VET CETERA LABOR OF LOVE OSU VETERINARIANS SAVE BUCKING BULL’S LIFE AT GIRL’S REQUEST VET CETERA The official magazine of the College of Veterinary Medicine LABOR OF LOVE OSU VETERINARIANS SAVE BUCKING BULL’S LIFE AT GIRL’S REQUEST COLLEGE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY WINTER 2022 / VOLUME 25
FROM
Greetings from the Dean
As we reflect on the last year and look forward to 2023, we are excited to continue advancing both the College of Veterinary Medicine and the veterinary profession.
The college renewed its agreement with the Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University in Chennai, India, and signed another with the University of Castilla-La Mancha in Ciudad Real, Spain.
Our faculty continues to be very productive in research activities. Extensive collaboration continues among departments as well as across the Oklahoma State University campus and with external organizations. As society continues to find its new normal post-pandemic, the college has continued to make great strides in COVID-19 research (see page 46).
Several new faculty and staff members have joined the CVM this year (see page 22). We have expanded the small animal emergency service and introduced two new services: behavior (story on page 42) and dermatology (see page 66). The Office of Curriculum and Educational Support gained new members and began serving faculty (story on page 36).
Work has begun on a new Clinical Skills Lab that will be an integral part of the new curriculum that will be implemented in the fall of 2023. The CVM continues to be accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education and our next site visit is scheduled for 2024.
The CVM recently conducted a strategic planning process to identify challenges and threats to the long-term ability of the CVM to meet its obligations, to maintain accreditation by the AVMA COE and to excel in its various mission areas. Strategic and actionable goals were proposed and work has begun to achieve them.
Student retention continues to improve. The college graduated 108 new veterinarians (see page 7) and welcomed 106 new students to the program (see page 20).
The CVM raised nearly $6.6 million in FY22. The OSU Foundation hosted notable events to aid in fundraising efforts, including a CVM Ranch Open House, and further cultivated the Grateful Client Giving Program.
Having a diverse and inclusive community of faculty, staff and students is a top priority for our college. We are pleased that the college consistently matriculates a high (about 20%) number of students from historically underrepresented populations in veterinary medicine.
Carlos A. Risco, DVM, Dipl. ACT Dean, College of Veterinary Medicine
Oklahoma State University
We look forward to serving you in 2023. THE DEAN
On The Cover
Hard Labor, a bucking bull, is 13-year-old Addi Drury’s best friend. When he had a serious leg injury, the Drurys took him to OSU Vet Med for surgery. (Photo by Taylor Bacon)
32
Magical Surgery
OSU veterinarians save Tinkerbell the donkey foal after she was born with umbilical problems. 34 Beating
the Odds
Quarter horse Peter perseveres through cleft palate surgery to become successful performance athlete. 52
Return to Vet Med
CVM’s annual Fall Conference returns to campus as alumni have chance to celebrate and reunite. 67
State Visit
CVM hosts state legislators as they tour facilities and learn the impact of veterinary education on rural communities.
34
DEAN, COLLEGE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE
Carlos A. Risco, DVM, Dipl. ACT
PUBLIC RELATIONS AND MARKETING COORDINATOR
Kaylie Wehr
ALUMNI AFFAIRS AND EVENTS SPECIALIST
Sharon Worrell
SENIOR DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT/TEAM LEAD Ashley Hesser
EDITOR
Jordan Bishop
ART DIRECTOR Dave Malec
LEAD DESIGNER Paul V. Fleming
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Taylor Bacon, Jordan Bishop, Bailee Schiefelbein, Sydney Trainor and Kaylie Wehr
PHOTOGRAPHY
Taylor Bacon, Genesee Photo, Gary Lawson, Kevin McCroskey, OSU Foundation, Phil Shockley and Kaylie Wehr
The College of Veterinary Medicine graduates competent, confident, career-ready veterinarians — a tradition it has proudly carried forward since the day the veterinary college opened its doors 74 years ago. Please join us at the CVM website: vetmed.okstate.edu
VET CETERA magazine is published each winter by Oklahoma State University, 307 Whitehurst, Stillwater, OK 74078. The magazine is produced by the Office of Brand Management and the College of Veterinary Medicine. Its purpose is to connect the college with its many alumni and friends, providing information on both campus news and pertinent issues in the field of veterinary medicine. Postage is paid at Stillwater, OK, and additional mailing offices. All rights reserved.
Oklahoma State University, in compliance with Title VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Executive Order 11246 as amended, and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Higher Education Act), the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and other federal and state laws and regulations, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, genetic information, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, or status as a veteran, in any of its policies, practices or procedures. This provision includes, but is not limited to admissions, employment, financial aid, and educational services. The Director of Equal Opportunity, 408 Whitehurst, OSU, Stillwater, OK 74078-1035; Phone 405-744-5371; email: eeo@okstate. edu has been designated to handle inquiries regarding nondiscrimination policies. Any person (student, faculty, or staff) who believes that discriminatory practices have been engaged in based on gender may discuss his or her concerns and file informal or formal complaints of possible violations of Title IX with OSU’s Title IX Coordinator 405-744-9154.
This publication, issued by Oklahoma State University as authorized by the College of Veterinary Medicine, was printed by Modern Litho at a cost of $11,225.37 for 5,600 copies/Dec 2022 . #9746
Plus … 7 CLASS OF 2022 20 CLASS OF 2026 22 NEW FACES 53 CLASS REUNIONS 60 DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI 69 IN MEMORIAM
IN THIS ISSUE
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67 32 52
Worth The Wait
CVM opens its doors once again for Open House
STORY KAYLIE WEHR | PHOTOS TAYLOR BACON
2 VET CETERA 2022
The Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine opened its doors to the public in October for its annual Open House.
After a three-year hiatus due to construction and a global pandemic, faculty, staff and students were excited to once again showcase the college.
“With a strong reputation for graduating competent and practice-ready veterinarians, the CVM is a jewel in the crown of Oklahoma State University,” said Dr. Jerry Ritchey, associate dean of academic and student affairs for the CVM. “We have missed the opportunity to share this valuable resource with the public due to the pandemic and we are extremely excited to provide a glimpse into our programs and facilities through Open House.”
The CVM welcomed approximately 1,000 guests with visitors from Texas, Missouri, Arizona, Arkansas, Kansas, California and Minnesota. Guests enjoyed many activities including food trucks; a meet and greet with Bullet, the Spirit Riders and Pistol Pete; teddy bear surgery; an adopt-a-thon with pets from local shelters; and hands-on, science-based activities for children of all ages.
okstate.edu
OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY 3
THE 2023 OPEN HOUSE is planned for next fall during the Cowboy football season. Check back on our website for a date announcement at vetmed.
4 VET CETERA 2022
‘A High Honor’
OSU alumnus Otto named 2022 Oklahoma Veterinarian of the Year
Dr. John Otto knew he wanted to be a veterinarian since he was 8 years old.
“I asked my mom once ‘Do animals have doctors?’” said Otto, a native of St. Paul, Minnesota. “She said ‘Yes, they’re called veterinarians,’ and I said ‘Well, that’s it, I want to be a veterinarian.’”
And he has made quite the career of it. Otto was named the 2022 Oklahoma Veterinarian of the Year by the Oklahoma Veterinary Medical Association.
“That’s a high honor because your peers are the ones that vote on it and when your colleagues say you are doing a good job, that’s always nice,” Otto said. “It just validates a lot of the work I’ve done.”
The transformational relationship between human and animal is what drew Otto to veterinary medicine. Moving frequently as a child, he always found comfort in his animal relationships.
“The human-animal bond is something I am really intrigued by because it helped me so much with all the moves and tough times,” Otto said. “That relationship is very powerful.”
Although he applied to veterinary schools all around the country, Oklahoma State University was where Otto felt at home. He graduated with his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree in 1990.
Little did he know Oklahoma would bring him much more than an education. It was there that Otto met his wife and made a home.
“When I was going into my senior year, Patty was going on a tour of the teaching hospital with a classmate friend, I saw her and the rest is history,” he said. “She’s from Norman, so that was the big reason for moving here. I love Oklahoma — this is my home now.”
After settling in Norman, Otto established University Veterinary
Hospital in 1995. Apart from owning his own practice, Otto also volunteers in numerous organizations and mentor programs, including the Animal Welfare Committee, Friends for Folks and the Moore-Norman Technology career shadowing program.
