</strong><br />
emotions: pensive and playful, sweet and sassy,<br />
inquisitive and engaging.<br />
Following a review by a panel <strong>of</strong> judges, 34<br />
photographs were selected as the winning entries.<br />
There was no single winner, but rather several<br />
winners from each <strong>of</strong> four categories: dogs, cats,<br />
horses and miscellaneous animals. What follows<br />
is a representative sample <strong>of</strong> winning entries,<br />
complete with the photo and story about the<br />
........................<br />
animal, from each category.<br />
>>>><br />
My Dakota<br />
Category: Dogs<br />
Submitted by Angie Garcia<br />
Photo by Anne Yarbrough<br />
Dakota was diagnosed with<br />
hemangiosarcoma in the summer <strong>of</strong><br />
2011. Despite the wonderful care <strong>of</strong> the<br />
UGA faculty and staff who operated on<br />
him and administered his regular chemo<br />
treatments, he succumbed to the dreaded disease<br />
in September 2011. It was an emotional time, as<br />
Dakota was my first canine companion when I was<br />
on my own as an adult. We grew a lot together. I<br />
couldn’t have asked for a more faithful friend and<br />
a superb mentor for all the foster pups we took in<br />
over the years. His legacy lives on in each and every<br />
one <strong>of</strong> those pups, and his spirit will live on forever<br />
in my heart.<br />
13<br />
The <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Georgia College <strong>of</strong> Veterinary Medicine
Luna: It’s All Right to<br />
be Little-Bitty<br />
Category: Horses/Ponies<br />
Submitted by Polly Cleveland<br />
Luna is a 5-year-old American<br />
Miniature mare who stands<br />
28-inches tall at the withers. Luna<br />
would not be alive today if it<br />
were not for the UGA College <strong>of</strong><br />
Veterinary Medicine. At just four<br />
weeks <strong>of</strong> age, weighing about 40<br />
pounds, she underwent colic surgery<br />
and a gastrostomy. Miraculously,<br />
Luna survived and prospered.<br />
Today, she is an exceptional halter<br />
show horse, and she also gives back<br />
by visiting schools and nursing<br />
homes, where she is always a favorite<br />
due to her small size and coloring.<br />
>>>>>><br />
Parker Chambers:<br />
Bright-eyed Parker<br />
Category: Cats<br />
Submitted by Colleen Chambers<br />
Parker was the beautiful orange<br />
tabby who was the joy in our day<br />
for almost 11 years. His social,<br />
affectionate nature captivated the<br />
hearts <strong>of</strong> everyone he met. Just like<br />
most cats, Parker spent his days<br />
watching the birds, sleeping in the<br />
sun, playfully chasing his brother, and<br />
purring contently during a belly rub.<br />
During the last four years, Parker<br />
encountered some health problems<br />
that brought us to the UGA Veterinary<br />
Teaching Hospital on many occasions.<br />
Although the circumstances were<br />
less than desirable, the experience <strong>of</strong><br />
meeting such dedicated pr<strong>of</strong>essionals<br />
working tirelessly to provide exceptional<br />
care <strong>of</strong>fered such comfort and hope. The<br />
care that Parker received allowed us four<br />
additional years together.<br />
>>>><br />
>>>>>><br />
<strong>Aesculapian</strong> <strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2012</strong>/<strong>Winter</strong> <strong>2013</strong> 14
CollegeNews<br />
>>>>><br />
Arrow: A Kiss for<br />
My Sweet Arrow<br />
Category: Miscellaneous Pets<br />
Submitted by Nickie Carter<br />
Photo by Rick Carter<br />
Arrow Carter is a<br />
14-month-old Standard<br />
Bronze turkey. She has been<br />
raised with an enormous<br />
amount <strong>of</strong> love and<br />
attention. As a fuzzy poult,<br />
her head was adorned with<br />
a marking that was perfectly<br />
shaped like an arrow. As<br />
she grew, that fuzz was<br />
replaced with feathers, but<br />
the name stuck with her.<br />
Recently Arrow became a<br />
patient <strong>of</strong> the VTH when<br />
her crop suddenly enlarged<br />
and would not properly<br />
empty. Thankfully, the<br />
doctors and staff were able<br />
to successfully treat her and<br />
send her back home with us<br />
the next day. And, today she<br />
is doing great!<br />
>>>>><br />
Hurley: Puppy Portrait<br />
Category: Dogs<br />
Submitted by David and Iniray Luper<br />
One day just before he turned one, Hurley’s legs went lame and<br />
he developed a fever, which regularly peaked at over 106 degrees for<br />
two-and-a-half weeks. Our veterinarian could not figure out what was<br />
wrong. Hurley stopped eating and drinking, he could not walk, and he<br />
was in immense pain. He was admitted to the UGA Veterinary Teaching<br />
Hospital’s Emergency/Critical Care Service, where he stayed for five<br />
days, and was diagnosed with immune mediated polyarthritis. We were<br />
so shaken up and worried, but the veterinarians and staff at UGA saved<br />
our buddy! They put him on prednisone, which wound up resetting his<br />
immune system. Now he is a healthy 3 year old! Hurley is part <strong>of</strong> our<br />
family, and we can’t thank the folks at the UGA VTH enough for saving<br />
him!<br />
15<br />
The <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Georgia College <strong>of</strong> Veterinary Medicine
.....................................................<br />
<strong>2012</strong> Picture Your Pet Contest Finalists<br />
Pet: Entry Name Client’s Name Hometown<br />
Category: Felines<br />
Bombom: All Mine Elsa Mann Lawrenceville, Ga.<br />
Chelsey and Angel: Window Dreams Lisa Last Moore Athens, Ga.<br />
Cyndy: Cyndy and the Shoe Lisa Williamson Bogart, Ga.<br />
Sienna: Kitten in Cement Block Lisa Hood Elberton, Ga.<br />
Lana: Headphones Mark Reagin Athens, Ga.<br />
Meko: Looking Out Gregory Mann Lawrenceville, Ga.<br />
Parker: Bright-eyed Parker Colleen Chambers Suwanee, Ga.<br />
Category: Canines<br />
Addy: On Chair Cory Gresham <strong>Winter</strong>ville, Ga.<br />
Asa Katie Beacham Atlanta, Ga.<br />
Chelsea: Got Cookies Teresa Bacon Watkinsville, Ga.<br />
Dakota: My Dakota (by Anne Yarbrough) Angie Garcia Athens, Ga.<br />
Eddie and Merlin: Cuddling Cecile Thompson Gainesville, Ga.<br />
Fantasy 5 Times Two Angelia Chappelear <strong>Winter</strong>ville, Ga.<br />
Gunner: Portrait No. 8,124 Sean Dunn & Cheryl Juska Athens, Ga.<br />
HRCH Clubmead’s Alli Gator (by Mark Atwater) Brenda & David McLendon Loganville, Ga.<br />
Hurley: Puppy Portrait David & Iniray Luper Athens, Ga.<br />
Liberty and Legend: Friends Leo Sage Athens, Ga.<br />
Mamie Daniel Smith Athens, Ga.<br />
Newman Becky Goldman Lincolnton, Ga.<br />
Paddy: On the Beach Mala Charapich Marietta, Ga.<br />
Rascal (by Carmen Story) John Mazzola Gray, Ga.<br />
Rocky: Sleepy Kathi Liebe Milledgeville, Ga.<br />
Socs: Happy Socs (by Gary Butts) Evelyn Smith Alpharetta, Ga.<br />
Templeton: Just Relaxin’ Phyllis Avery Elberton, Ga.<br />
Zachary: He is the Window to My Soul Sean Dunn & Cheryl Juska Athens, Ga.<br />
Category: Horses/Ponies<br />
Gee Whiz Diane Kirby Greensboro, Ga.<br />
Gracie Hannah Williams Overland Park, Kan.<br />
Gunner: What the Hay Carrie & Mike Russell Carlton, Ga.<br />
Luna: It’s All Right to be Little-Bitty Polly Cleveland <strong>Winter</strong>ville, Ga.<br />
Olivia: A Kiss is Worth a Thousand Words Ashley Lohmeyer Roswell, Ga.<br />
(by Alex Smith)<br />
Category: Misc. Animals<br />
Arrow: A Kiss for My Sweet Arrow Nickie & Rick Carter Bogart, Ga.<br />
Fred Renee & Jamie Barber Bogart, Ga.<br />
Stillcrazy<br />
.....................................................<br />
Farm Rosie Robbie Buchanan Jefferson, Ga.<br />
TuTu Charming and Mary Mae Lisa Williamson Bogart, Ga.<br />
For a complete list <strong>of</strong> winning entries and a link to the slide show,<br />
please visit www.vet.uga.edu/go/photo-contest.php, or scan this QR<br />
code with your smart phone.<br />
<strong>Aesculapian</strong> <strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2012</strong>/<strong>Winter</strong> <strong>2013</strong> 16
StudentNews<br />
Inspired in<br />
Bahrain<br />
Student’s visit stirs scholarship potential<br />
Photos and story by Taylor “Eve” Winkleman (DVM ’15)<br />
Editor’s Note<br />
For second-year veterinary student<br />
Taylor “Eve” Winkleman, the path to pursue<br />
a veterinary education has been unique.<br />
Winkleman served in the U.S. Army from<br />
2001 through 2007, with several tours <strong>of</strong><br />
duty in Iraq. During her time in the service,<br />
she learned about the importance <strong>of</strong> animals<br />
as companions. Her own memory <strong>of</strong> that<br />
companionship, as she endured the hot, humid<br />
conditions while posted on guard, never<br />
left her. Upon returning home, Winkleman<br />
adopted several dogs, fostered others, and<br />
ultimately, recognizing her love <strong>of</strong> animals to<br />
be strong, decided to become a veterinarian.<br />
In Summer <strong>2012</strong>, Winkleman traveled back<br />
to the Middle East to do an externship with<br />
the Bahrain Society for the Prevention <strong>of</strong><br />
Cruelty to Animals (BSPCA). Inspired by<br />
not only the tenacious spirit <strong>of</strong> the animals<br />
she encountered in Bahrain, but also by the<br />
sheer number <strong>of</strong> animals in need <strong>of</strong> care,<br />
and by the hardworking, but limited staff and<br />
resources, Winkleman is hoping to establish a<br />
collaborative scholarship, between the UGA<br />
CVM and BSPCA, that will help send other<br />
students to assist with the care <strong>of</strong> animals<br />
in Bahrain. Formerly a photographer with<br />
the Augusta (Ga.) Metro Spirit newspaper,<br />
Winkleman strapped on her camera to<br />
document her journey. What follows is her<br />
personal story <strong>of</strong> the experience, documented<br />
both by personal essay and photographs.<br />
17<br />
The <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Georgia<br />
College <strong>of</strong> Veterinary Medicine
ever have so few<br />
“Ndone so much with<br />
so little.” I remember those<br />
words being spoken to me,<br />
and my two fellow linguists<br />
in my unit in Baghdad, in<br />
February <strong>of</strong> 2005. We were<br />
about to leave, and the<br />
brigade commander came to<br />
thank us personally for our<br />
efforts.<br />
Moments like that stay with<br />
you, and they snowball. In my<br />
case, it gave me an incredible<br />
amount <strong>of</strong> confidence in the<br />
difference that one person<br />
(or three) can make. I had<br />
a notion that if I believed<br />
enough in what I was doing<br />
and was willing to work<br />
hard enough, that nothing<br />
was impossible. So last year,<br />
when I decided that I wanted<br />
to go to a Middle Eastern<br />
country for an externship,<br />
and chose Bahrain, the fact<br />
that there was no externship<br />
program, nor even any kind<br />
<strong>of</strong> veterinary program in the<br />
country, did not deter me. I<br />
emailed, and emailed, and<br />
emailed, and asked friends<br />
who were in the country to<br />
go check out the Bahrain<br />
Society for the Prevention <strong>of</strong><br />
Cruelty to Animals (BSPCA).<br />
And, I kept emailing until I<br />
had secured the permission<br />
<strong>of</strong> the BSPCA to let me travel<br />
to Bahrain for my entire 12-<br />
week summer vacation and<br />
work with their veterinarian.<br />
It was a brutally hot<br />
summer, habitually reaching<br />
above 120 degrees in the<br />
afternoons. Air conditioning<br />
brought the temperature in<br />
the <strong>of</strong>fice or the surgery suite<br />
down to a balmy 98 degrees<br />
most days. While I was there,<br />
I got to work with more than<br />
500 animals, mostly dogs and<br />
