New Faces

Brandy Close, BS, M.Ed., Ph.D., is the director of curricular affairs, instructional design and academic technologies, as well as a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences. Originally from Stillwater, she earned her BS and M.Ed. degrees from Texas Christian University and her Ph.D. from Oklahoma State University. Dr. Close’s research interests include formative assessment and feedback, educational technology and trends, and curriculum and instruction.

Andreza Conti-Patara, DVM, MSc, MBA, Ph.D., is an associate professor of small animal emergency and critical care in the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences. Originally from São Paulo, Brazil, she earned her DVM degree from São Paulo State University, as well as a master’s degree and Ph.D. from the University of São Paulo. Conti-Patara’s research interests include sepsis, trauma, electrolytes disorders, and analgesia in critically ill patients. In 2019, she completed a residency in small animal emergency and critical care at Washington State University. She has worked with critically ill patients since 2006 when she founded Vet Support, an emergency and critical care clinic in Brazil. Before coming to OSU, Dr. Conti-Patara worked as a small animal emergency and critical care clinical instructor at the University of North Carolina.

Xufang Deng, Ph.D., MS, is an assistant professor in the Department of Physiological Sciences. Originally from a small village in the southwestern part of China, he spent the last 10 years living in Chicago. Deng earned his Ph.D. in veterinary virology at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences in Beijing and an MS degree in Bioinformatics from Loyola University Chicago. His research interests mainly focus on understanding how coronaviruses infect hosts and cause diseases, specifically investigating what and how viral and host components dictate coronaviral infections and pathogenesis in different organs.

Sudhakar Jha, Ph.D., is an associate professor in the Department of Physiological Sciences. Originally from Raiyam, Bihar, in India, he earned his Ph.D. from the Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi. He did his post-doctoral training at the University of Virginia. His research focuses on understanding the regulation of chromatin-remodeling complexes and their role in tumorigenesis. Specifically, he studies virus-induced cancers, along with breast, colorectal and blood cancers. Before joining OSU, Jha was the principal investigator at the Cancer Science Institute of Singapore.

Jonjo Reece, DVM, is a clinical assistant professor in small animal internal medicine in the Veterinary Clinical Sciences Department. Originally from the island of Barbados, Reece completed his bachelor’s degree and DVM at the University of the West Indies. After teaching several years, he completed a rotating internship at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan, followed by a small animal internal medicine residency at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. His current areas of interest include hepatology, endocrinology and infectious diseases.

Hesser Named New Director of Development

Ashley Hesser was promoted to director of development with the Oklahoma State University Foundation in April.

Hesser joined the foundation in July 2018 and was assigned to the College of Veterinary Medicine. In April 2019, she was promoted to assistant director of development. During her tenure with the foundation, Hesser has raised more than $6 million to benefit the veterinary college.

“This position has offered me the opportunity to meet and work with some wonderful alumni and friends of the College of Veterinary Medicine,” Hesser said. “Raising support for such an exceptional and hardworking group of folks is extremely rewarding.”

OTHER PROMOTIONS

Martin Furr, DVM, Ph.D., MA Ed, DACVIM, professor and head of the Department of Physiological Sciences, appointed as assistant dean of professional programs. This new position has a 25 percent administrative appointment. Furr will report to and advise the dean on an array of veterinary college activities. Furr continues to teach and consult. His research interests include equine neonatal medicine and critical care, equine neurology, equine immunology, faculty development and medical education.

Melanie Boileau, DVM, MS, DACVIM, promoted from associate professor to professor, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences. Boileau instructs students in food animal medicine and surgery, serves as food animal service chief and large animal co-section chief at the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital and holds the McCasland Clinical Professorship chair. Her research interests include small ruminants and camelid medicine, critical care of sick neonates and pinkeye in cattle.