“I was chairman of the animal welfare committee for 10 years and we got the indigent spay and neuter legislation through to help people of low income get their animals spayed or neutered,” he said. “Our committee also pushed the current animal abuse legislation through, and worked on puppy mill legislation. Those types of things that I really feel are important in our profession, I was able to work on, so it’s a really neat thing.”
Friends for Folks pairs “unadoptable” dogs from shelters and humane organizations with inmates educated as dog trainers. The dogs are then placed with people who need companionship, such as senior citizens and veterans.
“I started volunteering down at the Lexington correction facility in 1996 and watching the transformation that occurs with an animal and an inmate when they come together, it’s a really beautiful thing,” Otto said. “I also work a lot with children whose parents are incarcerated.”
Otto also co-authored three children’s books with his son, Payton, based on his experiences volunteering within the prison system: “Sarge: The Veteran’s Best Friend,” “Marvin’s Rising Star” and “Marvin’s Gift.”
Mentoring students is also close to Otto’s heart.
“There was a veterinarian that I met in Virginia who was very nice and encouraging,” Otto said. “I asked a lot of questions and he took the time to answer them for me and that’s what I’ve always tried to do, take the time to encourage students and help them. I
always say I have an open door for them. They can always come in and observe.”
Otto encourages those considering a career in veterinary medicine to go for it.
“It is the greatest profession there is because you get to work with animals that you absolutely love and you work with people,” he said. “That relationship between the animal and the person is so strong and powerful and it’s a privilege to be part of and facilitate that because when you help the animal, you help the person.”
He also offered some practical advice.
“The main thing is you want to know for sure this is the profession you want,” Otto said. “I tell people to try to get a job at a vet hospital, gain experience and be sure this is what you want to do. And most importantly, get your grades up and sharpen those study skills.”
Whether it’s seeing clients at his practice or volunteering, Otto has devoted his career to fostering humananimal relationships and affecting positive change for humans and animals alike.
“I am just so grateful to be a veterinarian,” he said. “It’s been a dream since I was 8 years old and I really thank God every day that I’ve had the opportunity to do it. I hope I’ve given back as much as it’s given me.”
STORY KAYLIE WEHR | PHOTO KAYLIE WEHR
OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY 5
OSU alumna Dr. Rosslyn Biggs (‘04) was also honored at the 2022 Oklahoma Veterinary Conference sponsored by the OVMA. She received the President’s Award.
The OSU College of Veterinary Medicine is committed to making a difference across the state. And to continue to push the boundaries, we need your help.
You can help change lives, one animal at a time, by supporting one of our innovative projects, including:
• Center for Rural Veterinary Medicine: This facility will increase veterinary services in rural communities by studying methods to improve the operation of veterinary hospitals and training of veterinary students with an interest in rural practice.
• CVM Ranch: An off-site extension of the OSU Veterinary Medical Hospital that specializes in equine and bovine breeding and reproductive services.
• Imaging Center: The center will provide a much-needed upgrade to one of only two facilities in Oklahoma that can perform MRIs on animal patients.
To make your gift, go to OSUgiving.com or contact Ashley Hesser at ahesser@osugiving.com or 405.385.0715.
2022 Class of In May, the College of Veterinary Medicine graduated 108 new veterinarians, a record number! OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY 7
A Gentle Heart
Classmates award Hahn the 2022 Gentle Doctor Award
Concern, affection, love and respect for the significance of life for all God’s creatures, great and small. These are the qualities of a Gentle Doctor.
Each year, the graduating class selects one member who exhibits all these to receive the Gentle Doctor Award. The class of 2022 selected Dr. Haley Hahn of Tulsa.
From a young age, Hahn knew her dream career would involve caring for animals. She was in high school when that dream began to take shape.
“I just really loved animals,” Hahn said. “I think I realized that it could be an actual profession for me when I was in high school. That’s when I started my first vet tech job and I just loved it.”
For Hahn, veterinary medicine was the perfect career; an environment where she could care for both animals and people.
“We’re people who are helping animals, but then also get to talk to people and I love talking to people,” Hahn said. “I thought that this is perfect, this is for me. Strengthening bonds between the owner and the animal and making them happier and healthier because of it, I just knew that this was for me.”
When the Gentle Doctor Award recipient was announced, Hahn was overwhelmed by the kindness of her classmates.
“I couldn’t believe it and I was truly so thankful,” Hahn said. “I think the world of my classmates and for them to nominate me as the Gentle Doctor — I was just blown away. Anyone in our class truly deserved this award and for them to give it to me was such a nice feeling and I am so honored.”
When considering the past four years of veterinary school, many good memories flood her mind, but there is one that stands out.
“The first day of clinics,” Hahn said. “I really liked it. I had a great group of people in my rotation and it’s just the day I realized that I was going to be a doctor. We were all nervous and scared, but we were working together.”
Through all the challenges a professional veterinary education brings, and all the additional ones COVID-19 brought, it was Hahn’s classmates that made all the difference.
“We grow up for four years together,” Hahn said. “We are just a small group of our class and we were always just ready to jump in and help each other with the different cases. When the pandemic hit and we had to go to online learning, it was tough. I really relied on my classmates during that time.
“I’m so, so thankful for all of my classmates. Everyone is so nice and compassionate and it’s such a big honor to win this award.”
In addition to the Gentle Doctor Award, Hahn also received the Butch and Luella Curtis Scholarship. Following graduation, Hahn began working at Animal Emergency Center in Tulsa.
STORY KAYLIE WEHR | PHOTO PHIL SHOCKLEY
“We are just a small group of our class and we were always just ready to jump in and help each other with the different cases. When the pandemic hit and we had to go to online learning, it was tough. I really relied on my classmates during that time.”
DR. HALEY HAHN
8 VET CETERA 2022
OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY 9
Stanley Earns Highest Honor
Dr. Morgan Stanley was stunned when she learned she was named the 2022 Dean Clarence H. McElroy award recipient.
Selected by the graduating class and fourthyear instructors, the award is the highest honor an Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine student can achieve.
“I was completely shocked,” Stanley said. “At that exact moment, I was actually looking around the room trying to guess who it was going to be. I was overwhelmed and I kind of froze. My mother, who came to the ceremony with me, had to give me a little nudge to snap me out of it.
“It’s an incredible honor. I want to rise to the challenge of the winners before me and that just increases my passion and motivation to do the best that I can.”
A love of animals and an interest in medicine led her to pursue a DVM degree.
“I’ve always had a love for animals and my parents are in human medicine,” Stanley said. “Those two concepts kind of melded together and led me to want to become a veterinarian. My parents encouraged me to explore medicine but didn’t pressure me to do the human side of it. They let me follow my specific passion and I’m forever grateful for that.”
As she moves on to the next chapter, Stanley will leave with fond memories of OSU.
“I’m definitely going to miss the people you get to be around — the classmates and the faculty and staff,” she said. “As for a specific memory, I can’t think of just one. There have been too many amazing clients and amazing things to see and learn.”
As she reflects on her four years of veterinary education, Stanley had some advice for those who may be interested in pursuing a degree in veterinary medicine.
“I would say that it’s not a decision to make lightly,” Stanley said. “I feel like there are challenges that people need to be aware of just so it’s an informed decision, but if it’s what you want to do, don’t let anything stop you. It is truly, in my opinion, the best career field in the world and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
In addition to the Dean McElroy Award, Stanley also received the Butch and Luella Ruth Curtis Scholarship, and the Judy M. Averill and Dr. Collette Crotty Endowed Scholarship.
Following graduation, Stanley plans to continue her veterinary education as a lifelong learner.
“I am wanting to see what more I can learn and get exposure to, maybe through an internship,” she said. “Whatever I end up doing in the future, I know that I want surgery to be a big part of it.
“I just want to say again that I am very, very honored to receive this award. It means so much to me and I will be forever grateful, and Oklahoma State will forever hold a special place in my heart.”
“It’s an incredible honor. I want to rise to the challenge of the winners before me and that just increases my passion and motivation to do the best that I can.”
DR. MORGAN STANLEY
STORY KAYLIE WEHR | PHOTO PHIL SHOCKLEY
10 VET CETERA 2022
Tulsa native named the 2022 Dean Clarence H. McElroy award recipient
OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY 11
12 VET CETERA 2022
Stamm Earns Orr Award
Honor goes to top third-year veterinary student
Mandy Stamm of Houston is the 2022 recipient of the Dean Harry W. Orr Memorial Award Scholarship. The Dean Orr Award honors the college’s second dean and goes to the top-ranking third-year veterinary student.