cats, which were brought into<br />
the shelter by people from all<br />
over the island. I wish I could<br />
tell all 500 stories, because<br />
<strong>Aesculapian</strong> <strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2012</strong>/<strong>Winter</strong> <strong>2013</strong> 18
StudentNews<br />
every single animal that I saw over the summer meant<br />
something to me, and felt important.<br />
I will tell you about Budge, a gorgeous white and<br />
gray longhaired, smash-faced beauty <strong>of</strong> a cat with<br />
huge paws. He came onto my radar because he had a<br />
persistent cough, and being the student veterinarian,<br />
I got the opportunity to do the treatments because<br />
the BSPCA did not have any veterinary technicians<br />
to assist the sole veterinarian. While Budge didn’t<br />
particularly enjoy having oral medicines every day, he<br />
was a very sweet cat, and I came to look forward to<br />
giving him his treatments. But his cough didn’t get any<br />
better.<br />
Hansel Geo Thomas, 26, a young Indian native<br />
to Bahrain, has a lot on his plate. He is the sole<br />
veterinarian at the BSPCA. The country’s Trap-Neuter-<br />
Release Program is his brainchild, but it is also going<br />
to give him more work than he has time for, and his<br />
wife just gave birth to their first son. So when I asked<br />
him about Budge’s persistent cough, he wasn’t terribly<br />
optimistic. He said it was most likely hypertrophic<br />
cardiomyopathy, a condition that would render Budge<br />
unadoptable.<br />
Between the two <strong>of</strong> us, we had so much work to do<br />
that it took about two weeks for us to find the time<br />
to ultrasound Budge’s heart. In that time, I had taken<br />
to spending a little bit <strong>of</strong> time with Budge every day,<br />
and was charmed by a cat who literally hugged me<br />
when I picked him up, and seemed happiest when he<br />
was in my arms. He purred like a broken lawnmower.<br />
But sure enough, when we gave him an ultrasound,<br />
Budge’s heart was too big. He was unadoptable, and<br />
that was surely a death sentence for the poor cat.<br />
I’m pretty sure you all know what’s coming next.<br />
And you’re right: I couldn’t stand the thought <strong>of</strong><br />
this cat being put to sleep. So, I took him home. The<br />
running joke at the BSPCA is that Budge’s heart is so<br />
big because he loves so much more than other cats.<br />
Whatever it is, I know that Budge loves mango yogurt<br />
and Pringles, long naps and cuddling, and he will<br />
travel to the U.S. in early <strong>2013</strong>, when my friend in<br />
Bahrain comes back to the States.<br />
Budge is one <strong>of</strong> the more than 2,000 animals that go<br />
through the BSPCA every year. The organization has<br />
no government funding, is almost entirely volunteerrun,<br />
and yet, somehow, manages to make a difference.<br />
Now they have a Trap-Neuter-Release Program,<br />
neutering more than 50 animals a week in an effort to<br />
bring the island’s stray population <strong>of</strong> more than 20,000<br />
under control humanely. They are an organization that<br />
works with the local population and culture. Through<br />
persistence, and an incredible amount <strong>of</strong> confidence<br />
in the impact that a small group <strong>of</strong> people can have,<br />
they are making a difference. For the past summer, I<br />
was a part <strong>of</strong> that effort.<br />
I learned a lot <strong>of</strong> the things that no one tells<br />
you about being a veterinarian. I learned about<br />
understanding the difference between what could be<br />
done in a perfect world and what can be done with<br />
the available resources and supplies. I learned about<br />
myself, all over again, from a new and different angle. I<br />
learned about what it truly means to have people look<br />
at you for the answer, trusting that you know it simply<br />
because you’re “the vet.” This nebulous concept <strong>of</strong><br />
“veterinarianhood” that we all think about as students<br />
is an awful lot more solid and real for me now, and<br />
that is due to my time at the BSPCA.<br />
I don’t want to keep that experience to myself. So<br />
I have decided to start a scholarship to send other<br />
students to Bahrain, students that might otherwise<br />
not be able to have the kind <strong>of</strong> experience that I<br />
did. I want to do this because I know the difference<br />
that one person can have over the summer, and the<br />
difference that the BSPCA can make in a person over<br />
the summer. I want other people to believe in the kind<br />
<strong>of</strong> difference that we can make as veterinarians. These<br />
are the few people who do so much with so little, day<br />
in and day out. And I would love, more than anything,<br />
for my fellow students to know what it feels like to be<br />
one <strong>of</strong> those few.<br />
19<br />
The <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Georgia College <strong>of</strong> Veterinary Medicine
1 2<br />
3<br />
Clockwise from top left: 1. Budge and me at the shelter. This is the famous Budge-hug, and is one <strong>of</strong> the many<br />
reasons I ended up adopting him. Photo courtesy <strong>of</strong> Clint Smith. 2. This handsome little guy is Chocco, a<br />
feisty kitten who spent most <strong>of</strong> his time playing in the shelter. Had I the ability, I probably would have taken<br />
home every animal at the shelter, but this guy was pretty special, and I considered taking him home more than<br />
once. 3. Saying goodbye to Hope, a sweet pit mix who came in with an impacted collar and stayed because she<br />
was pregnant. Her daughters Joy and Grace were adopted shortly after I left. Photo courtesy <strong>of</strong> Clint Smith.<br />
<strong>Aesculapian</strong> <strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2012</strong>/<strong>Winter</strong> <strong>2013</strong> 20
StudentNews<br />
4 5<br />
7<br />
Clockwise from top left: 4. The Grand Mosque. To go<br />
inside, women are required to wear the burka and hijab, and<br />
non-Muslims are not allowed in on Fridays. On Fridays, it<br />
is very typical to see the right lane <strong>of</strong> the highway outside<br />
the mosque lined with parked cars. The tall towers are the<br />
minarets, where traditionally the muezzin would sing the<br />
call to prayer. Now, the call is recorded and sounded with<br />
a speaker system. 5. Children playing soccer in a closed<strong>of</strong>f<br />
street near the apartment where I stayed. The street is<br />
closed <strong>of</strong>f because it doesn’t go anywhere yet. 6. Her name<br />
is Lunar. Often when things got overwhelming, I would go<br />
down to the cat house and hang out, and Lunar was one <strong>of</strong><br />
those animals that was so chill and sweet, she made you feel<br />
better. And, <strong>of</strong> course, those eyes. 7. Hansel Geo Thomas,<br />
the veterinarian who worked with me all summer. Despite<br />
the difficulties inherent in being a shelter vet, he is always<br />
cheerful. Here he was watching the puppies stumble into the<br />
air-conditioned space–an absolute necessity for about four<br />
hours in the middle <strong>of</strong> the 120+ degree days.<br />
6<br />
21<br />
The <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Georgia College <strong>of</strong> Veterinary Medicine
8 9<br />
10<br />
Clockwise from top left: 8. Toward the end <strong>of</strong> my stay, I got the genius idea to name the animals that came in after<br />
people in my class. This particular guy was named Perry, after one <strong>of</strong> my classmates, and he simply loved the camera. I<br />
fell in love with his ears, and nicknamed him Stitch after my favorite Disney character. German Shepherds and Huskies<br />
are probably the most popular dog breeds in Bahrain–and both breeds are cold-adapted and not particularly suited for<br />
the hot summer weather. Perry seemed to be mixed with the more ubiquitous “desert dog”–a tall, skinny, gangly sight<br />
hound mix that made Perry’s ears sort <strong>of</strong> comical and smile-inducing. 9. One <strong>of</strong> Bahrain’s most famous buildings,<br />
called the “Sail Building” by the local expats. There are two connected buildings with windmills in the center. The whole<br />
country is a study <strong>of</strong> contrasts–old and new, giant, modern buildings and lean-tos, paved roads and open desert that you<br />
can drive through. 10. One <strong>of</strong> the workers at the shelter on his way to let the puppies into the air conditioning. The daily<br />
transfer <strong>of</strong> the dogs from the exterior viewing runs into the air conditioning was called “The Running <strong>of</strong> the Dogs,” and<br />
usually went like clockwork–except for the puppies. They had to be shown where to go, and, occasionally, carried. But<br />
within two weeks, they’d be running with the others, making life much easier for all.<br />
<strong>Aesculapian</strong> <strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2012</strong>/<strong>Winter</strong> <strong>2013</strong> 22
StudentNews<br />
14<br />
13<br />
23<br />
The <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Georgia College <strong>of</strong> Veterinary Medicine
11<br />
Clockwise from top: 11. The Hidd Bridge is one <strong>of</strong> the<br />
main roads and connects the two sides <strong>of</strong> the bay–while<br />
also providing fishing, great views, and easy access to<br />
Prince Khalifa bin Salman Park, the newest park built<br />
in honor <strong>of</strong> the Crown Prince. The day before this, I saw<br />
dolphins–which, <strong>of</strong> course, never happened again while I<br />
had a camera in my hand. 12. Miss Tootsie–obviously–is<br />
gorgeous. One <strong>of</strong> the strange things I noticed in Bahrain is<br />
that calico cats are not particularly popular; more popular<br />
is the Persian (which they call Shirazi). Tootsie was so<br />
sweet to me and was so patient–when I would go to the<br />
cat house, she would wait her turn quietly, but the second<br />
I got to her house, she would come straight up to me<br />
and instantly crawl into my arms. 13. Morgan (and her<br />
friend Annabelle, not pictured here) were brought into the<br />
shelter together. Morgan was protective <strong>of</strong> Annabelle, who<br />
was in worse shape than her, but both were emaciated and<br />
had obviously been through a lot. Despite that, both were<br />
gentle giants who loved to snuggle and play, and quickly<br />
won over our hearts. Also, Morgan looked a lot like<br />
Hooch, from the 1989 movie Turner and Hooch with Tom<br />
Hanks, and just made me smile. 14. A group <strong>of</strong> Bahraini<br />
men at the Prince Khalifa bin Salman Park. In Bahrain, it<br />
is pretty typical to see just groups <strong>of</strong> men, or just groups<br />
<strong>of</strong> women, out in public. Despite its population <strong>of</strong> expats,<br />
Bahrain tends to be more traditionally Islamic.<br />
12<br />
For More<br />
Information<br />
If you would like to help Taylor “Eve”<br />
Winkleman make this scholarship a reality,<br />
contact her at twinklem@uga.edu<br />
<strong>Aesculapian</strong> <strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2012</strong>/<strong>Winter</strong> <strong>2013</strong> 24
StudentNews<br />
Alec Davern (DVM ’13) was one <strong>of</strong> eight veterinary<br />
students nationwide awarded a $2,500 scholarship<br />
from the American Association <strong>of</strong> Equine<br />
Practitioners Foundation and the insurance company<br />
Markel Corp.<br />
Elizabeth Gleim, a doctoral candidate based in<br />
the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease<br />
Study (SCWDS), was selected as the <strong>2012</strong> Byrd-<br />