John Gilliam, DVM, MS, DACVIM, DABVP, promoted from clinical associate professor to clinical professor, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences. Gilliam teaches fourth-year veterinary students about food animal production medicine and field services at the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital. His areas of expertise include beef cattle production medicine, internal medicine and bovine theriogenology. His research interests include welfare of production livestock and humane euthanasia.

Lyndi Gilliam, DVM, Ph.D., DACVIM, promoted from associate professor to professor, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences. Gilliam teaches first- through fourth-year veterinary students, interns and residents about equine internal medicine. Her research interests focus on envenomation and methods of treatment, thromboelastography and analgesic protocols for chronic pain in the horse.

Dr. Martin Furr Dr. Melanie Boileau Dr. John Gilliam Dr. Lyndi Gilliam

Dr. Katrina Meinkoth Dr. Jerry Malayer Dr. Joao Brandao Dr. Jill Akkerman

Katrina Meinkoth, DVM, promoted from clinical assistant professor to clinical associate professor, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences. Meinkoth teaches students in the shelter surgery program, which includes two classes — junior surgery and surgical fundamentals in shelter patients, a fourth-year required rotation. Her professional interests include helping students overcome anxiety in surgery and understand handeye coordination. She enjoys collaborating with other faculty and doing clinical research projects that can be directly applied to patient care.

Jerry Malayer, Ph.D., named senior associate dean of research and graduate education. Malayer is a professor and McCasland Chair in the Department of Physiological Sciences and an adjunct professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in the Division of Agricultural Science and Natural Resources. He is a founding member of the Scientific Steering Committee of the Oklahoma Center for Adult Stem Cell Research, is a member of the Oklahoma Governor’s Science and Innovation Council and recently served as vice-chair of the Board of Directors of the Coalition of EPSCoR States.

Joao Brandao, LMV, MS, DECZM

(Avian), named the Debbie and Wayne Bell Professorship in Veterinary Clinical Sciences. Brandao is an associate professor of zoological medicine in the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences. His research interests include development and clinical application of diagnostic tests, assessment of methods to decrease stress (e.g. sedation and anesthesia), coagulation and endocrinology in exotic animals.

Jill Akkerman, DVM, Ph.D., named director of the Clinical Skills Program. Akkerman is an associate professor of anatomy in the Department of Physiological Sciences. As director, Akkerman will create an innovative clinical skills lab with high- and low-fidelity models and facilities for developing and assessing clinical reasoning and communication skills. The Clinical Skills Program will be a collaborative effort with faculty across departments at the College of Veterinary Medicine to meet competencies for the newly revised DVM curriculum.

Blakeney Set to Retire After 16 Years on the Job, Having Raised Profile of OSU Vet Med

Every year, people would come up to Derinda Blakeney at an annual college conference and ask, “How do you do it?”

She still can’t answer that question, even as she is wrapping up her time at Oklahoma State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. This is Blakeney’s final edition of Vet Cetera as she enters retirement.

“I didn’t want to be one of those quarterbacks that plays one season too long,” Blakeney said. “I feel like I am at the top of my game.”

At most other vet schools around the country, entire teams handle their school’s marketing, PR, social media, website, videos and magazine. For the past 16 years, Blakeney has done most of that with just herself and a web designer.

“Some vet colleges have a person assigned specifically to the hospital to just do hospital stories, whereas I am covering the hospital, the college, the lab, the ranch and our research facilities,” Blakeney said. “It makes me busy but also makes the day go by faster.”

It is a day that starts at 4:30 a.m. so she can get her workout in before getting ready and leaving her house in Edmond, Oklahoma, where she lives with her husband, Ray.

Blakeney has gone through three cars as she travels 500 miles a week for work, but she doesn’t regret taking the job way back in 2005.

“When I took the job, I thought it would be a good job and it would be worth it, and it was. It was worth every mile,” Blakeney said.

Blakeney was used to traveling for work, as she moved halfway across the country from her home state of New York to Oklahoma City for her previous job.