“This award genuinely means a lot to me because it really lessens the financial stress of vet school,” Stamm said. “It’s also a boost of encouragement that there are people out there supporting you and wanting you to do well.”
As far back as Stamm can remember, she’s always wanted to be a veterinarian. When deciding what university to attend, Oklahoma State University was an easy choice.
“Even though I grew up in Texas, a lot of my family members went to OSU,” Stamm said. “I’m happy to carry on the tradition of being a Cowboy.”
As she moves forward with her career, Stamm’s favorite part of her journey to becoming a veterinarian will always be the people she met along the way.
“I have made some of the most meaningful friendships I’ve ever had in vet school,” she said.
In addition to her friendships, Stamm also cultivated strong relationships with professors and clinicians.
“I feel like everyone I’ve met here has impacted me in some positive way,” Stamm said.
As a fourth-year student, Stamm is now participating in clinical rotations and gaining hands-on experience. She has enjoyed taking all of the information she learned in the classroom and applying it to clinical practice.
“It’s been cool to take what I learned in my first three years and put all of the pieces together to see the whole clinical picture,” Stamm said.
Before Stamm attended vet school, she wasn’t sure what kind of veterinarian she wanted to be. While taking her orientation course, she learned about the different specialties a veterinarian could pursue. Dentistry stuck out to her, so she decided to pursue a dentistry elective to learn more about it.
“I was able to learn more about the specialty and found I really enjoyed it,” Stamm said.
After graduation, Stamm is considering pursuing an internship followed by board certification in dentistry. As she prepares for her next steps, she appreciates the generosity of the donors who made this scholarship possible.
“Thank you for supporting me, believing in me and helping me get through my clinical year,” Stamm said.
In 2022, the College of Veterinary Medicine awarded a total of $573,280 to 167 students.
STORY TAYLOR BACON | PHOTO TAYLOR BACON
“This award genuinely means a lot to me because it really lessens the financial stress of vet school. It’s also a boost of encouragement that there are people out there supporting you and wanting you to do well.”
OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY 13
MANDY STAMM
has been a very rewarding experience to watch Miruthula grow and mature as a scientist. She has put in countless hours in the lab and sacrificed a lot of personal time for these studies. I am very proud of her and this achievement.”
DR. CRAIG MILLER
“It
14 VET CETERA 2022
Prestigious Fellowship
Selvan recognized for contributions to the field of genetics
Dr. Miruthula Tamil Selvan was awarded the Otto S. Cox Fellowship in Genetics Research. The Cox Fellowship supports outstanding Oklahoma State University graduate students with a proven record of research in genetics from any disciplinary or interdisciplinary program.
Selvan is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Veterinary Pathobiology at the OSU College of Veterinary Medicine.
“I really appreciate them for choosing me,” Selvan said. “It is a recognition for my hard work.”
The Cox Fellowship is highly competitive, especially this year, said Dr. Christine Johnson, associate vice president in the Division of the Vice President for Research.
“This year, we received 20 applications for the Otto S. Cox Fellowship in Genetics Research, which is an all-time high,” Johnson said. “The pool of applicants was very strong and competitive.”
Students were considered for not only what they had already accomplished, but also how well they articulated their future line of research and future contributions to the field of genetics.
Selvan is mentored by Dr. Craig Miller, assistant professor and director of the Oklahoma Center for Respiratory and Infectious Diseases’ Immunopathology Core Laboratory.
“It has been a very rewarding experience to watch Miruthula grow and mature as a scientist,” Miller said. “She has put in countless hours in the lab and sacrificed a lot of personal time for these studies. I am very proud of her and this achievement.”
Selvan worked as the lead student on two major projects in the Immunopathology Core Lab that contributed significantly to the field of COVID-19 research.
Having previously identified felines as a better model to study SARS CoV-2, Selvan and her team
members utilized cats as a flexible translational animal model to prevent the spread of the SARS CoV-2 delta variant and identify potential targets for downstream therapeutic development.
“We used the SARS - CoV-2 delta variant to infect the cats to find not only the infection but also things like the route of infection, how pathogenic it is and the severity of the virus,” Selvan said.
“In addition, we wanted to find some potential biomarkers which are upregulated, or increased, in the cats during the infection so we can use those markers to identify the disease in humans.”
Selvan and her team aim to limit inflammation in COVID-19 sufferers with the hope of better outcomes.
“We were looking for what genes are most responsible for inflammation,” Selvan said. “In SARS - CoV-2, the main problem is the disease has its part separately, but it also causes more inflammation, which aggravates the patient’s condition for some other diseases also.”
Selvan’s contribution to the study was significant.
“Miruthula discovered several important inflammatory genes and inflammation pathways that are upregulated during acute infection,” Miller said. “She then identified potential targets that can be explored for downstream therapeutic development.”
The next step will be to learn if they can use this information to slow the spread of SARS-CoV-2.
“In the future, we will be working on those particular genes and see whether they have potential effects of inhibiting the virus or not,” Selvan said.
Selvan was one of two graduate students to receive the Cox Fellowship. She earned her BVSc (Doctor of Veterinary Medicine equivalent) from the Veterinary College and Research Institute, Tirunelveli, in India. She is on track to complete her Ph.D. in 2023.
STORY KAYLIE WEHR | PHOTO KEVIN M c CROSKEY OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY 15
A Passion for Medicine
Kneitz changes career path from MD to DVM
Medicine has always been a part of Dr. Abby Kneitz’s life.
Raised by parents who were doctors, it was no surprise that she wanted to follow in their footsteps by becoming an M.D. herself.
“I wanted to be a doctor from a very young age,” Kneitz said. “The picture books that I had as a kid were their dermatology textbooks, so that definitely influenced me.”
However, while she was at Texas Tech University earning her undergraduate degree, Kneitz’s plans changed.
“In undergrad, I worked at a nonprofit no-kill animal shelter called ‘The Haven’ in Lubbock, Texas, and I just fell in love with working with the animals,” she said. “I decided that I wanted to work with animals and not humans.”
At the time, Kneitz was almost finished with her undergraduate degree and preparing to apply to medical school. The realization that she wanted to work with animals threw a wrench in her initial plans. She had to decide if it was really going to be the career for her.
“I decided to take a break after graduating and worked for a veterinarian for three years to decide if it was really what I wanted to do or if I just loved animals and enjoyed working with them,” Kneitz said. “Working for that vet, I just fell in love with the high-quality medicine he practiced. That really influenced me to go for it and try to reach my goal of being a veterinary doctor.”
Once Kneitz decided veterinary school was the right choice for her, it was a whirlwind of applying, being accepted and moving to Stillwater from Texas.
“I took the opportunity to attend OSU and I feel really fortunate,” Kneitz said. “I took a chance and I am so glad I did.”
While earning her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree, Kneitz was also working toward a master’s degree in business administration from
the Spears School of Business as part of the OSU Dual Degree program.
“My reasons initially for pursuing a dual degree were that I thought I would want to own my own practice,” Kneitz said. “I’m not sure if that’s still my goal, but I’ve also considered owning a nonprofit that helps people that can’t financially afford medical care for their pets.”
There were times Kneitz wondered if she made the right decision, but in the end, she persevered and graduated in May with both her DVM and MBA.
“It’s been a struggle,” Kneitz said. “There were definitely some semesters I wasn’t sure if I could do both and times I thought I would have to quit, but I was able to push through and get it done. I am going to take the chance to enjoy this moment with my friends and family.”
During the commencement ceremony, Kneitz was hooded by her parents, Drs. Felice Howard and Joel Kneitz. It was an emotional moment for the daughter who always knew she wanted to be a doctor, but never knew it would be as a veterinarian.
“They have been so supportive,” Kneitz said. “My mom put me through vet school and my dad was just always there for me and it just means the world to me that they can both be here and celebrate the moment with me. Honestly, it’s also a moment for them to be recognized and that is really, really nice.”
Following graduation, Kneitz started working with the Veterinary Emergency Group in Denver.
“They have a six-month training program for new grads,” Kneitz said. “They teach endoscopy, surgery, ultrasound and more, and it just sounded incredible. I’m excited to learn more.”
Medicine, whether it be human or animal, requires a commitment to lifelong learning. Kneitz has learned about the trials and tribulations each career path takes. Along her journey, she realized no matter who she is treating, she will always have a knack for it.
After all, medicine runs in her family.