Dunn Award winner at the annual meeting <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Southeastern Society <strong>of</strong> Parasitologists for her talk on<br />
the impact <strong>of</strong> imported red fire ants on the survival <strong>of</strong><br />
two common tick species in Georgia.<br />
Barbara Shock, a doctoral candidate based in the<br />
SCWDS, was the <strong>2012</strong> winner <strong>of</strong> the Shikar Safari<br />
Club Foundation Scholarship. Shock was also the<br />
<strong>2012</strong> winner <strong>of</strong> the Wildlife Disease Association<br />
Graduate Student Scholarship.<br />
Kerrie Anne Loyd, a master’s degree student<br />
mentored by Dr. Sonia Hernandez (who is jointly<br />
appointed to SCWDS and Warnell), was the <strong>2012</strong><br />
recipient <strong>of</strong> the E.L. Cheatum Award, presented by<br />
the UGA Warnell School <strong>of</strong> Forestry and Natural<br />
Resources.<br />
THE UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA ®<br />
College <strong>of</strong> Veterinary Medicine<br />
25<br />
The <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Georgia<br />
College <strong>of</strong> Veterinary Medicine
Student Ambassadors <strong>2012</strong>-<strong>2013</strong><br />
CVM student ambassadors serve as representatives <strong>of</strong> the College’s student body and assist with<br />
recruitment, outreach and college-related activities to enhance the public image <strong>of</strong> the College, its<br />
students and its programs. Selected annually, ambassadors must attend training sessions on public<br />
speaking, the College’s strategic plan and etiquette to prepare for their role as representatives <strong>of</strong><br />
the CVM. CVM ambassadors are chosen for their strong leadership qualities, interpersonal skills,<br />
and sense <strong>of</strong> school spirit and pride. CVM ambassadors are available to speak on topics related to<br />
student recruitment, veterinary medicine and veterinary-related issues.<br />
Photo by Chrstopher B. Herron<br />
Back row, from left to right: Wade Won (DVM ’14), Mixed Animal; Scott Kelly (DVM ’15), Small Animal; Brad Angel (DVM ’15),<br />
Zoo Med; Wade Edwards (DVM ’14), Mixed Animal; William Frederick Marscher IV (DVM ’15), Small Animal. 4th row, left to<br />
right: Zack Moore (DVM ’15), Small Animal; Heidi Morton (DVM ’15), Zoo Med; Alyson Frederick (DVM ’15), Mixed Animal;<br />
Brittany Paschal (DVM ’15), Small Animal; Deanna Veal (DVM ’15), Food Animal; Robert Holly (DVM ’14), Small Animal. 3rd<br />
row, left to right: Kirstin Ruffner (DVM ’14), Food Animal; Luke Rogers (DVM ’14), Mixed Animal; John Gagnepain (DVM ’14),<br />
Mixed Animal; Megan Harris (DVM ’15), Small Animal; Jennifer James (DVM ’15), Small Animal. 2nd row, left to right: Alan<br />
Power (DVM ’14), Mixed Animal; Naeemah Johnson (DVM ’15), Food Animal; Ann Rychlicki (DVM ’14), Small Animal; Brittany<br />
Murphy (DVM ’15), Equine; Marion Floyd (DVM ’15), Small Animal; Christopher Perry (DVM ’15), Mixed Animal. 1st row, left<br />
to right: Katelyn Ellis (DVM ’15), Equine; Step Bond (DVM ’14), Mixed Animal; Jenna Shafer (DVM ’14), Small Animal; Raley<br />
White (DVM ’15), Small Animal; Matt Sullivan (DVM ’14), Mixed Animal. Not pictured: Kristen Hamsley (DVM ’15), Small Animal;<br />
Lydia Young (DVM ’14), Population Health.<br />
<strong>Aesculapian</strong> <strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2012</strong>/<strong>Winter</strong> <strong>2013</strong> 26
StudentNews<br />
Winners from the <strong>2012</strong> Science <strong>of</strong> Veterinary Medicine<br />
Symposium<br />
Photo by Chrstopher B. Herron<br />
Back row, from left to right: Keynote speaker Dennis O’Brien; Vijay Durairaj, graduate student in population health; Dr. Harry<br />
W. Dickerson, associate dean for research and graduate affairs; Dr. Scott Brown, pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> veterinary medicine and program<br />
coordinator; Paul Oesterle, graduate student in the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study. 3rd row, from left to right:<br />
Erin Edwards (DVM ’14); Jennifer Willingham-Lane, graduate student in infectious diseases; Julie Rushmore, graduate student in<br />
ecology; Xin Li, graduate student in infectious diseases; Jordan Scherk, DVM, resident in emergency and critical care medicine.<br />
2nd row, from left to right: Jenny Munh<strong>of</strong>en (DVM ’16, MS ’12), graduate student in veterinary and biomedical sciences; Kristen<br />
Hamsley (DVM ’15); Amie Goedeke (DVM ’15); Tracy Sturgil, graduate student in large animal medicine; Lisa Fultz, resident in<br />
large animal medicine. 1st row, from left to right: Sheryl Coutermarsh-Ott, DVM, graduate student in pathology; Jennifer Mumaw,<br />
PhD (DVM’16); Saritha Krishna Lalitha Kumari, graduate student in physiology and pharmacology; Rebecca Regan, DVM,<br />
resident in oncology; Christina Varian, graduate student in pathology; Monique Franca, graduate student in pathology. This event<br />
is open to all undergraduate and graduate students at UGA. Only CVM winners are represented here.<br />
The UGA CVM held its annual Science <strong>of</strong> Veterinary Medicine Symposium on Oct. 11, <strong>2012</strong>. The<br />
symposium featured a keynote address from Dr. Dennis O’Brien, a pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> veterinary neurology at<br />
the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Missouri College <strong>of</strong> Veterinary Medicine. Dr. O’Brien’s lecture was entitled “Fireflies in<br />
the Brain: Comparative Studies <strong>of</strong> Hereditary Neurologic Diseases.” His work in neuroscience recently<br />
garnered him the Robert W. Kirk Award for Pr<strong>of</strong>essional Excellence from the American College <strong>of</strong><br />
Veterinary Internal Medicine.<br />
Other speakers included: Sonia Altizer, an associate dean <strong>of</strong> faculty affairs for the UGA Odum School <strong>of</strong><br />
Ecology and an associate pr<strong>of</strong>essor, discussed animal migrations and associated risks <strong>of</strong> infectious diseases;<br />
Dr. Sonia Hernandez, an assistant pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> wildlife disease jointly appointed to the UGA Warnell<br />
School <strong>of</strong> Forestry and Natural Resources and the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study at<br />
UGA CVM, discussed her videographic studies <strong>of</strong> feline behavior; Maria Viveiros, an assistant pr<strong>of</strong>essor<br />
<strong>of</strong> pharmacology at the CVM, discussed the use <strong>of</strong> stem cells in medicine and research; and Dr. Steve<br />
Budsberg, a pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> orthopedic surgery at the CVM, discussed recent advances in our understanding<br />
<strong>of</strong> pain management. The event was supported by donations from Boehringer-Ingelheim, Iams, Pfizer and<br />
Novartis.<br />
27<br />
The <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Georgia College <strong>of</strong> Veterinary Medicine
Highlights from <strong>2012</strong> Honors and Awards Banquet<br />
Danielle Pollio (DVM ’12) received the<br />
Dean Emeritus Thomas J. Jones Cup ($1,000).<br />
The award is presented to an outstanding fourthyear<br />
student selected on the basis <strong>of</strong> personality,<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essional pr<strong>of</strong>iciency, and scholastic<br />
achievement.<br />
Catherine Ray (DVM ’12) was awarded<br />
the Faculty Scholastic Plaque and Clifford<br />
E. Westerfield Award ($1,000). The award is<br />
presented to a fourth-year student with the<br />
highest scholastic average for the entire four<br />
years spent at the CVM.<br />
Shana Gross (DVM ’12) was awarded<br />
the <strong>2012</strong> Veterinarian-<strong>of</strong>-the-Year Award.<br />
Sponsored by the Auxilliary to the Georgia<br />
Veterinary Medical Association, the $1000<br />
scholarship is presented to a senior student who<br />
has demonstrated pr<strong>of</strong>essionalism, commitment,<br />
and scholastic excellence.<br />
Graduate Studies<br />
Earn your:<br />
MS and PhD in Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences<br />
If you want a career in translational or clinical research.<br />
DVM-MPH<br />
If, as a veterinarian, you want to address public health issues in<br />
environmental health, infectious diseases, global health, biosecurity,<br />
epidemiology and/or health policy.<br />
DVM-PhD<br />
If you want a career that will integrate clinical knowledge in comparative<br />
medicine to address questions in applied or basic research.<br />
Master’s in Avian Medicine or Food Animal Health and Management<br />
If you’re a veterinarian looking for advanced training in poultry or food<br />
animal medicine.<br />
vetgrad@uga.edu 706.542.5752<br />
www.vet.uga.edu/research/students
StudentNews<br />
A Pathway to<br />
Research<br />
Morris Animal Scholar’s research seeks canine diagnostic screening<br />
By Jessica Luton<br />
For third-year veterinary student Erica Noland (DVM<br />
’14), the last two summers have not been spent relaxing<br />
alongside a sandy beach or by the pool. Instead, she spent<br />
her time in the laboratory doing her part to contribute to<br />
and learn from two unique opportunities to dip her toes<br />
into the field <strong>of</strong> research.<br />
Always an animal lover, with an interest in both human<br />
and animal medicine, she landed at UGA’s College <strong>of</strong><br />
Veterinary Medicine following completion <strong>of</strong> her master’s<br />
degree, at the nearby Georgia Institute <strong>of</strong> Technology, in<br />
molecular and cell biology.<br />
As a 2011 Georgia Veterinary Scholar, and as a <strong>2012</strong><br />
recipient <strong>of</strong> the prestigious Morris Animal Scholar award,<br />
Noland worked alongside Rabindranath De La Fuente,<br />
DVM, MSc, PhD, an associate pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> physiology<br />
and pharmacology. Under his mentorship, she sought<br />
to progress the field <strong>of</strong> veterinary oncology, with hopes<br />
that one day her research will benefit canine patients and<br />
potentially lend to the advancement <strong>of</strong> human health.<br />
Prognosis <strong>of</strong> malignant mammary cancer is dependent<br />
upon a number <strong>of</strong> factors, but in general early detection<br />
and treatment are key to a favorable outcome.<br />
29<br />
The <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Georgia College <strong>of</strong> Veterinary Medicine<br />
Photo by Sue Myers Smith<br />
They first looked for protein markers involved in<br />
chromosome instability in canine mammary cancer<br />
cells, she said, and using a DNA repair pathway protein<br />
from this preliminary study, they are now developing a<br />
screening test for drug therapy.<br />
“It just kind <strong>of</strong> developed from there,” she said. “We<br />
were excited by the results and saw the potential there for<br />
clinical use. A diagnostic screening protocol to determine<br />
whether canine patients would be responsive to a pathwayspecific<br />
therapeutic approach would aid clinicians in their<br />
treatment and management <strong>of</strong> the disease. Our biomarkers<br />
may also be able to detect early neoplastic change.”<br />
Her initial research results in 2011 were very promising,<br />
she said, and so she decided to submit her proposal to an<br />
internal review committee at the UGA CVM, as only one<br />
proposal from each CVM may be submitted to the Morris<br />
Animal Foundation, per <strong>2012</strong> guidelines for submissions.<br />
Her proposal was then selected by the Morris Animal<br />
Foundation for funding.<br />
Noland is not the first to venture toward research at<br />