A native of Phoenix, New York — just north of Syracuse — Blakeney started out working for the Miller Brewing Co. and fell in love with public relations at an early age. Figuring she wanted to make a career out of it, Blakeney started taking more college courses to improve on the associate degree she already had.

A bachelor’s degree from Columbia College and a master’s from Syracuse University later, and Blakeney was more than qualified to work wherever she wanted to.

After working with the small firm Public Strategies in Oklahoma City for a few years, she saw the position at OSUCVM open up and thought it sounded interesting — even though she didn’t know much about veterinary medicine at the time.

“Sometimes now, I will be typing something and I will actually know how to spell it,” said Blakeney as she looked back on her career. “I will think, ‘Man, when I came here, I couldn’t have even told you how to say the word, let alone spell it.’ I have learned a lot.”

Whether it was having to pick up all the different terms veterinarians use, all of their different degrees or all of the different acronyms for associations out there, Blakeney has mastered it.

She has seen the school grow as well as Vet Cetera, which was a 30-page magazine when she arrived and now is a publication nearly three times that size whose awards have almost outgrown Blakeney’s office.

“With the help of the folks in Brand Management, my editor, graphic designer, photographers, we have really raised the level of the magazine,” Blakeney said. “I think it is much more professional looking now.”

It has grown into something alumni and donors look forward to every year as many order extra copies so they can put them in their offices. Blakeney said she uses it as an annual report so everyone can see the advancements OSU-CVM is making, such as this year’s new Roger J. Panciera Education Center or the tales of impressive veterinary feats like the stories of Milo and Siggi.

Two courageous canines — Milo in 2019 and Siggi this year — were born with upside-down paws but with the help of OSU, were able to get right side up. Both of their stories became global phenomena.

“Milo and Siggi were like manna from heaven,” Blakeney said. “Honestly I just posted the story on the website and it was like, ‘Woosh,’ the media was everywhere. It was hectic. I was getting calls all the time and emails.”

Blakeney has helped advance the profile of the College of Veterinary Medicine every year. Although it is a busy job, she has one wish for whoever comes in to fill her shoes.

“I just hope that whoever takes the position loves it as much as I did,” she said.

Margi Gilmour, DVM, DACVO

Margi Gilmour, DVM, DACVO, retired in December after 20 years at the College of Veterinary Medicine. She earned her DVM degree from Michigan State University in 1986 and became a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists in 1991.

“Margi has served our college with distinction since 2001 as a professor with the Veterinary Clinical Sciences Department and for the past five years as our associate dean for academic affairs,” said Dr. Carlos Risco, dean of the veterinary college.

Gilmour considers her greatest accomplishment as an ophthalmologist to be sharing her love of patients and ophthalmology with students, and, as the associate dean for academic affairs, helping students in really difficult positions successfully complete the program.

“Her enthusiasm and commitment are apparent in everything she does,” Risco said. “Her vision for improving student learning experiences was instrumental in guiding the college to build the Roger J. Panciera Education Center, develop the student wellness program, revise the curriculum and create new faculty positions. These innovative contributions will undoubtedly improve how we educate future generations of veterinary students at Oklahoma State University.”

Chris Ross, DVM, Ph.D.

After 14 years of service, Chris Ross retired in March. During his tenure, Ross was a professor in the Department of Physiological Sciences, associate dean for academic affairs and interim dean.

He led the initiative to increase class size from 88 to 106. As a result, the college was able to add five or six new positions. His work in this capacity left the college in a better financial position that led to faculty hires. Increasing the number of faculty was one of the major points the college needed to improve on to regain accreditation by the COE.

Ross earned his DVM and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Missouri. He came to OSU from Kansas State University where he was on faculty from 1990 to 2007. In retirement, Ross plans to return to Kansas to be with family.

Editor’s Note: As this publication was going to print, we received the sad news that Dr. Chris Ross passed away Dec. 12, 2021. See his obituary at www.ymlfuneralhome.com/obituary/6823. Dr. Margi Gilmour

Dr. Chris Ross

A Search for a Hero

Each year, Oklahoma State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine hosts a Veterans Day Observance.