STORY KAYLIE WEHR | PHOTO PHIL SHOCKLEY
16 VET CETERA 2022
OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY 17
Peaks and Valleys
CVM grad takes chance at degree, finds career in Alaska
Dr. Katherine Kilpatrick gazed through the crisp air at the majestic splendor of North America’s highest peak.
That day, taking an aerial tour of Denali National Park, Kilpatrick looked back on the path she had taken to get there. Her journey to the state known as The Last Frontier hadn’t been easy.
A native of Carrollton, Texas, Kilpatrick wanted to be a veterinarian since she was a girl. In second grade, she discovered she was dyslexic, which set her back academically.
“I had to transfer to special dyslexia classes and I was eventually able to graduate from those,” Kilpatrick said. “After moving back to the regular classes, I was really struggling. It was really hard to keep up with the reading and it just made me not feel very smart and my grades weren’t very good.”
Those grades, a mix of mostly B’s and C’s, caused Kilpatrick to feel like maybe being a veterinarian wasn’t in the cards for her.
When she met with her high school guidance counselor, she received that same advice, with the counselor pushing Kilpatrick toward an alternate path.
“I told her that I wanted to be a vet and she looked at my GPA and said that I wasn’t smart enough for that,” Kilpatrick said. “I believed her because I went from middle school, all the way through high school thinking that because I was a ‘B and C’ student that I was not very smart and a lot of my teachers didn’t really think I was that smart, either.”
Kilpatrick was proficient in art, so she decided to work toward earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts at Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas. She graduated in 2012 with that dream of becoming a veterinarian still at the back of her mind.
Kilpatrick moved to Tulsa and worked a few odd jobs. She coached swimming and worked at a FedEx printing site for years before she had an epiphany.
“I was sitting in my FedEx office one day and I was thinking that I can’t do this forever,” she said. “So, I looked into going back to school.”
Kilpatrick reached out to Anna Teague, the admissions and recruiting coordinator at Oklahoma State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine.
Teague informed Kilpatrick that she could take prerequisite courses at Tulsa Community College, so she decided to give it a one-semester trial run.
“I ended up with a 4.0,” Kilpatrick said. “So I felt really lucky because I had a professor for biology and microbiology that pulled me aside one day because she knew I was struggling and assured me that I needed to be a vet because I am too smart and have to do it.”
Kilpatrick was accepted into OSU CVM in 2018.
As part of her curriculum, Kilpatrick took the applied canine exercise physiology elective that Dr. Michael Davis teaches. As someone who appreciated what working dogs could do, Kilpatrick said the course piqued her interest.
“When I signed up for the class, I had been talking about going into the military,” Kilpatrick said. “Since I have decided not to do that. I talked to Dr. Davis before the class about becoming a trail vet and working the different sled dog races. For that, I would just have to know more about athletic dogs. I wanted to just see and learn more about it.”
In the class, Kilpatrick had the opportunity to travel to Alaska and work hands-on with sled dogs. She learned an immense amount of knowledge from Davis and Dr. Sean McPeck, who works with the military aspect of canines.
It was a life-changing experience. She began working at Tier 1 Veterinary Medical Center in Palmer, Alaska, about 45 minutes northeast of Anchorage. At one point, she had a week off, which is when she went glacier climbing and took the tour of Denali.
“I just had never been to a more beautiful place,” she said.
It was something she never could have imagined. After earning her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree this spring, Kilpatrick began working full time at Tier 1, making a difference in the lives of working dogs on the tundra.
Although she took a long journey through the valleys of life, Kilpatrick is finally at the peak of her ambition.
STORY JORDAN BISHOP | PHOTO PHIL SHOCKLEY
18 VET CETERA 2022
OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY 19
Welcoming the Class of 2026
106 students earned their gray coats this fall
In August, the Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine welcomed its newest members — the class of 2026.
The class began their journey with student orientation — a week of activities designed to help them become better acquainted with the college and connect with one another.
The 106 students of the class of 2026 heard presentations from college faculty and staff, participated in small and large group activities and even got to practice suturing. The new students also had the chance to connect with current students, faculty and staff during the CVM kickball tournament.
“Something that has been really awesome about orientation is bringing
all these different people that come from different backgrounds and learning to just really work together as a team,” said Brock Courtney of Inola, Oklahoma.
Fellow class of 2026 student Jules Callaham of Broken Bow, Oklahoma, also enjoyed the orientation experience.
“I really like the small groups and the orientation leaders are awesome,” Callaham said. “Practicing sutures at the end of the day was also awesome because I felt like it was a glimpse into what we will be learning.”
At the end of the week, each student was presented with a gray coat during the induction ceremony held at The McKnight Center for the Performing Arts on the OSU campus. This ceremony commemorates their entrance into the
field of veterinary medicine as they begin their formal education. Family and friends gathered as the students were coated by mentors and CVM faculty.
The students were all smiles as they received their gray coats and the excitement for the next four years could be felt throughout the room.
“I’m just excited to learn more and for them to teach me to be the best vet I can be,” said Lexie Russell of Gainesville, Texas.
In addition to learning veterinary medicine, students will also form bonds with their peers and professors that will develop into a lifelong support system. Those relationships will serve them well in school and in their career.
STORY KAYLIE WEHR | PHOTOS GENESEE
20 VET CETERA 2022
PHOTO AND TAYLOR BACON
“I am excited for the relationships that I’m going to develop,” said Sarah McGibbon of Coarsegold, California. “Both with my classmates and my professors — the mentors I will gain along the way.”
As the orientation week drew to a close, it was clear that whatever the next four years had in store for the members of the class of 2026, they were prepared to face it together.
Class Statistics
Left: Students participate in a small group activity where each group was tasked with designing a piece of a poster that represents their class.
Above: Students practiced suturing (stitching up) a wound, one of the basic skills they will need in practice.
Below: Braden Hicks participates in a group exercise during the class of 2026 orientation.
OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY 21
Average GPA: 3.62 Average age: 22 18 males, 88 females 810 applications — 106 seats (58 residents, 48 nonresidents)
New Faces
Henrique Cheng, DVM, MS, Ph.D. , is an associate professor in the Department of Physiological Sciences. Originally from Belém, Pará, in Brazil, he earned his DVM degree from the Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias do Pará in Brazil. Cheng earned his Ph.D. and MS from Iowa State University. His research is focused on the endocrine regulation of stem cell differentiation (tissue regeneration) and pancreatic islet hormone secretion (diabetes).
Leandro Fadel, DVM, MS , is an assistant professor of small animal emergency care in the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences. Originally from Porto Ferreira, São Paulo, in Brazil, he earned his Degree in Veterinary Medicine (DVM equivalent) from the Federal University of Lavras in Lavras, Minas Gerais, and his master’s from the University of São Paulo. Fadel’s research interests are non-invasive techniques for hemodynamic assessment and point-of-care ultrasound in emergency and critical care.
Leticia Fanucchi, DVM, Ph.D. , is a clinical assistant professor of behavior in the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences. Originally from Ponta Grossa, Parana, in Brazil, she earned her DVM degree from the Universidade Tuiuti do Parana in Brazil and her Ph.D. from Washington State University. Fanucchi’s research interests are applied behavior and animal well-being. Previously, Fanucchi worked with grizzly bears in Washington and published research on tool usage in bears. She also worked on rehabilitating racehorses.
Alexandra Ford, DVM , is a clinical assistant professor of pathology in the Department of Veterinary Pathobiology. Originally from Wilbraham, Massachusetts, she earned her DVM degree from Louisiana State University. Prior to becoming a veterinarian, Ford earned a bachelor’s degree in English. It wasn’t until after graduation while working at a wildlife rehabilitation center in Wisconsin that she decided to pursue veterinary medicine.
Girish Patil, DVSc & AH, MS, Ph.D. , is a teaching assistant professor in the Department of Physiological Sciences. Originally from Sawantwadi, Maharashtra, in India, he earned his BVSc (DVM equivalent) and his master’s in veterinary pathology from the Bombay Veterinary College in India. Patil earned his Ph.D. from Oklahoma State University. His research interests are applied diagnostics, virology and immunology.
FACULTY
STORY KAYLIE WEHR | PHOTOS TAYLOR BACON , PHIL SHOCKLEY AND GARY LAWSON 22 VET CETERA 2022
Nancy Henslee, DVM , is a clinical assistant professor of shelter medicine in the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences. Originally from Midwest City, Oklahoma, she earned her DVM degree from Oklahoma State University and a Master of Business Administration from Southern Methodist University. Prior to becoming a veterinarian, Henslee had a successful career as a financial analyst in the oil and gas industry.