UGA thanks to the prestigious Morris Animal Scholarship.<br />
In 2010, Mason Savage (DVM ’11) had an opportunity to
participate in research through the program as well. Now,<br />
he’s a diagnostic imaging resident at North Carolina State<br />
<strong>University</strong>, something he attributes to his researching<br />
opportunities at the UGA CVM.<br />
Savage teamed up with research mentor Scott<br />
Schatzberg, DVM, PhD, a former associate pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong><br />
neurology, for some extra research experience during his<br />
fourth year at the<br />
UGA CVM. Along<br />
the way, Schatzberg<br />
recommended that<br />
Savage and another<br />
student, Dan Regan<br />
(DVM ’11), submit<br />
a joint proposal for<br />
some research they’d<br />
been conducting.<br />
Their project looked<br />
at canine degenerate<br />
myelopathy, a disease<br />
similar to amyotrophic<br />
lateral sclerosis (ALS;<br />
<strong>of</strong>ten known in the<br />
United States as Lou<br />
Gehrig’s disease)<br />
in humans. They<br />
focused on creating<br />
a molecular test that<br />
could be applied<br />
toward dogs with the<br />
disease to see if any<br />
underlying infectious<br />
agents existed, and if<br />
so, if there was any<br />
correlation between<br />
the infectious agents Erica Noland shows <strong>of</strong>f her work in the lab.<br />
in dogs with the disease<br />
and in dogs without it.<br />
“What we were really looking to do was see if there was<br />
any infection going on in these patients that we could<br />
treat,” he said.<br />
Having mentors along the way has helped Noland, too.<br />
Noland would like to thank Claudia Baumann, PhD, a<br />
research associate in the De La Fuente lab, for teaching<br />
her the necessary skills to function independently in the<br />
lab, as well as for all her guidance and help with data<br />
interpretation. Noland also would like to thank her <strong>of</strong>ficial<br />
mentor, De La Fuente, for his encouragement. In fact, it<br />
was De La Fuente who suggested Noland apply for the<br />
Morris Animal Foundation scholarship.<br />
“It’s a very prestigious award and it’s also a unique<br />
opportunity for veterinary students to get supported to do<br />
basic research,” he noted.<br />
Doing research during the summer means that these<br />
projects require a fast pace, which makes the work both<br />
fun and challenging, he said. Noland hit the ground<br />
running with several techniques, and ended up with a<br />
set <strong>of</strong> data that is now being polished up and prepped for<br />
future publishable work.<br />
“It’s rewarding to have a set <strong>of</strong> data at the end <strong>of</strong> the<br />
project period that’s in good<br />
shape for an abstract,” he said.<br />
“Eventually, what we intend<br />
to do is publish a full research<br />
paper.”<br />
The work is important for<br />
many reasons, but namely<br />
because in veterinary<br />
oncology there’s a real need to<br />
understand very basic biological<br />
mechanisms, knowledge that will<br />
provide value in basic research<br />
in other species and potentially<br />
be directly applicable to human<br />
oncology.<br />
For Noland, the opportunity to<br />
work with a wonderful research<br />
mentor and venture into the<br />
field <strong>of</strong> veterinary research for<br />
the first time has been not only<br />
exciting and fun, but has also<br />
opened up the possibility <strong>of</strong><br />
research as a potential career<br />
option in the future.<br />
Currently Noland is tying<br />
up loose ends with the project,<br />
making sure that the markers are<br />
reproducible in the cell lines, and<br />
Photo by Sue Myers Smith<br />
honing in on a new technique<br />
to quantify protein expression at<br />
the single-cell level.<br />
Eventually, a bigger goal <strong>of</strong> the project will be turning it<br />
into a global epigenetic analysis, she said.<br />
The preliminary results <strong>of</strong> her work have already been<br />
presented at the Georgia Veterinary Scholars Program<br />
Research Day in July 2011, the Merial/NIH National<br />
Veterinary Scholars Symposium in Orlando, Fla., in<br />
August 2011, and the Science <strong>of</strong> Veterinary Medicine<br />
Symposium at UGA in October 2011. All were great<br />
opportunities to network, show others what the team has<br />
been doing in the lab, and to see what others are working<br />
on in the field, Noland said.<br />
After her time at the UGA CVM, Noland says the<br />
window <strong>of</strong> opportunity is wide open for what the future<br />
may hold. She’s interested in a career in laboratory animal<br />
medicine and also has a strong interest in pathology.<br />
<strong>Aesculapian</strong> <strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2012</strong>/<strong>Winter</strong> <strong>2013</strong> 30
StudentNews<br />
CVM Welcomes Class <strong>of</strong> 2016<br />
Photo by Sue Myers Smith<br />
The UGA CVM welcomed the Class <strong>of</strong> 2016 during its annual White Coat Ceremony<br />
on Aug. 12, <strong>2012</strong>. Sponsored by the Georgia Veterinary Medical Association, the event<br />
<strong>of</strong>ficially recognized 102 members <strong>of</strong> the incoming class by donning them with lab coats<br />
to be worn during their veterinary education.<br />
The hour-long ceremony was held in Mahler Hall at the UGA Hotel and Conference<br />
Center at the Georgia Center. After the ceremony, Dr. Spencer Tally Jr., who at the time<br />
was president <strong>of</strong> the GVMA, led the two-block recessional <strong>of</strong> coated students to the<br />
veterinary college for a class photo, followed by a reception with the students’ families and<br />
members <strong>of</strong> the College’s faculty and staff.<br />
The incoming class is made up <strong>of</strong> 79 women and 23 men. The class features a wide<br />
variety <strong>of</strong> interests: 58 percent are interested in companion animal medicine; 11 percent<br />
in mixed-animal medicine; 11 percent in zoo animal and wildlife medicine; 6 percent<br />
in food animal medicine; 5 percent in public health; 5 percent in equine medicine and 4<br />
percent in research.<br />
“The white coat is the symbol <strong>of</strong> medical pr<strong>of</strong>essionalism,” said Dr. K. Paige<br />
Carmichael, the College’s associate dean for academic affairs. “This ceremony, where our<br />
first-year students are coated and hear the Veterinarian’s Oath for the first time, reminds<br />
them that they are beginning their education in one <strong>of</strong> the most respected medical<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essions.”<br />
31<br />
The <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Georgia College <strong>of</strong> Veterinary Medicine
Omega Tau Sigma’s Eta Chapter to host Grand Council <strong>2013</strong><br />
Omega Tau Sigma’s Eta<br />
chapter, which calls the<br />
UGA CVM “home,” will<br />
be welcoming members<br />
from veterinary schools<br />
throughout North America<br />
as the chapter hosts Grand<br />
Council <strong>2013</strong> this November.<br />
Grand Council is the annual<br />
meeting <strong>of</strong> OTS’s national<br />
chapters and alumni<br />
leadership.<br />
Eta chapter’s members have<br />
already begun conducting<br />
fundraisers to support the southern-themed<br />
weekend, tentatively slated for Nov. 15-18.<br />
Thomas Griner, chapter president, Alyson<br />
Frederick, treasurer, and Grand Council committee<br />
co-chairs Elyse Paske and Eve Winkleman, attended<br />
the most recent Grand Council, hosted by Gamma<br />
chapter at The Ohio State <strong>University</strong>. They returned<br />
with a greater sense <strong>of</strong> camaraderie and a plenitude<br />
<strong>of</strong> ideas, which they, along with the other members<br />
<strong>of</strong> the executive and Grand Council committees,<br />
have been busily working on, while also juggling<br />
rigorous class schedules.<br />
“One <strong>of</strong> the biggest lessons we learned from Ohio<br />
is that we won’t be able to pull this <strong>of</strong>f without the<br />
Get your own AnAtomic Dog!<br />
If you’ve visited our student lobby recently, you’ve probably<br />
noticed our “AnAtomic Dog” — a colorful, more-than-life-sized<br />
bulldog that was presented to the College as a gift from the Class<br />
<strong>of</strong> 2009. Now you can have your very own, scaled-down version.<br />
Omega Tau Sigma is selling miniature versions <strong>of</strong> the AnAtomic<br />
Dog to raise money for the fraternity. A portion <strong>of</strong> the proceeds<br />
also benefits the Veterinary Medicine Hospital Building Fund.<br />
Like the original, the miniature was designed by Athens artist<br />
John Ahee. Each AnAtomic Dog statuette costs $30, plus shipping<br />
and handling. Prior to mailing your in your order, please contact<br />
Dr. Doris Miller for shipping and handling costs: miller@uga.edu or<br />
706.542.5915.<br />
Checks should be made payable to Omega Tau Sigma. Please include a note containing your<br />
name, shipping address, phone number, and email address. Mail your payment and contact/shipping<br />
information to:<br />
OTS Alumni Treasurer<br />
205 Burnett St.<br />
Athens, GA 30605<br />
support <strong>of</strong> our alumni,” said Griner, who noted that<br />
as many as 250 visitors may attend the event. (Eta<br />
chapter has about 120 current members.)<br />
Eta chapter alumni can help in a variety <strong>of</strong> ways,<br />
including: monetary donations; lending tables, chairs<br />
and other items that can be used for small meetings<br />
held at the fraternity house; assistance with food,<br />
beverages and other items for catered events held at<br />
the OTS house. The chapter’s leadership also hopes<br />
to see a good turnout <strong>of</strong> Eta alumni.<br />
OTS’s Eta members have made many<br />
improvements to the fraternity house in the past<br />
year, including rebuilding the upper deck, staining<br />
both decks, and replacing flooring in the upstairs<br />
common room.<br />
Members <strong>of</strong> the fraternity and the Grand Council<br />
committee are looking forward to creating a<br />
memorable and wonderful Grand Council <strong>2013</strong><br />
experience for everyone who attends.<br />
For More Information<br />
Thomas Griner<br />
President, OTS Eta Chapter<br />
president@otseta.org<br />
www.otseta.org<br />
www.vet.uga.edu/student_clubs/ots.home
FacultyNews<br />
Mark Jackwood, PhD, who heads the CVM’s<br />
department <strong>of</strong> population health, has been selected<br />
as a Distinguished Alumnus Award winner by the<br />
<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Delaware College <strong>of</strong> Agriculture and<br />
Natural Resources.<br />
Dr. Keith Harris, who heads the CVM’s department<br />
<strong>of</strong> pathology, received the <strong>2012</strong> Presidential Award<br />
from the American College <strong>of</strong> Veterinary Pathologists<br />
(ACVP) for his outstanding service to ACVP. The<br />
award was presented to him by Dr. Claire Andreasen<br />
(MS ’87, PhD ’90), president <strong>of</strong> ACVP.<br />
Bridget Garner, DVM, PhD, DACVP, and<br />
Maria Viveiros, PhD, assistant pr<strong>of</strong>essors in the<br />
departments <strong>of</strong> pathology, and physiology and<br />
pharmacology, respectively, have been selected as Lilly<br />
Teaching Fellows. Each spring, UGA selects up to 10<br />
new faculty members to participate in this two-year<br />
program.<br />
Maria M. Viveiros, PhD, received $445,500 from<br />
the National Institutes <strong>of</strong> Health (NIH) to develop<br />
a unique mouse model to assess the underlying<br />
mechanisms <strong>of</strong> meiotic spindle formation in oocytes,<br />