Dr. Jerry Ritchey, alumnus (CVM ’91) and professor in the Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, shared a story with attendees about his grandfather, who was killed in action in France during World War II. Ritchey didn’t know much about his grandfather and set out on a journey to find out who he was and what he did.

“I wrote to the National Archives and discovered that about 85 percent of our World War II era veterans’ records were destroyed in a 1973 fire in a national archives holding facility,” Ritchey said. “They sent me one piece of paper, which was a company morning report issued by his commanding officer the day after my grandfather was killed. From that slip of paper, I was able to get my grandfather’s unit — Company B, 48th Tank Battalion of the 14th Armored Division—and I was able to figure out when he was killed — Nov. 22, 1944 — and where — in the Vosges Mountains Campaign in southeastern France. What I didn’t realize was that little slip of paper was going to take me on a fantastic journey.”

Ritchey tracked down the reunion organization for the 14th Armored Division and received a printout of all the living veterans who served in his grandfather’s company and began calling them but to no avail. Call after call, no one knew his grandfather. A conversation with Col. Bob Elder, the company commander, revealed that a week after Ritchey’s grandfather was killed, Company B was ambushed by the Germans and nearly the entire company was killed.

“He told me there were only about 12 out of the 120 that survived that battle and most everyone in the company, including him, was a replacement. And my heart just sank,” Ritchey said. “Now my pool of people who would have known my grandfather was even smaller.”

Elder sent Ritchey to the supply sergeant, who was with the original company. While the supply sergeant knew Ritchey’s grandfather, he didn’t know him well. However, he gave Ritchey the name of a combat soldier who was part of the original unit – Paul Van Dyke.

“I called Mr. Van Dyke and by this time I had the line memorized. ‘Hello sir. I’m Dr. Jerry Ritchey from Stillwater, Oklahoma. I’m looking for someone who may have information on my grandfather, Staff Sergeant Samuel Eberly Boyden, who served in Company B of the 48th Tank Battalion. Do you by any chance happen to know my grandfather?’” Ritchey said. “There was a pause and then in this trembling voice, Mr. Van Dyke said, ‘Yes, I know Sam Boyden. He was my tank commander.’ I just can’t tell you what that was like. The ironic thing was that Mr. Van Dyke lived just a couple hours north in Kansas. He had returned from the war and became a very successful Kansas businessman.”

That weekend, the University of Kansas was playing OSU. Ritchey and his oldest son, Caleb, who was 10 at the time, drove to Kansas and spent the entire weekend with Van Dyke.

“He told me everything that I wanted to know about my grandfather. What kind of man he was, what he did, how he was killed, what they were doing,” Ritchey said. “As it turned out, my grandfather was a hero. I had gone on this journey intending to find out something about my grandfather. But I got so much more. I did not find just one hero, but I found hundreds, each with their own stories of sacrifice and service. Not only the men that I talked to along the way but the names and faces of many that I had learned and read about as I was trying to fill the gaps.

“All of my children serve in the U.S. military. I’ve seen first-hand the commitment and the sacrifice they make to serve, to deploy sometimes in combat zones and to have to leave their wife and children or to just go to work on a day by day basis and be put in harm’s way during live fire exercises or like my oldest son, who has to jump out of perfectly good airplanes. They do it for us so that we don’t have to. Not once have I ever come to work and worried if my parachute was going to open.

“Our college got great press for our high volume COVID testing that was performed at OADDL. We were performing over 2,000 tests a day during

“They do it for us so that we don’t have to. Not once have I ever come to work and worried if my parachute was going to open.”