A.J. Manship, DVM, DACVIM , is a clinical assistant professor of equine internal medicine in the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences. Originally from Tahlequah, Oklahoma, he earned his DVM degree from Oklahoma State University.
Jennifer Thomas, DVM, DACVD, is a clinical assistant professor of dermatology in the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences. Thomas earned her DVM degree from Oklahoma State University and is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Dermatology.
Deon van der Merwe, BVSc, Ph.D., MRCVS, ERT, is a teaching associate professor in the Department of Physiological Sciences. He teaches toxicology and is a consulting toxicologist, supporting clinicians, pathologists and animal owners. Van der Merwe earned his BVSc (DVM equivalent) from the University of Pretoria in South Africa, and his Ph.D. from North Carolina State University. Van der Merwe is a European Registered Toxicologist and a member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.
Jennifer Wyrick, DVM , is a lecturer of shelter medicine and surgery in the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences. Originally from Texarkana, Texas, she earned her DVM degree from Oklahoma State University.
OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY 23
Taylor Bacon is a communications specialist in the marketing and public relations/Dean’s office.
Originally from Bedford, Pennsylvania, she earned her bachelor’s degree in animal science from Iowa State University and her master’s in agricultural communications from Oklahoma State University. While pursuing her master’s degree, Bacon worked as a communications graduate assistant in the Ferguson College of Agriculture communications office.
Beth Kelly is the graduate program coordinator in the Office of Student Services. Originally from Ulysses, Kansas, she earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Oklahoma State University. Kelly coordinates the graduate (Comparative Biomedical Sciences) and dual degree (DVM/MPH/ MBA/Ph.D.) programs for the College of Veterinary Medicine. She is the primary liaison between the CVM and OSU Graduate College.
Wendy Newport, MBA, MPH , is the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital administrator. Originally from Guymon, Oklahoma, she earned her bachelor’s and MBA from the University of Oklahoma. She earned her MPH from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. Newport previously served as the administrator of the infectious diseases institute at the OU Health Sciences Center Department of Medicine, Infectious Diseases.
Juliette Fleske is an administrative assistant in the Office of Student Services. Originally from Joplin, Missouri, she earned a bachelor’s degree in strategic communication from Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, Kansas. Fleske enjoys following research studies pertaining to how communication styles change based on environment and mediums.
Kyndall Meyer is the development coordinator/ constituent relations associate with the Oklahoma State University Foundation. Originally from Coweta, Oklahoma, she earned a bachelor’s degree in agriculture from Oklahoma State University. Meyer assists in stewarding and engaging college donors, providing access, information and recognition, as well as collaborating with and supporting the college and development team.
Dan Thompson, M.Ed. , is the assistant director of instructional design and faculty development in the Office of Curriculum and Educational Support. Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, he earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Dayton in Dayton, Ohio. His professional interests include how to effectively use formative assessment and feedback to positively influence student outcomes and the effect of using active learning methods to engage students in course content.
STAFF
24 VET CETERA 2022
Susan Fielder, DVM, MS, DACVP (Clinical Pathology), was promoted from clinical assistant professor to clinical associate professor in the Department of Veterinary Pathobiology. Originally from Bartlesville, Oklahoma, she earned her DVM degree from Oklahoma State University. She is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists (Clinical Pathology).
Ashley Hesser was promoted to senior director of development with the Oklahoma State University Foundation in September. Hesser joined the Foundation in July 2018 and was assigned to the College of Veterinary Medicine. In April 2021, she was promoted to director of development. During her tenure with the Foundation, Hesser has raised more than $13 million to benefit the veterinary college.
G. Reed Holyoak, DVM, Ph.D., DACT, was named a regents professor. This honor recognizes a scholar or creative artist of exceptional ability who has achieved national and international distinction. A nominee must be recognized by colleagues, nationally and internationally, for past and current unique contributions and accomplishments in several areas within his/her discipline. Holyoak is a professor in the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences and Bullock Equine Reproduction Endowed Professorship.
Jeffery Ostler Jr., Ph.D. , was promoted from post-doctoral fellow to research assistant professor in the Department of Veterinary Pathobiology. Ostler earned a Bachelor of Arts in biology from the University of Utah and a Ph.D. in molecular genetics from Ohio State University. His research interests focus on transcriptional gene regulation of viruses, currently assessing the role of the Glucocorticoid Receptor and other stressinduced transcription factors in driving herpesvirus gene expression and reactivation from latency.
Jerry W. Ritchey, DVM, Ph.D., DACVP, was named associate dean for academic and student affairs. Previously, he served as department head of veterinary pathobiology, as an attending pathologist for the Oklahoma Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (OADDL) and twice served as OADDL’s interim director. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the American College of Veterinary Pathologists as president.
FACULTY AND STAFF CHANGES
OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY 25
Jared D. Taylor, DVM, MPH, Ph.D., DACVIM (LA), DACVPM , was promoted from associate professor to professor in the Department of Veterinary Pathobiology. He teaches several courses and collaborates extensively with veterinary faculty and practitioners on designing and analyzing clinical research projects. Taylor’s research interests include beef cattle production and bovine respiratory disease. He formerly served as the state epidemiologist and as the chief science officer (CSO) at the Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH).
Kaylie Wehr was named the coordinator of marketing and public relations, previously serving as the college’s web designer. Born and raised in Stillwater, she earned a bachelor’s degree in strategic communication from Oklahoma State University. While earning her degree, Wehr interned at the International Ground Source Heat Pump Association (IGSHPA), writing for its international publication, Geo Outlook, as well as Stillwater Living Magazine. Following graduation, Wehr worked as a digital marketing specialist at Langston University in Langston, Oklahoma.
Carey Pope, MS, Ph.D. , retired in December after 22 years with the College of Veterinary Medicine. He was a regents professor, director of the Interdisciplinary Toxicology Program and held the Walter R. Sitlington Chair in Toxicology. Pope graduated with a bachelor’s degree in biology and a master’s degree in comparative physiology from Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas, in 1979. He received his Ph.D. in pharmacology and toxicology from the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston in 1985.
He considers his greatest accomplishment to be the independent research program he developed that was supported by the Department of Defense, Environmental Protection Agency, Veterans Administration and the National Institutes of Health that facilitated graduate student, postdoctoral fellow and visiting scientists training.
In retirement, Pope plans to spend time reading, writing and hiking.
Robert Streeter, DVM, MS, DACVIM , retired in November after 30 years with the College of Veterinary Medicine as a professor and large animal clinician. He received his BS and DVM degrees from Oklahoma State University and is board certified by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine –Large Animal.
Streeter developed his interest in veterinary medicine being raised on a 4,000-acre diversified livestock operation in southwestern South Dakota which produced cattle, sheep and horses. After graduation, he worked as an associate veterinarian in a mixed animal practice in Bolivar, Missouri, for two years. Streeter then undertook a residency in Food Animal Medicine & Surgery and earned his master’s degree at Ohio State University, conducting research on Johne’s disease in cattle. He returned to OSU in 1992 as a food animal clinician and has enjoyed treating patients and teaching students ever since.
FACULTY AND STAFF CHANGES
26 VET CETERA 2022
OSU Vet Med Hosts Primary Care Symposium
The Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine hosted the Primary Care Veterinary Educators’ Symposium on April 20-23.
The PCVE Symposium is an annual meeting organized by the Primary Care Veterinary Educators, a working group of the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges.
Representatives from each AAVMC member institution are invited to gather with the purpose of “exploring and sharing best practices in an area of academic veterinary medicine that helps faculty members best prepare students for clinical veterinary practice.”
Forty representatives from 28 institutions gathered at the ConocoPhillips OSU Alumni Center on the OSU-Stillwater campus for the symposium.
Dr. Paul DeMars, clinical associate professor in the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, represented OSU.
“The Primary Care Educators Symposium is an excellent forum for all of us in academia to share ideas about training new veterinarians,” DeMars said. “Primary care services in a teaching hospital are a bit of an oddball, as we are trying to get the students to focus on everyday problems in a world of specialists.”
According to the AAVMC website, the Primary Care Veterinary Educators group is focused on helping improve instructional practices in veterinary medical clinical education.
“The subjects we focus on at the symposium are more about education and coaching,” DeMars said. “We hope that attendees can return to their programs with new tools to help their students become better veterinarians. This year, we covered mentorship and resilience, as well as spending some time brainstorming problems like time management and evaluations.”