or egg cells. Viveiros will determine whether these<br />
mechanisms are disrupted with increasing maternal<br />
age, leading to chromosome segregation errors and<br />
aneuploidy, an abnormal number <strong>of</strong> chromosomes.<br />
Aneuploidy in developing embryos is the leading<br />
genetic cause <strong>of</strong> congenital birth defects and<br />
pregnancy loss in women.<br />
Dr. Andy Parks, who heads the department <strong>of</strong><br />
large animal medicine, has been selected as a<br />
Senior Teaching Fellow for <strong>2012</strong>-<strong>2013</strong>. Each year,<br />
UGA selects up to eight senior faculty members to<br />
participate in this program.<br />
Dr. Claire Andreasen, left with Dr. Keith Harris. Photo courtesy <strong>of</strong> the<br />
American College <strong>of</strong> Veterinary Pathologists.<br />
Drs. Andrew Moorhead, Ray Kaplan and Michael<br />
Dzimianski, from the department <strong>of</strong> infectious<br />
diseases, received $312,260 from the National<br />
Institutes <strong>of</strong> Health (NIH) to provide Brugia malayi<br />
adult worms and infective larvae to researchers at the<br />
NIH.<br />
Dr. Gregg Rapoport, assistant pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong><br />
cardiology, and Dr. Justin Thomason, a third-year<br />
resident in cardiology, received $7,000 from the<br />
American College <strong>of</strong> Veterinary Internal Medicine<br />
to assess the effectiveness <strong>of</strong> a delayed-release<br />
formulation <strong>of</strong> procainamide to improve treatment <strong>of</strong><br />
dogs with heart disease.<br />
Dr. Karen Cornell, a pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> small animal<br />
surgery, was selected as a participant in the<br />
Southeastern Conference Academic Consortium<br />
Administrative Leadership Development Program for<br />
the <strong>2012</strong>-<strong>2013</strong> academic year.<br />
Dr. Susan Sanchez, a pr<strong>of</strong>essor in the departments <strong>of</strong><br />
population health and infectious diseases, has been<br />
appointed Director <strong>of</strong> Educational Programs at the<br />
Georgia BioBusiness Center (GBBC) and Assistant<br />
Director & Chair <strong>of</strong> the new division <strong>of</strong> One Health at<br />
the Biomedical and Health Sciences Institute (BHSI).<br />
Dr. Danny Mead, an associate pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> population<br />
health, has been named the new science director <strong>of</strong><br />
the Animal Health Research Center (AHRC). He<br />
will join the AHRC management team to oversee<br />
BSL3, ABSL3, and BSL3Ag studies in the facility.<br />
33<br />
The <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Georgia College <strong>of</strong> Veterinary Medicine
Mead’s previous extensive experience in the AHRC<br />
and Plum Island provides a solid foundation for his<br />
service to the College in this new role.<br />
Faculty awards from the <strong>2012</strong> Honors and<br />
Awards Celebration:<br />
Note: Faculty Recognition Awards are selected by the<br />
entire class, and given to the faculty member deemed<br />
by the class to have made the greatest contribution to its<br />
education during that academic year.<br />
Dr. Cherie Roberts (DVM ’82), a senior lecturer from<br />
the department <strong>of</strong> veterinary biosciences and diagnostic<br />
imaging, received the Faculty Recognition Award from<br />
the Class <strong>of</strong> 2015.<br />
Dr. Kate Myrna, an assistant pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> ophthalmology,<br />
received the Faculty Recognition Award from the Class <strong>of</strong><br />
2014.<br />
Dr. Marc Kent, an associate pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> neurology,<br />
received the Faculty Recognition Award from the Class <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>2013</strong>.<br />
Ira Roth (DVM ’86), a clinical assistant pr<strong>of</strong>essor<br />
and director <strong>of</strong> the UGA Community Practice Clinic,<br />
received the Faculty Recognition Award from the Class<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>2012</strong>. Roth was also awarded the Pfizer Distinguished<br />
Teacher Award, the top teaching award for all veterinary<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essors at all veterinary colleges. The award is given<br />
to a teaching member <strong>of</strong> the faculty selected on the basis<br />
<strong>of</strong> character, leadership, and teaching ability as judged<br />
by the responsiveness <strong>of</strong> his/her students. The award is<br />
sponsored by Pfizer Animal Health.<br />
Lee represents CVM at USA Science and<br />
Engineering Festival<br />
Dr. Margie Lee, pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> population health and<br />
infectious diseases, joined other UGA faculty and<br />
graduate students who volunteered to represent the<br />
<strong>University</strong> at the <strong>2012</strong> USA Science and Engineering<br />
Festival, held in Washington, D.C. Lee manned a<br />
booth sponsored by the Office <strong>of</strong> Undergraduate<br />
Admissions, the Graduate School, the Biomedical<br />
and Health Sciences Institute (BHSI), and the CVM’s<br />
department <strong>of</strong> population health. The experience gave<br />
her an opportunity to meet high school students, many<br />
<strong>of</strong> whom were already enrolling in college courses for<br />
Advanced Placement credit. Lee discussed research<br />
career opportunities, and provided information on UGA<br />
admissions, and the new Master <strong>of</strong> Biomanufacturing<br />
and Bioprocessing degree <strong>of</strong>fered by the BHSI.<br />
(biomanufacturing.uga.edu/). The festival also featured<br />
technology demonstrations, contests, performances by<br />
television personalities, athletes and comedians, and over<br />
3,000 exhibits.<br />
New Faculty<br />
Holly Brown, Lecturer, Pathology<br />
Kevin Clarke, Clinical Associate Pr<strong>of</strong>essor, Small<br />
Animal Medicine and Surgery<br />
Brenton Credille, Assistant Pr<strong>of</strong>essor, Beef<br />
Production Medicine<br />
Allison Haley, Assistant Pr<strong>of</strong>essor, Small Animal<br />
Medicine and Surgery<br />
Roberto Palomares, Assistant Pr<strong>of</strong>essor, Beef<br />
Production Medicine<br />
Wing Yee Louisa Poon, Clinical Assistant<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor, Small Animal Medicine and Surgery<br />
Emmanuel Rollin Clinical Assistant Pr<strong>of</strong>essor,<br />
Dairy Production Medicine<br />
Scott Secrest, Assistant Pr<strong>of</strong>essor, Veterinary<br />
Biosciences & Diagnostic Imaging<br />
Kurt Selberg, Assistant Pr<strong>of</strong>essor, Veterinary<br />
Biosciences & Diagnostic Imaging<br />
<strong>Aesculapian</strong> <strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2012</strong>/<strong>Winter</strong> <strong>2013</strong> 34
FacultyNews<br />
Jackwood, Edwards appointed to<br />
endowed pr<strong>of</strong>essorships<br />
The CVM has appointed two long-term faculty<br />
members, both <strong>of</strong> whom head departments within the<br />
College, to endowed pr<strong>of</strong>essorships.<br />
Mark W. Jackwood, who heads the College’s department<br />
<strong>of</strong> population health, was named the first John R. Glisson<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Gaylen L. Edwards,<br />
who heads the College’s department <strong>of</strong> physiology<br />
and pharmacology, received the first Georgia Athletic<br />
Association Pr<strong>of</strong>essorship in Veterinary Medicine,<br />
endowed by the UGA Athletic Association.<br />
Jackwood is a molecular virologist known for his work<br />
in avian diseases. He joined the College in 1989, after<br />
earning his MS degree at the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Delaware, and<br />
his PhD in the department <strong>of</strong> poultry science at The Ohio<br />
State <strong>University</strong>.<br />
Edwards’ research focuses on how hindbrain controls<br />
<strong>of</strong> food and fluid intake behavior relay messages to the<br />
forebrain, and how defects in processing this information<br />
may contribute to the pathophysiology <strong>of</strong> various diseases.<br />
He joined the College in 1989 after earning his MS from<br />
the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Idaho, and his DVM and PhD degrees<br />
from Washington State <strong>University</strong>.<br />
“These endowed pr<strong>of</strong>essorships will allow the<br />
department heads to have some funding every year<br />
for their own research programs, and for supporting<br />
departmental needs,” said Sheila W. Allen, dean <strong>of</strong> the<br />
College. “We are grateful to the donors who honored Dr.<br />
John Glisson with this endowment, and to the Athletic<br />
Association for their support <strong>of</strong> the College.”<br />
New model explains differences in<br />
Lyme disease patterns<br />
Andrew W. Park, an assistant pr<strong>of</strong>essor jointly<br />
appointed to the UGA Odum School <strong>of</strong> Ecology and<br />
the College <strong>of</strong> Veterinary Medicine’s department <strong>of</strong><br />
infectious diseases, co-authored a study with two<br />
graduate students that sheds new light on the puzzling<br />
disparity in Lyme disease patterns.<br />
In the United States, most human cases <strong>of</strong> the tickborne<br />
disease occur in the Northeast, with a smaller<br />
cluster in the Midwest, despite data showing that<br />
bacteria causing the disease are equally common in<br />
ticks in both regions. Using information about the<br />
behavior <strong>of</strong> Lyme disease, and ecological data about<br />
ticks, researchers found that the timing <strong>of</strong> the tick<br />
lifecycle plays an important role in determining which<br />
type <strong>of</strong> Lyme disease will thrive in an area, and how<br />
severe the disease outbreaks tend to be.<br />
James Haven, a postdoctoral associate in the Odum<br />
School, was the lead author on the study. Krisztian<br />
Magori, a former postdoctoral associate in the Odum<br />
School who is now at Auburn <strong>University</strong>’s School <strong>of</strong><br />
Forestry and Wildlife Sciences, also participated in the<br />
research. The study was published in the August <strong>2012</strong><br />
issue <strong>of</strong> the journal Epidemics. Research funding was<br />
provided by the James S. McDonnell Foundation.<br />
For More Information<br />
http://tinyurl.com/aj2hfxk<br />
Cornell CVM honors retired pr<strong>of</strong>essor for distinguished service<br />
Barsanti<br />
Dr. Jeanne Barsanti, a pr<strong>of</strong>essor<br />
emeritus who retired as head <strong>of</strong> the CVM’s<br />
department <strong>of</strong> Small Animal Medicine<br />
and Surgery in 2004, was recognized with<br />
the <strong>2012</strong> Daniel Elmer Salmon Award for<br />
Distinguished Alumni Service. The award is<br />
given annually by the Alumni Association<br />
<strong>of</strong> the College <strong>of</strong> Veterinary Medicine at<br />
Cornell <strong>University</strong>.<br />
The award honors Cornell <strong>University</strong><br />
College <strong>of</strong> Veterinary Medicine graduates<br />
who have distinguished themselves<br />
in service to the pr<strong>of</strong>ession, their<br />
communities, or to the college.<br />
During her 30-year career as a pr<strong>of</strong>essor,<br />
clinician, and scientist, Dr. Barsanti won<br />
numerous teaching awards, and gained a<br />
reputation as a leader in the movement<br />
to bring technology into the classroom.<br />
Additionally, she is known internationally<br />
for her expertise in urologic disorders, and<br />