DR. JERRY RITCHEY

OSU Army ROTC provided a Color Guard for the College of Veterinary Medicine’s Veterans Day Observance. Front row (from left): Cadets Joshua Henley, Thomas Mauk and Fred Ross. Back row (from left): Master Sgt. Nathan Purdy; Dr. Jerry Ritchey, guest speaker; Dr. Carlos Risco, dean; and Cadet Mason Glover.

the peak of the pandemic. We could not have done that without the guardsmen who, while away from their families and their jobs, drove to all the county health departments to collect those samples and then deliver them to us here. They were critical in our success story.

“I have two take-home messages today. No. 1, for particularly the young people, seek out the contribution of your veteran relatives now. Hear their stories. Do not wait like I did until it’s too late and there is nobody left to tell it. Every time a veteran dies, it’s like a library has burned down. So check out the book before that happens. And then for all of us, we owe our men and women service members, both living and dead, so very much. They never ask anything in return. So we have to learn to give. For them, be the best person that you can be. Be the best citizen that you can be. God bless all of our veterans and God bless the United States of America.”

Ritchey joined the faculty at OSU CVM in 1997. He currently teaches veterinary and graduate students and rotates through necropsy and biopsy services as attending pathologist for the Oklahoma Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory. Ritchey also serves as the director of the Immunopathology Core Program for the Oklahoma Center for Respiratory and Infectious Diseases. The Center provides immunology and pathology support for infectious disease research.

Ritchey’s military connection comes through his three children: Caleb is a West Point graduate who serves as a captain in the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Carolina married a U.S. Army pilot and they are currently stationed at Fort Bliss, Texas; and John is a senior cadet at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

LEARN MORE

For a video on Dr. Ritchey’s search, go to okla.st/3kP1ihJ.

Attending the dedication were (from left) Dr. Andrew McCabe, CEO of the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges; Sara Forhan and Michael Panciera, son of Roger; Dr. David Panciera, son of Roger; Yule and mom Susan Panciera, grandson and daughter of Roger; and Dr. Carlos Risco, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine.

OSU Vet Med Dedicates Roger J. Panciera Education Center

Facility launches new, improved teaching methods

Students at Oklahoma State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine recently moved into a state-of-the-art building, the Roger J. Panciera Education Center.

The college’s Aug. 13 dedication for the building both honored its namesake, Dr. Roger Panciera, and launched a new, improved way to teach veterinary students at OSU.

The Panciera building features the latest technology, natural light and high ceilings for a feeling of space as well as mobile furniture to allow for countless configurations. For the first time in the history of the college, classes in years one through three will be housed in one building on one floor to help break down barriers between classes and allow third-year students a greater opportunity to mentor first- and secondyear students.

Each classroom features monitors on all four walls to allow students to see, no matter how seats are arranged. Each room also features one large screen in case instructors need a forwardfacing type of presentation. Classrooms are open all the time. One room is designated as a “quiet room” for those who like to study in a quiet area. Two more rooms are available for students to configure anyway they like. All rooms have numerous white boards and furniture on wheels for easy movement.

Many tiny microphones are located in the ceilings to make sure any question asked is picked up —as well as the instructor’s answer — for the recorded lecture. This means any student who misses a class can still hear all that was said. Students can bring a plug-in device to project something to their study group, or an instructor can have two inputs into the monitor. This allows

Dean Dr. Carlos Risco welcomes attendees, including the Panciera family, Oklahoma legislators, OSU administration, alumni, donors, faculty, staff and students. OSU President, Dr. Kayse Shrum

the main slide to remain on one monitor while a demonstration video is shown on another.

“As an instructor, it’s a great feeling when you are able to walk among the students and see them eye to eye, show them something and converse with them without barriers like standing behind a big podium,” said Dr. Margi Gilmour, associate dean for academic affairs. “You are moving and talking and engaging students in the discussion. Team teaching has been shown to be very effective. We can have students in groups of six, eight or whatever works best for the subject and instructor. This is great for case studies where students work together and then come back as a whole to discuss the case and what each group discovered. This leads to a better learning experience.”

Students had input in the design of the building as well.