Boehringer Ingelheim, Hill’s Pet Nutrition and Idexx Laboratories sponsored the symposium.
STORY KAYLIE WEHR |
OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY 27
PHOTO KAYLIE WEHR
A Labor of L ve
OSU veterinarians save girl’s best friend: a bucking bull
What comes to mind when you hear the phrase ‘a girl’s best friend?’ Maybe a loyal canine or sparkling diamonds? Probably not a 1,520-pound bucking bull, but for 13-year-old Addi Drury, she couldn’t think of a better companion. Addi’s parents, Chad and Jenny Drury, own Nothin’ But Try Ranch in Erick, Oklahoma. Hard Labor was born when Addi was 7 and raised on the ranch as part of the family.
28 VET CETERA 2022
STORY KAYLIE WEHR | PHOTOS TAYLOR BACON
Addi Drury sits with Hard Labor during one of her many visits to the Veterinary Hospital.
29
OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY
“He is Addi’s best friend,” Chad Drury said. “She raised him on a bottle, that bull means everything to her.”
Hard Labor grew to be an elite athlete, competing in various competitions as a bucking bull. In June 2022, Hard Labor was competing in North Carolina when tragedy struck. During the competition, he stopped putting weight on one of his back
Dr. Meredyth Jones, an associate professor of food animal medicine, was the senior clinician who cared for Hard Labor. Jones and her team examined Hard Labor, who appeared to be very lame in his left hind leg.
“The hock was very swollen,” Jones said. “We radiographed it and discovered that he had a very serious fracture of the talus bone in the hock.”
fracture in; it’s a high-motion joint and really challenging to work with.”
With the severity of the injury, the team knew the likelihood of Hard Labor returning to bucking was very low, but they were also concerned if the joint would heal at all.
“With an injury like that, usually the prognosis is quite poor, especially in a big bull such as Hard Labor,” said Dr. Megan Righi, a food animal medicine resident who took the lead on Hard Labor’s daily care.
Jones and Righi discussed all the options, as well as potential risks with the Drurys. It became clear to them that Hard Labor was more than just an athlete, he was part of the family.
Chad Drury
“We knew that they were serious about taking care of him and that there was more for them than just his athletic prowess,” Jones said. “They wanted him back for them to love.”
legs. The Drurys knew immediately something was wrong and where exactly they needed to take him. The family loaded up and headed to the Oklahoma State University Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital.
“We chose OSU because it is the best in the business at handling bucking bulls,” Chad Drury said. “The facilities and the level of care are second to none. This was our first call when Hard Labor got hurt.”
The hock refers to the ankle joint in the hind leg of an animal. The hock joint allows the animal to carry weight and push off the ground, which is necessary to run, jump and — in Hard Labor’s case — buck.
“Whenever a fracture is in contact with the joint space, that always reduces the prognosis significantly for them to return to soundness,” Jones said. “That is probably the worst joint to have a
The Drurys elected for Hard Labor to undergo surgery. The equine surgery team — Drs. Mike Schoonover, Megan Williams and Kelsey Jurek — performed the surgery to repair the fracture. Their hope was to place a screw across the bone. Not only were they successful in placing one screw, they were able to place two.
was more than we could have hoped for,” Jones said. “One of the
“That
“We chose OSU because it is the best in the business at handling bucking bulls. The facilities and the level of care are second to none. This was our first call when Hard Labor got hurt.”
30 VET CETERA 2022
challenges they had is the anatomy of cattle with that joint is different than in a horse.
“Ideally, they would’ve liked to have gone in from the outside of the joint and put the screws in that direction, but because of the way a bull’s joint is compared to horses, they had to go in on the inside of the joint. And so that made it particularly challenging to repair. They did an incredible job.”
Although the surgery was successful, Hard Labor still had a long road ahead of him. When placing screws in big animals such as Hard Labor, there’s always a risk that those screws can break just due to the sheer size of the animal.
Two weeks after surgery, Hard Labor’s care team noticed he wasn’t walking quite right and an X-ray confirmed their concern: one of the screws had indeed broken due to the pressure. From that point on, they relied on casts to support his healing.
“We changed casts regularly,” Jones said. “We kept him in a stall. We took care of him — we babied him. He didn’t have to travel to his feed or water, and he started to heal.”
Over the next several weeks, the team continued to see improvement and, eventually, Hard Labor was able to make the change from a full cast to a sleeve
cast, which would expose his hoof and allow him to bear more weight on the leg.
During the healing process, Hard Labor’s best buddy, Addi, was there every step of the way, making the long trip to visit him. The visits stretched the Drurys’ already tight schedule, but the family was committed to Hard Labor and his recovery.
“The experience was exhausting,” Chad Drury said. “We live three hours from here and coming up every single week since he’s been here is a full day, but it was good for Addi to see him every week. It was worth it. We were going to do whatever it took, whether he could buck again or not, we were going to do everything we could to get him home.”
In early October, the day Addi and her family had been waiting for finally arrived — Hard Labor went home. It was the clinician’s hope that the cast he left with would be his last, but they couldn’t be sure just yet. When Hard Labor returned for a check-up in midNovember, his healing had made good progress and his final cast was removed. Not only was his cast changed out for a lighter bandage, but he was also gaining weight and walking well, just as they hoped.
The Drurys knew the OSU Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital was the right place to care for Hard
Labor, but the exceptional care and tenderness displayed by the faculty and staff exceeded their expectations.
“Dr. Righi went above and beyond for us,” Chad Drury said. “She kept us informed; everyone was really, really good. We love you guys and we can’t thank you enough for doing everything you could to get Hard Labor where he’s at today.”
As for the faculty and staff at OSU, Hard Labor is a patient they won’t soon forget.
“To have played a role in getting Hard Labor back home is super rewarding,” Righi said. “Being able to get him home to his little girl who loves him so much was just a really great experience.”
Even though Hard Labor will not be able to return to bucking, his best days aren’t behind him. Addi and her family will make sure of that. So, what does the future have in store for Hard Labor? Love, lots and lots of love.
“At this point, Hard Labor’s job is to just be Hard Labor,” Jones said. “To walk around, make people happy and be Addi’s best friend.”
OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY 31
Hard Labor underwent several cast changes as he healed at the Veterinary Hospital.
No Shortage of
PIXIE DUST
Quick action and exceptional care made all the difference for Tinkerbell, a mammoth donkey foal
BACON
STORY BAILEE SCHIEFELBEIN
| PHOTOS TAYLOR
32 VET CETERA 2022
for a magical birth story, but unfortunately, complications can occur.
Tinkerbell, a mammoth donkey foal owned by Walt and Saundra Traywick, needed a little more pixie dust than the average baby donkey.
Immediately after Tinkerbell’s birth, her owners noticed swelling on the bottom of her abdomen. After close monitoring, the Traywicks consulted their veterinarian, Oklahoma State University alumnus Dr. Byron Schick.
He recommended they take Tinkerbell to the OSU College of Veterinary Medicine’s large animal hospital immediately. Forty-eight hours after her birth, Tinkerbell arrived at the OSU Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital and was diagnosed with a urachal rupture.
Dr. Kelsey Jurek, large animal emergency clinician at the CVM, attended Tinkerbell.
“A urachal rupture is a tear right at the base of the umbilical cord that allows urine from the bladder to leak into the tissue just underneath the skin,” Jurek said.
A urachal rupture causing umbilical problems in foals is a rare but critical occurrence that requires surgical treatment.
The rupture typically occurs at birth, which complicates treatment as foals are only 24-48 hours old. The risk of damage to the skin or underlying tissue — along with the contamination of the abdomen with urine — makes surgery even more difficult.
“Urine is extremely irritating and causes severe inflammation and tissue damage around the umbilicus when a urachal rupture occurs,” Jurek said.
Jurek and her team removed Tinkerbell’s umbilicus, which is where the umbilical cord was connected, as well as the internal structures that connected her to the umbilical cord and any damaged tissue. They then thoroughly cleaned any urine contamination off the body wall.
“Thankfully, Tinkerbell’s urachal rupture did not extend into the abdomen, so we did not have to worry about urine having leaked around where the intestinal tract is,” Jurek said.
Prognosis is excellent when treated promptly, but can vary based on the response time of owners and veterinarians.