played a major role in the creation <strong>of</strong> the<br />
generalist and specialist tracks within the<br />
American College <strong>of</strong> Veterinary Internal<br />
Medicine’s (ACVIM) forum when she<br />
held various leadership positions within<br />
ACVIM.<br />
35<br />
The <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Georgia College <strong>of</strong> Veterinary Medicine
THE UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA ®<br />
Veterinary Teaching Hospital<br />
“Through my surgeries and being<br />
hospitalized for three weeks, my<br />
humans, doctors, nurses, and<br />
students never gave up. I didn’t either.”<br />
-Rascal Mazzola, patient, <strong>2012</strong><br />
Photograph taken by Carmen Story<br />
Emergency care, when you need us most.<br />
24 Hours a Day, 7 Days a Week, 365 Days a Year<br />
Serving dogs, cats, horses and all animal species.<br />
No referral required for emergencies.<br />
706.542.3221<br />
www.vet.uga.edu/hospital<br />
<strong>Aesculapian</strong> Spring/Summer <strong>2012</strong> 38
FacultyNews<br />
CVM pr<strong>of</strong>essor developing new vaccine<br />
to fight resurging mumps virus<br />
By James Hataway<br />
Mumps may seem like a disease <strong>of</strong> a bygone<br />
era to many people in the United States who,<br />
thanks to immunization programs, have been<br />
spared the fever, aches and characteristic<br />
swollen jawline <strong>of</strong> the once common viral<br />
infection. Biao He, PhD, a pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong><br />
infectious diseases and a Georgia Research<br />
Alliance distinguished investigator in the<br />
College <strong>of</strong> Veterinary Medicine, worries that<br />
a new strain <strong>of</strong> the virus is spreading, and it<br />
could lead to the widespread reintroduction<br />
<strong>of</strong> mumps. Now, thanks in part a $1.8 million<br />
grant from the National Institutes <strong>of</strong> Health,<br />
He and his team are working on a new<br />
vaccine to stop it.<br />
Although not typically a life-threatening<br />
disease, mumps can lead to serious health<br />
problems such as viral meningitis, hearing<br />
loss and pancreatitis; it can also cause<br />
miscarriage during early pregnancy.<br />
Vaccinations diminished the number<br />
<strong>of</strong> cases dramatically, and at one point<br />
it appeared that the U.S. was on pace to<br />
eradicate the disease. But two large outbreaks<br />
<strong>of</strong> the virus in 2006 and 2010 involving<br />
thousands <strong>of</strong> confirmed cases in the Midwest<br />
and Northeast put the hope <strong>of</strong> eradication<br />
on hold. He is concerned that the current<br />
vaccine, which has been in use since 1967,<br />
may be showing signs <strong>of</strong> weakness.<br />
“The virus is always evolving and mutating,<br />
and new viruses will emerge,” He said. “It’s<br />
only a matter <strong>of</strong> time until the old vaccine we<br />
have doesn’t work.”<br />
The current vaccine is commonly called<br />
the Jeryl Lynn strain and is named after the<br />
daughter <strong>of</strong> inventor Maurice Hilleman. It is<br />
based on a specific genotype <strong>of</strong> the mumps<br />
virus called genotype A. However, the 2006<br />
and 2010 mumps outbreaks were caused by<br />
another strain, genotype G.<br />
He<br />
Even more troubling is that most <strong>of</strong> the<br />
people who contracted mumps during the<br />
2006 and 2010 outbreaks had received the<br />
recommended two-dose vaccination in their<br />
early childhood, meaning that the virus<br />
was spreading even among the vaccinated<br />
population.<br />
“The question is: With this new genotype<br />
virus emerging in the vaccinated population,<br />
what do you do about it” He said.<br />
Some have suggested administering a third<br />
Jeryl Lynn vaccine to boost immunity later in<br />
life, but it is unclear if that approach would<br />
be successful. He suggests that modern<br />
scientific techniques have made the creation<br />
<strong>of</strong> some vaccines much easier, so producing<br />
a new mumps vaccine may be the most<br />
effective method <strong>of</strong> controlling the emerging<br />
threat.<br />
“In the past few years, we have taken<br />
37<br />
The <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Georgia College <strong>of</strong> Veterinary Medicine
advantage <strong>of</strong> genetic engineering, and my lab<br />
is particularly good at engineering viruses,” He<br />
said. “We can take a virus, look at its genetic<br />
sequence, take bits and pieces away and generate<br />
a new virus with less virulence that will work as a<br />
vaccine.”<br />
“The No. 1 issue for us in making<br />
a pediatric vaccine is safety,” He<br />
said. “So far our testing suggests<br />
we are on the right track.”<br />
Before the advent <strong>of</strong> genetic engineering, the<br />
process <strong>of</strong> creating a vaccine could be intensely<br />
laborious, as researchers would have to pass the<br />
virus through many generations <strong>of</strong> reproduction<br />
until they found a naturally occurring weakened<br />
virus. This process can take long periods <strong>of</strong> time,<br />
and there is little guarantee that the weakened<br />
virus will work as a vaccine.<br />
Genetic engineering allows He’s lab to produce<br />
an effective and safe vaccine much more quickly.<br />
Vaccine safety became a topic <strong>of</strong> much<br />
discussion after British medical researcher<br />
Andrew Wakefield suggested that there was a link<br />
between the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine<br />
and autism. However, his claims were found to<br />
be fraudulent, and Wakefield was barred from<br />
practicing medicine in the United Kingdom.<br />
Much <strong>of</strong> the fallout from the Wakefield case<br />
remains, and some people are still hesitant to have<br />
their children vaccinated, but He is insistent that<br />
administering vaccines to children is the safe and<br />
responsible thing to do.<br />
“The No. 1 issue for us in making a pediatric<br />
vaccine is safety,” He said. “So far our testing<br />
suggests we are on the right track.”<br />
Once He and his laboratory have devised a safe,<br />
reliable method to create vaccines for genotype G,<br />
they can apply that knowledge to rapidly produce<br />
vaccines for the other 12 mumps genotypes<br />
currently circulating in populations throughout<br />
the world.<br />
Health pr<strong>of</strong>essionals were able to contain the<br />
outbreaks <strong>of</strong> 2006 and 2010, but He thinks that<br />
the large global population and ease with which<br />
people move from one location to another make<br />
humankind vulnerable to rapid disease spread.<br />
“It’s almost like a small fire; if it stays small, we<br />
can put it out,” He said. “But if conditions are<br />
right, and the wind begins to blow, the fire can<br />
take over.”<br />
Research reported in this publication was<br />
supported by the National Institutes <strong>of</strong> Health<br />
under award number 1R01AI097368-01A1.<br />
Mumps cells. Photo provided by Biao He.<br />
<strong>Aesculapian</strong> <strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2012</strong>/<strong>Winter</strong> <strong>2013</strong> 38
College <strong>of</strong> Veterinary<br />
Medicine<br />
Alumni Association<br />
Members <strong>of</strong> the Executive Board<br />
Flynn Nance (DVM ’83)<br />
dawgvet83@comcast.net<br />
President<br />
Michael Topper (DVM ’80)<br />
mjtopper@comcast.net<br />
Immediate Past President<br />
Chad Schmiedt (DVM ’00)<br />
cws@uga.edu<br />
President-elect<br />
Doris Miller (DVM ’76)<br />
miller@uga.edu<br />
Secretary<br />
Sheila Allen<br />
sallen01@uga.edu<br />
Dean; Ex-<strong>of</strong>ficio<br />
Thomas Hutto (DVM ’85)<br />
huttothomas@gmail.com<br />
Ginger Macaulay (DVM ’84)<br />
ginger@cherokeetrail.net<br />
Catherine McClelland (DVM ’83)<br />
catherinemcclelland@mindspring.com<br />
Bill Seanor (DVM ’83)<br />
jwseanor@attglobal.net<br />
Stephen Arbitter (DVM ’96)<br />
sma5168@windstream.net<br />
Charlie Broussard (DVM ’84)<br />
Charles.broussard@sp.intervet.com<br />
Scott Bryant (DVM ’94)<br />
scottvetboy@msn.com<br />
Alan Herring (DVM ’85)<br />
doc@dairy.net<br />
H<br />
Greetings from your Alumni Association!<br />
ello fellow Alumni!<br />
This March will mark the 50th anniversary <strong>of</strong> the UGA CVM’s Annual Veterinary<br />
Conference & Alumni Weekend. We hope you will join us for this opportunity to<br />
return to Athens to visit the College, and reconnect with classmates and friends.<br />
The event will be March 22-23, and will be held at The Classic Center.<br />
By the time we convene for our reunion weekend, site work for the UGA<br />
Veterinary Medical Learning Center is expected to be underway.<br />
Although a tremendous amount <strong>of</strong> effort and hard work from the College’s<br />
administration and staff, along with generous donations from the CVM alumni<br />
community, have gone into the project, the work is far from complete. We must<br />
continue to assist this project with financial support, so that upon its completion<br />
the <strong>University</strong> and our alma mater will have the finest facility in the United States.<br />
We are grateful to the state <strong>of</strong> Georgia, along with our generous donors, for making<br />
this milestone possible. Although the building will be a great enhancement to<br />
our College’s future, funding for equipment and furnishings are still needed to<br />
make this building a true state-<strong>of</strong>-the-art facility. It will be through our sustained<br />
financial support that many <strong>of</strong> these needs will be realized over time. To make a<br />
gift for this project, please contact the CVM’s Veterinary External Affairs <strong>of</strong>fice at<br />
706.542.1807 or give2vet@uga.edu.<br />
It is through our persistent encouragement that our CVM will continue to thrive!<br />
Thank you for your support.<br />
I look forward to seeing you in March! And, as always: GO DAWGS!<br />
Sincerely,<br />
Flynn Nance<br />
DVM, MS<br />
Class <strong>of</strong> 1983<br />
Jan Sosnowski Nichol (DVM ’80)<br />
maplerun@aol.com<br />
Jon Anderson (DVM ’03)<br />
jranderson77@gmail.com<br />
Jamie Fleming (DVM ’05)<br />
jmfleming8@gmail.com<br />
Rebecca Dixon (DVM ’02)<br />
rstinson@carolinaequinehospital.com<br />
F o l l o w t h e C V M a n d A l u m n i A s s o c i a t i o n ’ s c u r r e n t a c t i v i t i e s !<br />
www.vet.uga.edu<br />
www.facebook.com/UGACVM<br />
twitter.com/ugavetmed<br />
UGA VCM New Graduate Forum: www.vet.uga.edu/GO/newgrads.php<br />
39<br />
The <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Georgia<br />
College <strong>of</strong> Veterinary Medicine
Alumni Pr<strong>of</strong>ile:<br />
Koren Moore Custer (MPH ’11, DVM ’12)<br />
Assistant State Veterinarian/Assistant Director:<br />
West Virginia Department <strong>of</strong> Agriculture: Animal Health Division<br />
What made you choose the UGA CVM for<br />
your educational goals At the time that I<br />
applied for veterinary school (2006-2007), there was<br />
a reciprocity agreement between the state <strong>of</strong> West<br />
Virginia and UGA CVM that (if accepted) allowed me<br />
to pay in-state tuition rather than out-<strong>of</strong>-state.<br />
What aspects <strong>of</strong> the program were most<br />
beneficial to you The large animal, infectious<br />
disease, and pathology courses at UGA CVM, in<br />
addition to the veterinary public health courses. At<br />
the UGA College <strong>of</strong> Public Health, the epidemiology<br />
courses and policy courses were beneficial.<br />
What kind <strong>of</strong> degree did you graduate<br />