“Students were given three options of chairs to select from. They voted and that’s the style of chair we purchased so they had a voice in what they would sit in,” Gilmour said. “The high ceilings, natural light and carpeted rooms are visibly appealing and make it a nice place to be in.

“Medical education is evolving. We have competencies we test for that make sure students have the knowledge they need. We are instilling in them a sense of collaboration. It’s not just anatomy and physiology; it’s learning teamwork and collaboration not just during their fourth-year clinical rotations, but from their very first day of class. That’s a shift in how we teach, how we train and buildings like the Roger J. Panciera Education Center support that.”

The building honors the late Panciera (OSU CVM ’53), professor emeritus and a world-renowned veterinary pathologist. He spent his entire career at OSU teaching veterinary students, doing groundbreaking research and performing diagnostics to find answers to questions. His leadership advanced the discipline of veterinary pathology and inspired generations of veterinarians to enter the field of veterinary pathology.

“The new classroom will be a testimony to Dr. Panciera’s distinction as an outstanding educator and mentor of veterinary students and have a transformational change in how we educate the next generation of veterinarians,” said Dr. Carlos Risco, dean of the OSU College of Veterinary Medicine.

The building was funded by OSU administration and countless donors and alumni whose lives were positively impacted by Panciera.

SEE MORE

A rebroadcast of the entire dedication is available at okla.st/3oFVKqM.

Oklahoma Veterinary Diagnostic Lab Receives Donation from DetectaChem

The Oklahoma Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (OADDL) at Oklahoma State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine received a $20,000 donation from DetectaChem in April.

Based in Texas, DetectaChem is a privately held company and manufacturer of rapidly deployable, handheld, intelligent, and easy-tooperate detection systems.

Specifically, OADDL worked with DetectaChem last year in the development of the company’s rapid COVID-19 test kit, which received emergency use authorization (EAU) by the FDA for COVID-19 testing in humans.

“OADDL has a great team and has been integral in the fight against COVID through large scale testing and validation. They have worked tirelessly and we definitely appreciate the partnership,” said Travis Kisner, chief operating officer, on how OADDL assisted his company.

DetectaChem partnered with OADDL in the summer of 2020 to run validation testing for the MD-Bio BCC19 Test Kit. The kit is a 30-minute isothermal molecular assay that detects the presence of SARS-CoV-2. The validation testing done at OADDL helped DetectaChem achieve FDA EUA approval.

Since the kit received authorization, it has helped the specific market of high volume COVID-19 testing with quick turnarounds. The kit contributed and was instrumental in helping universities have in-person classes, the Super Bowl halftime show, and other sporting events to perform with a sense of security. It also helped costly rocket launches avoid delay, multiple movie sets to continue with filming, correctional facilities to operate as needed, and many other examples of getting the world safely back to normal, because of rapid and accurate testing.

All of these achievements can be linked back to the original validation testing that was done by OADDL, a hard-working savior in the fight against COVID-19 during this pandemic through mass testing and the validation of the DetectaChem COVID-19 test platform.

Kisner, along with his team members — Courtney Powell, Chris Gaffney and Katie Gaffney — visited OADDL in April to continue technical and development discussions with Dr. Jerry Saliki, OADDL director, and his team on how OADDL can assist DetectaChem with

DetectaChem team members presented the veterinary college’s Oklahoma Animal Disease Diagnostic Lab with a $20,000 donation. Pictured above in the front row (left to right) are: Katie Gaffney, Courtney Powell, Dr. Jerry Saliki and Emily Cooper. In the back row (left to right) are: Dr. Akhilesh Ramachandran, Chris Gaffney, Travis Kisner and Dr. Carlos Risco. extending the company’s detection technology to animal diseases. “The partnership with DetectaChem provides a great opportunity for OADDL to contribute its expertise towards the development of diagnostic test kits, some which could be implemented at OADDL to enhance its diagnostic capabilities,” Saliki said. OADDL is a member of the National Animal Health Laboratory Network and performs diagnostic tests for targeted surveillance programs and emergency response testing for foreign animal diseases including: avian and swine influenza virus; Avian Paramyxovirus-1; African swine fever; classical swine fever; and foot and mouth disease virus. During the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, OADDL was approved to run COVID-19 testing on human samples and handled a significant portion of Oklahoma’s testing until September 2020.