“If left untreated, the prognosis is poor due to the development of infection and the effects of urine contamination within the tissues and abdomen,” Jurek said. “Any foal that is born with or develops swelling near the site of their umbilical cord should be promptly evaluated to determine the cause.”
Tinkerbell is now recovering at home and doing well. She left OSU with an excellent prognosis and is expected to live a happy, healthy life. The Traywicks couldn’t be more pleased with the outcome and are grateful to OSU.
“We were so incredibly impressed with everyone,” Saundra Traywick said. “They did a great job of explaining everything, all the aftercare, and followed up with us later. It was a great experience.
“Being able to bring Tinkerbell home was such a blessing. My daughters loved being up there and seeing the students and doctors. One of them wants to be an equine veterinarian after that experience.”
Thanks to the quick actions of the Traywicks and Schick, all involved are enjoying a happy ending. Tinkerbell will now live a happy, and perhaps slightly spoiled, life thanks to an excellent care team and a little veterinary pixie dust.
Dr. Carley Long, an equine rotating intern (left), and fourth-year clinical student, Rachel Farr, care for Tinkerbell.
“We were so incredibly impressed with everyone. They did a great job of explaining everything, all the aftercare, and followed up with us later. It was a great experience.” Saundra Traywick
OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY 33
Everyone hopes
‘PETE’ BEATS THE ODDS
Performance horse born with a cleft palate is now thriving, winning competitions
WHEN PETER
the quarter horse was two months old, his owner noticed milk would come out of his nose when drinking.
Otherwise, he was full of energy and growing as he should, but Holly Stormont knew something was wrong with her foal. It turned out Peter was born with a cleft palate.
While not impossible to treat, it is a difficult procedure that many do not attempt.
Enter Dr. Mike Schoonover, the Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine’s resident cleft palate repair expert, although you won’t ever hear him say that.
Stormont, of Collinsville, Texas, discovered the condition in June 2018. A scope confirmed that Peter had a cleft palate. She began searching for a veterinarian to repair the palate, but even after speaking with several, she could not find one who would attempt the repair on her otherwise healthy foal.
“We talked to every hospital from California to Florida to New York,” Stormont said. “We were ready to go wherever would take him, but everybody’s consensus was the same: no, the surgery fails.”
When consulting veterinary literature, equine soft palate repair carries about a 50-60% chance of at least a portion of the repair failing, often requiring multiple surgeries to be successful.
Stormont was at a loss but was determined to find a veterinarian willing to give Peter a second chance. While attending a Texas Equine Veterinary Medical Association event, she was introduced to Schoonover. The timing couldn’t have been better, as he had just repaired a cleft palate on a filly owned by Terry and Tammy Bradshaw a few weeks earlier.
Shortly after, she brought Peter to OSU, where Schoonover confirmed the soft palate diagnosis and discussed the treatment options and complications.
“I talked to her about some of the literature, which is not very favorable for successful repairs,” Schoonover said. “We discussed the potential for complications — a very high potential that we might have to revise the surgery or have multiple surgeries. She felt like she wanted to give him a chance and was comfortable with that, so we moved forward.”
STORY KAYLIE WEHR | PHOTOS PROVIDED
34 VET CETERA 2022
The initial surgery is called a mandibular symphysiotomy. For this procedure, Schoonover and his team split the horse’s chin and made an incision right behind the lower lip. This allowed him to pull the two sides of his jaw to make access through the mouth to get to the palate.
“That’s really the only way you can get to it in those really small foals,” Schoonover said. “Overall, it’s just a very difficult and tedious procedure. Mostly because you are kind of working in a hole about 10-12 inches deep.”
The initial procedure was deemed successful and Peter headed home to heal. Although he seemed to be doing well, Peter still had persistent nasal discharge and it was determined in April 2019 that the very front of the palate repair had partially failed, meaning there was a small hole. It was decided that they would wait until he was a little bigger to perform a revision.
In September 2019, Peter underwent surgery for a second time. He continued to have some issues while eating and another scope in January 2022 identified that he had a displacement of his palate. Two more surgeries later, Peter was doing much better.
“He had four surgeries in two years,” Stormont said. “For being a 4-year-old, he’s had a very rough life.”
Despite his rough start, Pete, as he became known at the OSU Vet Hospital, was thriving. And although Stormont was just happy he was alive and well, there was always hope that he would be able to compete as a performance horse.
“If the repair in general is successful, no matter how many times it takes to get to the point, their potential to be an athlete
is good,” Schoonover said. “Bradshaw’s horse, Sassy, competed as a halter horse. Getting the desired result sometimes just takes persistence.”
Stormont began the process of breaking Pete (training him to be ridden) when he was 2 years old. It was a little rough at first and took some trial and error to find the best way for him to be ridden comfortably.
“We learned that you can’t put a bit in his mouth,” Stormont said. “He hated stuff in his mouth and wouldn’t accept the bit.”
Stormont quickly realized the reason for Pete’s disdain for the bit — his mouth hurt. She began using a horse hackamore, a bitless bridle that applies pressure similar to a curb bit but without the use of a mouthpiece, and with that, Pete was off.
“It was like the light bulb came on, like, oh, his mouth hurts,” Stormont said. “Once we figured that out, it was game on. We went to barrel training and from there he’s never acted like he’s had trouble — he’s normal.”
Pete’s first competition was in November 2020. He is doing very well competing and has now won money with three different riders. Looking at him now, you would probably never guess he had such a rough beginning.
“I’m a huge believer in OSU veterinary medicine,” Stormont said. “The experience working with Schoonover and the whole team was absolutely awesome. He was great about giving me hope, while still making sure I didn’t have false hope. The way everybody cares for the horses is the best bar none.”
Thanks to the persistence of his owner along with the willingness and skill of Schoonover and his team, Pete was able to beat the odds.
“I’m a huge believer in OSU veterinary medicine. The way everybody cares for the horses is the best bar none.”
Holly Stormont
OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY 35
After overcoming a cleft palate, Peter now competes as a barrel horse and has won money with three different riders.
Shouldering the Load
The demands of faculty are many. From preparing lectures to holding office hours along with grading, finding the time necessary for faculty development is difficult.
The Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine’s administration team saw this need and began exploring how they could provide additional support to faculty.
“The complexity of veterinary education has exploded over the past several years,” said Dr. Jerry Ritchey, associate dean for academic and student affairs. “The administrative burden of instruction has become unmanageable for faculty with other responsibilities, including clinics and scholarly activity.”
In their search, the administration team observed a model used by several medical schools, including the OSU Center for Health Sciences. The success of these programs — partnered with the need to meet the growing demands of veterinary education — led the administration to move forward with creating a similar program at the CVM.
The program at the OSU-CHS was administered under the umbrella of the Office of Educational Development, which was created by Dr. Brandy Close. The office provided academic assistance and instructional designers to run the curriculum and help with curriculum delivery. Close saw how the vet college could benefit from this model.
“What I saw here at the vet school were a lot of parallels with the Center for Health Sciences in terms of its purpose, goals and what it’s producing,” Close said. “I saw faculty being very busy and being pulled in a lot of directions and really struggling to get that faculty development piece, or they were bogged down with the day-to-day management of their courses.”
Close joined the CVM as the director of Curricular Affairs, Instructional Design and Academic Technologies, in late 2021 and the Office of Curriculum and Educational Support was established in January 2022.
“The overall mission of OCES is to support faculty efforts in a way that takes things off their plate so they can dedicate more time to the teaching process,” Close said. “It is a trio of an instructor of record, an academic assistant and an instructional designer to help manage the course overall.”
The OCES achieves its mission in three major ways, Ritchey explained.
“First, there is improved course delivery and educational experience for both faculty and students because of improved efficiency in all aspects of course delivery,” Ritchey said. “OCES also provides ongoing faculty development opportunities for faculty focused on improving instructional effectiveness.
“Lastly, there is improved faculty performance related to mitigation of administrative duties, allowing instructors to focus on course content and their other responsibilities in the clinics, scholarly activity and revenue generation.”
In addition to helping faculty with course delivery and management, OCES also plays a huge role in the accreditation process as it relates to the curriculum and assessment.
“We manage all of the course-level assessment data,” Close said.“Through this, we have the alignment of our curriculum, instructional strategies and content, and assessments. This way, we ensure that we are creating clinicians that are ready to go out and be a general practitioner.”
In addition to Close, OCES has six other employees to ensure support is seamless and timely. Dan Thompson serves as the assistant director of faculty development, working with faculty as a whole, and each class year has a dedicated academic assistant. The first-year assistant is Tim Grischkowsky, the second-year assistant is Marissa Schultz and the third-year assistant is Andrew Porter.