with What made you want to pursue this<br />
particular degree I graduated with both a DVM<br />
and an MPH (conferred by the UGA College <strong>of</strong> Public<br />
Health). I’ve always been interested in both animal and<br />
human medicine, as well as infectious diseases. When<br />
I discovered through the freshman orientation course<br />
at UGA CVM that I could work in all <strong>of</strong> those fields<br />
with those degrees, I immediately knew that was the<br />
educational course that I wanted to pursue.<br />
What are you doing now I am currently<br />
employed through the West Virginia Department <strong>of</strong><br />
Agriculture as the assistant state veterinarian and the<br />
assistant director <strong>of</strong> the department’s Animal Health<br />
Division. I am involved with numerous activities,<br />
including: disease investigation and diagnosis, producer<br />
education and outreach, import/export, fair and festival<br />
animal inspections, necropsy, animal disease traceability,<br />
aquaculture, policy and law, and various administrative<br />
duties.<br />
How did your education here at the UGA<br />
CVM prepare you for your current position<br />
Of course, the core classes that are part <strong>of</strong> the UGA<br />
CVM curriculum were very important in my education.<br />
The elective courses were also essential, particularly<br />
those courses related to infectious disease and large<br />
animal-specific diseases. In addition to the classroom<br />
education that I received through the DVM program,<br />
the UGA CVM’s clinical coursework was immeasurably<br />
helpful in allowing me to understand veterinary<br />
medicine at the livestock production level. Being<br />
able to “talk shop” and communicate with a livestock<br />
producer is so important – I feel that the livestock<br />
production clinical rotations helped me to be able to<br />
do so.<br />
Was there a particular pr<strong>of</strong>essor here that<br />
made a big impact on your time here There<br />
are many pr<strong>of</strong>essors who impacted me during my time<br />
at UGA CVM. Drs. Mary Hondalus and Margie Lee<br />
helped guide me through the DVM/MPH program. Drs.<br />
David Reeves and Michael Overton helped me so much<br />
in understanding livestock production; my weeks in<br />
their clinical rotations were my favorites throughout<br />
all <strong>of</strong> veterinary school. Dr. Mark Ebell was a fantastic<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essor at UGA CPH – he helped me to think about<br />
public health in a whole new light. And finally, Dr. Craig<br />
Greene was a wonderful teacher and mentor to me<br />
throughout all five years.<br />
What’s your favorite part <strong>of</strong> your current<br />
job Although I love everything about my job, there<br />
are two aspects that are my absolute favorites. The<br />
first is getting a call from a private practitioner with<br />
an oddball case, and visiting the farm to conduct an<br />
epidemiological investigation and collect and work<br />
up samples to try to figure out what’s going on. The<br />
second is producer education and outreach. I love<br />
talking with producers about their livestock and their<br />
farms and getting to know the community. I always<br />
learn something new and it’s wonderful to sometimes<br />
be able to teach them something in return.<br />
Photo provided by Koren Moore Custer.<br />
<strong>Aesculapian</strong> <strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2012</strong>/<strong>Winter</strong> <strong>2013</strong> 40
ClassNotes<br />
Eugene T. Maddox (DVM<br />
’59) received the GVMA’s<br />
Dobbins-Mahaffey Advocacy<br />
Award. Maddox has<br />
received numerous honors<br />
for his service to GVMA<br />
and the community at<br />
large, including the 2006<br />
Veterinarian <strong>of</strong> the Year<br />
award, and recognition in<br />
2010 as Legislator <strong>of</strong> the Year<br />
by the Georgia Firefighters<br />
Maddox<br />
Association. He is active in<br />
his community and multiple pr<strong>of</strong>essional organizations,<br />
including GVMA and AVMA. Maddox is retired from<br />
practicing veterinary medicine, and served multiple terms<br />
in the Georgia House <strong>of</strong> Representatives; he is the outgoing<br />
representative from Georgia’s 172nd district.<br />
Jim Jarrett (DVM ’60) was<br />
posthumously honored as<br />
an inductee to the Cattle<br />
Production Veterinarian<br />
Hall <strong>of</strong> Fame at the<br />
American Association<br />
<strong>of</strong> Bovine Practitioners<br />
(AABP) 45th annual<br />
conference in Montreal in<br />
September <strong>2012</strong>. Jarrett<br />
was a widely-known expert<br />
in milk quality, dairy<br />
nutrition, and reproductive<br />
management. The Hall Jarrett<br />
<strong>of</strong> Fame is sponsored by<br />
the AABP, the Academy<br />
<strong>of</strong> Veterinary Consultants (AVC), Bovine Veterinarian,<br />
Merck Animal Health and Osborn Barr. Dr. Jarrett died in<br />
January 2005; he was 69.<br />
James E. Strickland (DVM ’61) was awarded the GVMA’s<br />
highest recognition, the J.T. Mercer, DVM Lifetime<br />
Achievement Award. Strickland served as both a past<br />
president (1991) and director <strong>of</strong> the GVMA. He has<br />
also served on numerous AVMA committees, and has<br />
held leadership positions in many other pr<strong>of</strong>essional<br />
organizations. He is owner <strong>of</strong> Glennville Veterinary Clinic,<br />
where he still works part-time, and he is a cattle producer.<br />
Photo provided by Merck Animal Health<br />
James Heavner (DVM ’68) was inducted into the Fort<br />
Hill (Md.) High School Hall <strong>of</strong> Fame. Heavner is pr<strong>of</strong>essor<br />
emeritus and clinical pr<strong>of</strong>essor at Texas Tech <strong>University</strong><br />
Health Science Center in Lubbock, Texas. As a branch<br />
chief at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Heavner<br />
is known worldwide for his work in the field <strong>of</strong> pain<br />
control and the pharmacology <strong>of</strong> local anesthetics.<br />
Timothy L. Montgomery<br />
(DVM ’83) received the<br />
<strong>2012</strong> Veterinarian <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Year Award from GVMA.<br />
Montgomery served as<br />
president <strong>of</strong> GVMA in<br />
1999, and has held multiple<br />
leadership roles within the<br />
organization. He is owner<br />
<strong>of</strong> Dacula Animal Hospital,<br />
and currently serves as a<br />
councilman for the City <strong>of</strong><br />
Montgomery<br />
Dacula, and as a member <strong>of</strong><br />
the AVMA’s House <strong>of</strong> Delegates.<br />
Nina Marano (DVM ’84) relocated to Nairobi, Kenya, in<br />
June <strong>2012</strong> to become director <strong>of</strong> the Centers for Disease<br />
Control and Prevention’s Refugee Health Program<br />
in Africa. This program provides the evidence for<br />
development and implementation <strong>of</strong> guidelines for disease<br />
screening and treatment, tracks and reports illness in<br />
refugee populations, responds to disease outbreaks, and<br />
advises partners on health care for refugees that are being<br />
resettled to the United<br />
States from Africa.<br />
Denise Funk (DVM ’92)<br />
was confirmed as president<br />
<strong>of</strong> the GVMA during its<br />
<strong>2012</strong> <strong>Fall</strong> Convention.<br />
Funk, a partner at<br />
Animal Medical Care <strong>of</strong><br />
Gainesville, has practiced<br />
veterinary medicine for<br />
more than 20 years in<br />
her native Hall County.<br />
She is a member <strong>of</strong> the Funk<br />
AVMA, and the American<br />
Association <strong>of</strong> Animal Hospitals. She is also an active<br />
volunteer in her local community.<br />
Photo provided by the GVMA<br />
41<br />
The <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Georgia College <strong>of</strong> Veterinary Medicine
Chris Griffin (DVM ’95) was recently elected president<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Association <strong>of</strong> Exotic Mammal Veterinarians<br />
(AEMV). He served as president <strong>of</strong> the Association <strong>of</strong><br />
Reptilian and Amphibian Veterinarians (ARAV) from<br />
2009-2010. Dr. Griffin is the owner <strong>of</strong> and medical<br />
director for Griffin Avian and Exotic Veterinary Hospital<br />
in Kannapolis, N.C.<br />
Adam Eichelberger (DVM ’03) has been named the<br />
interim director <strong>of</strong> Animal Health Programs as part<br />
<strong>of</strong> a newly-announced leadership team for Clemson<br />
<strong>University</strong> Livestock-Poultry Health, which oversees<br />
animal health and the quality <strong>of</strong> meat and poultry<br />
products produced in South Carolina.<br />
Karen Bradley (DVM ’96) is the current delegate from<br />
Vermont for the AVMA’s House <strong>of</strong> Delegates (HOD), and<br />
serves as chair <strong>of</strong> the House Advisory Committee. Read<br />
a shout-out to Bradley on the blog Veterinary Legacy,<br />
by Dr. Donald F. Smith, pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> surgery and dean<br />
emeritus at Cornell <strong>University</strong> College <strong>of</strong> Veterinary<br />
Medicine. View the post at: http://tinyurl.com/bxucxux<br />
Michele Pfannenstiel (DVM ’06) has joined MaineStock<br />
as a managing partner to oversee food safety and product<br />
development. As part <strong>of</strong> her new duties, Pfannenstiel<br />
is establishing a quality-assurance program that will<br />
extend from farmers to distributors. MaineStock works<br />
with farmers to raise livestock, and create safe meat that<br />
can be sold at an affordable price, while maintaining the<br />
high standards required for certification by U.S.D.A.<br />
Organic and the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners<br />
Association.<br />
Obituaries<br />
James R. Hundley (DVM ’56) Heathsville, Va.,<br />
May 18, <strong>2012</strong>..V.C. Lovell (DVM ’61) Gainesville,<br />
Ga., March 22, <strong>2012</strong>..Harry W. Taylor (DVM<br />
’66) Tallahassee, Fla., Nov. 9, <strong>2012</strong>..Roderick C.<br />
Jordan (DVM ’68) Harkers Island, N.C., Oct. 20,<br />
<strong>2012</strong>..Charles Hodges “Chuck” Manning (DVM<br />
’73) Washington, N.C., Sept. 22, <strong>2012</strong>..Keith W.<br />
Chapin (DVM ’74) West Palm Beach, Fla., March 2,<br />
<strong>2012</strong>..Walter Glynn Griffin (DVM ’78) Waycross,<br />
Ga., June 12, <strong>2012</strong>..Michael M. Veitch (DVM ’78)<br />
Lexington Park, Md., Sept. 18, <strong>2012</strong>..Newton P.<br />
Eunice (DVM ’80) Pelham, Ga., April 13, <strong>2012</strong>..<br />
Jim Stortz (DVM ’05) Avon, Colo., June 26, <strong>2012</strong>.<br />
Frederick N. Thompson<br />
(DVM ’65), retired CVM<br />
faculty, died in Athens,<br />
Ga., on Dec. 16, <strong>2012</strong>.<br />
After receiving his DVM,<br />
Thompson served in the<br />
U.S. Army for two years<br />
at Fort Meade, Md., rising<br />
to the rank <strong>of</strong> Captain. He<br />
also practiced veterinary<br />
medicine briefly before<br />
Thompson<br />
pursuing doctoral studies<br />
at Iowa State <strong>University</strong>. After receiving his PhD<br />
in veterinary medicine from Iowa State in 1973,<br />
Thompson returned to the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Georgia<br />
where he taught and conducted research in the UGA<br />
College <strong>of</strong> Veterinary Medicine until his retirement<br />
in 2000.<br />
We want to know what you’re up to!<br />
Your classmates want to know what’s happening in<br />
your life. Drop us a line. And please include your<br />
current contact information, including your phone<br />
number and email, to help us keep our alumni<br />