Dr. Brenna Brawner

Dr. Kyre Larrabee

Dr. Tanner Leon

FINISHING the Chapter

Members of the class of 2020 return to Stillwater for commencement

In March 2020, the world came to a screeching halt when the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States. Veterinary students in clinical training at Oklahoma State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine were sent home to finish the last few weeks of their fourth and final year remotely. Those who were away at externships could not return to campus. No goodbyes, no plans to reconnect with friends and no in-person graduation ceremony.

FINISHING

More than a year later, the class of 2020 was given an opportunity to ‘walk’ at the 2021 OSU CVM Commencement Ceremony. About half the class was able to make the journey back to Stillwater with the remainder unable to come due to internships and work schedules.

Three class members reflected on what it means to be officially hooded.

“I was devastated to not be able to walk in 2020 as ‘the class with perfect vision.’ I have been working toward this milestone in my life since I was 10 years old,” Dr. Brenna Brawner said. “Being a veterinarian is the only career endeavor I ever had. I never faltered from the path. Through college and vet school my family was counting down the days until they could call me ‘Doc.’

“This ceremony, even a year delayed, represents such an accomplishment and significant transition in my life that I could not miss it. It means everything. It means four years of high school decisions revolving around setting myself up for success in vet school, eight years of collegiate training and too many sacrifices to mention in order to achieve my goal of becoming a doctor and a voice for the voiceless.

“This is the day I have been looking forward to for almost 20 years. I am entirely honored to share this walk with the amazing class of 2021 and finally get the day my classmates and I have been looking forward to. I have nothing but gratitude for the university and the governing bodies who are putting forth so much effort to make sure the class of 2020 has their day in the light. We are truly grateful.”

The first year out of veterinary college, Dr. Brawner completed an internship in a private practice in Edmond, Oklahoma. She will be moving to Tulsa to start a new job after graduation.

“I wanted to come back and graduate because we worked so hard for four years to get our moment of the coveted hooding that we deserve,” Dr. Kyre Larrabee said. “Besides graduating, I dearly want to see my best friends and classmates. Because of COVID, we never had the opportunity to have an official goodbye and I miss them so much. I can’t wait to be reunited with them for this experience. This is a moment I’ve been waiting for for a long time.

“Being hooded will help bring a close on a very important chapter in my life. I can’t thank OSU College of Veterinary Medicine enough for giving the class of 2020 the opportunity to graduate. This is such a special time for us, so thank you!”

Dr. Larrabee finished an equine internship in Colorado and accepted a job at a rural, mixed animal practice in Texas.

“I came back to graduate after this year because I felt like doing this would give me some closure on this chapter of my life,” Dr. Tanner Leon said. “I wanted to see my friends that I have built lifelong friendships with during my four-year journey. I think overall, I am very excited for my loved ones to watch me be hooded and receive my diploma after such a long, challenging but yet satisfying experience. I feel that earning my doctorate of veterinary medicine has been the biggest accomplishment of my life.

“I also wanted to be able to thank my friends from my class one last time for everything they have done for me. It means that I can finally come back to Stillwater, Oklahoma, and close the chapter of feeling like I am still in school. It means I can come back as an official alumnus like all my other friends I went to undergraduate with many years ago. I am just ready to finally walk on the stage and feel like it all totally paid off. I want to continue to grow in this profession and do all the things I love when it comes to veterinary medicine and say that oath with my classmates and say we finally did it.”

Dr. Leon finished his first year working in a mixed animal practice. He now plans to focus on small animal surgery relief work and part-time work in the Oklahoma City area and on beef cattle consulting work in the central and northwest Oklahoma regions.