database up to date.<br />
Email Marti Brick:<br />
vetalums@uga.edu or<br />
brickm@uga.edu<br />
OR<br />
Fax:<br />
706.583.0242
Continuing Education Courses:<br />
Below are our scheduled Continued Education Courses. CE dates and topics are<br />
subject to change.<br />
Questions about CE Contact Melissa Kilpatrick at vetmedce@uga.edu or<br />
706.542.1451, or online at www.vet.uga.edu/ce<br />
March 22-23<br />
May 5<br />
June 27-28<br />
June 29-30<br />
July 26-27<br />
July 28-29<br />
October 3-4<br />
October 5-6<br />
October 19-20<br />
December 7-8<br />
December 14-15<br />
The 50th Annual Veterinary Conference & Alumni Weekend<br />
Practical Dentistry: Periodontal Therapy/Surgical Extractions<br />
Arthroscopy<br />
Advanced Laparoscopy<br />
Flexible GI Endoscopy<br />
Basic Rigid Endoscopy<br />
Equine Encore<br />
Small Animal Surgery<br />
Internal Medicine<br />
Exotic Endoscopy<br />
Outpatient Medicine<br />
Advanced Laparoscopy<br />
Pet Memorials<br />
Meaningful to clients, veterinarians and <br />
the College<br />
“Pet memorials have been great for our business. <br />
They help us remember clients and their pets, <br />
as well as support the UGA College <strong>of</strong> Veterinary <br />
Medicine’s goal to build a new teaching hospital. <br />
The feedback we get is priceless.”<br />
— Dr. Roy Brogdon, DVM ’73<br />
Cleveland Veterinary Hospital <br />
Cleveland, Georgia<br />
For more information, please contact us:<br />
Phone: 706.542.1807<br />
E-mail: THE give2vet@uga.edu<br />
UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA<br />
Web: www.vet.uga.edu/GO/memorial<br />
College <strong>of</strong> Veterinary Medicine<br />
THE UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA<br />
College <strong>of</strong> Veterinary Medicine<br />
Dr. Roy Brogdon, co-‐owner <strong>of</strong> Cleveland Veterinary Hospital, <br />
donates regularly through our pet memorial program.<br />
THE UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
Annual Veterinary Conference 1964-<strong>2013</strong><br />
The <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Georgia® College <strong>of</strong> Veterinary Medicine<br />
th<br />
March 22-23, <strong>2013</strong><br />
The Classic Center • Athens, Georgia<br />
For more information, visit the website: www.vet.uga.edu/reunion.php<br />
or contact Melissa Kilpatrick: 706.542.1451 or melissak@uga.edu<br />
For class campaign giving, contact Marti Brick: 706.542.7049 or brickm@uga.edu
<strong>2013</strong> is groundbreaking year for VMLC<br />
An estimated 600 people turned out to help celebrate the ceremonial groundbreaking <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Veterinary Medical Learning Center, held Nov. 9 in Athens.<br />
Work on the site where the CVM’s new teaching hospital and classroom facility will be<br />
constructed began in October, with the dismantling <strong>of</strong> the fencing and building used as the former<br />
Snyder Barn. The fencing and barn materials will be re-purposed, as part <strong>of</strong> the UGA Material Reuse<br />
Program. Much <strong>of</strong> the re-purposed materials are already in use at the CVM farm in Oconee County.<br />
Construction work on the site is expected to begin in February <strong>2013</strong>.<br />
The $98 million facility will be paid for by $65 million in state funding, with the balance coming<br />
from private donations. As <strong>of</strong> Dec. 31, <strong>2012</strong>, $24.5 million had been raised in private donations, said<br />
Kathy Bangle, director <strong>of</strong> veterinary external affairs for the CVM. The external affairs staff is working<br />
hard to raise the additional $8.5 million that is needed for equipment and furnishings.<br />
Photo by Sue Myers Smith<br />
Our Goal:<br />
$32.7 Million<br />
$26M<br />
$19.5M<br />
$13M<br />
$6.5M<br />
Caption for above photo, from left: Denise Funk (DVM ’92), president <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Georgia Veterinary Medical Association (GVMA); G. Scott Bryant (DVM ’94),<br />
president <strong>of</strong> the South Carolina Association <strong>of</strong> Veterinarians; Ann Rychlicki<br />
(DVM ’14), immediate past president <strong>of</strong> the student chapter <strong>of</strong> the American<br />
Veterinary Medical Association; C. Gary Bullard (DVM ’69), a past president<br />
<strong>of</strong> the UGA Veterinary Alumni Association, and GVMA, and member <strong>of</strong> the<br />
CVM Campaign Steering Committee; Larry R. Corry (DVM ’66), past president<br />
<strong>of</strong> the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), and member <strong>of</strong><br />
the CVM Campaign Steering Committee; Dean Sheila W. Allen; Douglas Allen<br />
Jr., former hospital director for the UGA Veterinary Teaching Hospital, and<br />
among the first to highlight UGA’s need for a new teaching hospital; Dave<br />
Selleck (DVM ’78), chair <strong>of</strong> the CVM Campaign Steering Committee; Jack<br />
Sexton (DVM ’78), member <strong>of</strong> the CVM Campaign Steering Committee; Flynn<br />
Nance (DVM ’83), current president <strong>of</strong> the UGA Veterinary Alumni Association;<br />
Tim Montgomery (DVM ’83), a past-president <strong>of</strong> the UGA Veterinary<br />
Alumni Association and current GVMA delegate for the AVMA.<br />
For More Information<br />
If you would like to donate toward the<br />
project, contact our Office <strong>of</strong> Veterinary<br />
External Affairs at 706.542.1807 or<br />
give2vet@uga.edu. For more information<br />
about the VMLC, or to donate online, visit<br />
vet.uga.edu/vmlc
Why I give: Katie Beacham<br />
In 2010, Atlanta resident Katie Beacham and her yellow<br />
lab mix Asa were referred by her veterinarian to the<br />
UGA Veterinary Teaching Hospital for emergency surgery<br />
to remove Asa’s ruptured spleen.<br />
Surgical resident Kevin Coleman, DVM, performed the<br />
surgery on Asa, who was subsequently diagnosed with<br />
hemangiosarcoma, an especially aggressive cancer. Asa<br />
was given only a few months to live.<br />
With Coleman’s encouragement, Beacham met with<br />
oncology resident Rebecca Regan, DVM, to understand<br />
Asa’s quality-<strong>of</strong>-life options. Beacham chose to pursue<br />
chemotherapy for Asa, and he lived a full additional two<br />
years before his cancer returned.<br />
He passed away in August <strong>of</strong> <strong>2012</strong> at the age <strong>of</strong> 14.<br />
Donating to the UGA CVM, she said, is just one way<br />
she can repay the CVM for the quality services and<br />
compassionate care her pet received.<br />
“The UGA College <strong>of</strong> Veterinary Medicine gave me<br />
a precious gift when they saved my dog, and helped us<br />
have two more quality years together,” she said. “Donating<br />
is a small way that I can pay it forward in expectation<br />
that the school will also give high-quality, life-saving,<br />
compassionate care to other families as it fulfills its mission<br />
<strong>of</strong> training future veterinarians and researching cures for<br />
animal illnesses and conditions.”<br />
Beacham has donated to the Veterinary Medicine<br />
Hospital Building Fund, which is being used toward<br />
building the new Veterinary Medical Learning Center,<br />
as she personally understands the blessing <strong>of</strong> having a<br />
renowned veterinary institution in the state.<br />
Additionally, she has donated to the Sundown Surgery<br />
Fund, which assists families with the cost <strong>of</strong> an unexpected<br />
major pet emergency.<br />
“I was blessed to have some ‘rainy day’ savings to<br />
cover Asa’s emergency and ongoing care,” she said, “and I<br />
would hate for money to have been the deciding factor in<br />
whether to save his life.”<br />
Beacham, who manages corporate philanthropy and<br />
community involvement for a large global company, likens<br />
her reasoning to give to the CVM in her personal life to<br />
the same basis <strong>of</strong> reasoning she uses to make decisions at<br />
work.<br />
“A big part <strong>of</strong> my job is to make strategic philanthropic<br />
decisions for my company, based on both social<br />
impact and business value,” she said. “I apply the same<br />
perspective to my own giving: what causes matter to me;<br />
where can my giving make an impact on those causes; and,<br />
who will make the best use <strong>of</strong> my donation. I also want to<br />
see results and know the organization is a good steward.<br />
The College <strong>of</strong> Veterinary Medicine is a slam dunk–I’ve<br />
seen it in action and personally benefited.”<br />
Donating to the CVM was an easy way to honor and<br />
directly support the veterinary residents and students who<br />
took such great care <strong>of</strong> Asa, and served as trusted advisors<br />
in a particularly difficult time, she said.<br />
“Their care was cutting edge; their bedside manner and<br />
patience with me, and my endless questions, qualified<br />
them as saints. And, they were honest, respectful and<br />
compassionate when it came time to make hard decisions,”<br />
she said. “Now, donating to the CVM is a habit, and I will<br />
continue to give each year in thanks and good memories.”<br />
For More Information<br />
If you would like to make a gift to the UGA College <strong>of</strong><br />
Veterinary Medicine, contact our Office <strong>of</strong> Veterinary<br />
External Affairs at 706.542.1807 or give2vet@uga.edu.<br />
Check out Asa in our Picture Your Pet winners slideshow<br />
online at www.vet.uga.edu/GO/photo-contest.php<br />
Beacham and Asa. Photo courtesy <strong>of</strong> Alecia Lauren Photography.<br />
<strong>Aesculapian</strong> <strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2012</strong>/<strong>Winter</strong> <strong>2013</strong> 46
College <strong>of</strong> Veterinary Medicine<br />
Athens, GA 30602-7371<br />
®<br />
Nonpr<strong>of</strong>it Org.<br />
U.S. Postage<br />
PAID<br />
Athens, GA<br />
Permit #11<br />
Return Service Requested<br />
Dates to remember:<br />
March 22-23<br />
April 5<br />
April 11<br />
April 19<br />
May 4<br />
June 26-30<br />
June 28<br />
July 7-13<br />
July 19-23<br />
August 11<br />
September 25<br />
Continuing Education Courses:<br />
The 50th Annual Veterinary Conference & Alumni Weekend<br />
Annual Open House<br />
Phi Zeta Ceremony<br />
Honors and Awards Banquet<br />
CVM Graduation (ticket required)<br />
Emerald Coast Veterinary Conference (GVMA annual meeting)<br />
UGA Alumni Reception (GVMA annual meeting: Sandestin, Fla.)<br />
VetCAMP<br />
AVMA Annual Convention (Chicago)<br />
White Coat Ceremony<br />
Vet School for a Day<br />
CE dates and topics are subject to change.<br />
Questions about CE Contact Melissa Kilpatrick at vetmedce@uga.edu or 706.542.1451, or online at www.vet.uga.edu/ce<br />
March 22-23<br />
May 5<br />
June 27-28<br />
June 29-30<br />
July 26-27<br />
July 28-29<br />
October 3-4<br />
October 5-6<br />
October 19-20<br />
December 7-8<br />
December 14-15<br />
The 50th Annual Veterinary Conference & Alumni Weekend<br />
Practical Dentistry: Periodontal Therapy/Surgical Extractions<br />
Arthroscopy<br />
Advanced Laparoscopy<br />
Flexible GI Endoscopy<br />
Basic Rigid Endoscopy<br />
Equine Encore<br />
Small Animal Surgery<br />
Internal Medicine<br />
Exotic Endoscopy<br />
Outpatient Medicine<br />
Advanced Laparoscopy<br />
This publication is paid for by private donations, and is available online at www.vet.uga.edu. For future mailings, if you would prefer to receive<br />
our <strong>Aesculapian</strong> or Annual Report electronically, please email us at vetnews@uga.edu and tell us what email address you would like us<br />
to notify when the publication goes online. Thank you for your support <strong>of</strong> the UGA College <strong>of</strong> Veterinary Medicine!