While the first three years are dedicated to classroom basics, the fourth year is devoted to clinical rotations and has different needs. It takes a duo to support the fourth-year educational needs.
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STORY KAYLIE WEHR | PHOTO TAYLOR
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New office aims to support faculty with centralized management of curriculum delivery
Adam Naff is the primary academic assistant and Marie Hughes is responsible for the externships.
“We have grown really fast and all the pieces are in place now,” Close said. “We have accomplished a lot in a short amount of time. It is really exciting and I think we are already making a big difference in faculty satisfaction.”
Although it has only been a short time since OCES began supporting faculty, that support has made a huge impact. Dr. Susan Fielder, an assistant professor in the veterinary pathobiology department, is thankful for the team’s experience and willingness to help.
“As faculty, I have many responsibilities beyond the classroom and taking the time to find and learn how to use new resources or technology can be very time-consuming,” Fielder said. “The folks in OCES have extensive experience in many of these areas and have often offered services that I didn’t know existed. They have taken many administrative
responsibilities off my plate, allowing me to concentrate on teaching the students the material they need to learn.”
Dr. Valerie McElliott, assistant professor in the veterinary pathobiology department, has also benefited from OCES assistance.
“Having OCES at our institution has definitely saved me more time when it comes to administering, constructing and grading exams, as well as with some assignments,” McElliott said. “It has provided me the opportunity to spend more time engaged in service, teaching and collaborative research opportunities.”
Through the support of OCES, faculty now have the time needed to explore new ways of engaging students and presenting material that will have a positive impact on the student learning experience.
“We have a great team,” Close said. “I truly think they enjoy what they are doing for the college and for the faculty and they feel like they are making a difference, and we are.”
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The OCES team, from left: Dr. Brandy Close, Andrew Porter, Tim Grischkowsky, Dan Thompson, Marissa Schultz, Marie Hughes and Adam Naff.
Rural Investment
OSU Vet Med expands veterinary interest in rural communities with new program
In small towns all across America, veterinarians are a key part of the community fabric. They play a critical role in animal health, food safety and supply, public health and education.
STORY TAYLOR BACON | PHOTOS TAYLOR BACON
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The current shortage of rural veterinarians has brought many challenges to Oklahoma communities, but the Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine administration and faculty have worked diligently to overcome these challenges and provide effective solutions.
In 2019, the OSU CVM received a U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture Veterinary Services grant in excess of $235,000. These funds led
to the establishment of the Integrated Beef Cattle Program for veterinarians to enhance practice management, services, leadership and communication.
“OSU’s Integrated Beef Cattle Program is a cross-disciplinary partnership across veterinary medicine, animal science, agricultural economics, Extension and agricultural
OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY 39
OSU veterinary student Will Shelby (right) shares a laugh with Dr. Dalton Newell.
leadership,” said Dr. Rosslyn Biggs, OSU CVM director of continuing education and OSU Extension beef cattle specialist. “This program addresses the current challenges in veterinary medicine and puts 20 practicing veterinarians alongside 20 veterinary students to help them develop various skills.”
The program was created to gather necessary data to better understand the shortage and needs of veterinarians serving the beef industry; train current rural practitioners and veterinary students on value-added services; and encourage veterinary students to enter rural practice by providing networking and mentoring opportunities for them to connect and build relationships with rural veterinarians.
In the fall of 2020, a survey was administered to veterinarians, veterinary students and beef cattle producers to assess needs specific to Oklahoma. This included average herd sizes, travel distances and producer needs not being met due to the limited number of veterinarians in rural areas. The survey helped inform content to be included in the Integrated Beef Cattle Program learning modules.
The first class began in January 2022 and finished in October.
“Although we are early in the program, we are starting to see impactful connections between the participating veterinarians and our students,” Biggs said. “Students are participating in externships with veterinarians they met through the program.”
Mandy Lawson, a second-year OSU veterinary student, completed an externship at Cross 7 Veterinary Clinic because of a connection she made with Dr. Elizabeth Fullbright in the program.
“Getting to spend time in different rural practices is an invaluable experience as a student throughout our DVM program,” Lawson said. “I know the relationships and professional networking this program has provided are going to continue to serve me for the duration of my career in veterinary medicine.”
Additionally, the program has helped fourthyear veterinary student Wyatt Catron prepare for his next steps after completing his degree.
“The benefits I’ve seen from this program have been networking with established veterinarians who are doing the same type of medicine I’d like to practice and the knowledge I’ve gained from the presentations,” Catron said. “Overall, it’s been a really beneficial program and I believe I’ll be a better veterinarian for it.”
“Although we are early in the program, we are starting to see impactful connections between the participating veterinarians and our students. Students are participating in externships with veterinarians they met through the program.”
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Dr. Rosslyn Biggs
Students weren’t the only ones who capitalized on the program’s networking component.
“I don’t know of any other program I could be a part of where I would get to meet so many different people in the beef industry,” said Dr. Megan Beavert, a participating veterinarian. “I now have connections I can call when I need. I know I don’t have to be an expert in everything because I know experts in those fields I can contact. As a new graduate, that helps me better serve my producers.”
In addition to networking connections, veterinarians learned practical skills they can use in their practices.
“Veterinarians are coming back to the next module (session) and explaining how they applied the information or skills we taught in the previous sessions for the benefit of their veterinary team and clients,” Biggs said.
Modules included topics such as leadership, communication, practice management, nutrition, mental health resources, reproduction and profitability.
Program participant Dr. Dalton Newell appreciates everything he learned, knowing it better equips him to serve his clients.
“The Integrated Beef Cattle Program taught me how to be value-added, not only to our practice, but more importantly to our clients and their bottom line,” Newell said. “Along with leadership and networking, I really look forward to presenters who talk about veterinary medicine as a business. Our job as veterinarians is to take
care of people through the treatment of their animals.”
Additionally, students are learning practical knowledge they can combine with classroom instruction.
“This program has been foundational in bringing real-world production medicine back to the classroom,” Lawson said. “It’s going to be extremely beneficial to have these resources and connections to go back to as I complete my DVM.”
The combination of classroom knowledge, hands-on education and networking connections is an asset for students to become well-rounded veterinarians.
“This program has been so much more than just beef cattle medicine,” said Will Shelby, second-year OSU veterinary student. “We’ve gotten to learn about managing a practice while networking and building relationships with experienced veterinarians.”
Practicing DVMs and students benefited from the program through the connections they made and the knowledge and skills they learned.
“The launch of the program has elevated the discussion around veterinary medicine and, in particular, the need for greater numbers of food supply veterinarians in the state and region,” Biggs said.
As OSU looks to the future, the need for rural veterinarians is a global issue that must be addressed.
Left:
Middle: The inaugural class of the Integrated Beef Cattle Program.
Above: Participants listen intently as Dr. Paul Beck discusses beef cattle nutrition consultations.
Dr. Julia Herman of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association presented information on evaluating cattle handling facilities
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Dr. Leticia Fanucchi, clinical assistant professor of behavior medicine, works with a pug.
Pets’ Peeves
Like humans, animals experience anxiety, stress and can exhibit abnormal behaviors when in unknown places or around unfamiliar people.
Oftentimes with animals, those behaviors can be seen as unfixable, causing an owner to relinquish their pet to a shelter or have them euthanized. Veterinarians at Oklahoma State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine are working to identify and create a plan to manage these behaviors.
Dr. Leticia Fanucchi, clinical assistant professor of behavior medicine, helps provide services to behaviorally challenged animals through the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences.
Many pet owners don’t know their animals have behavior disorders because they don’t exhibit the common forms — separation anxiety or aggression, Fanucchi said. The main reason people look for a behavior service is their pets have aggression issues. Aggression can be a symptom — not a diagnosis — of either a medical condition, pain or behavior disorder.
The clinical signs of an anxiety disorder often are behaviors people don’t relate to behavior disorders, instead, they think it’s a funny or weird action their pet does. For example, repetitive behaviors like biting the air, hunting or chasing imaginary flies, fear of lights and reflections or a voracious appetite where the dog scarfs all the food down without chewing.
“I never see cases that have one thing only,” Fanucchi said. “It’s always a variety of signs that people didn’t know were behavior problems and that’s normally related to anxiety and anxiety is a medical condition. It’s not a training problem.
“We need to address this as a medical condition because not only can it be primarily behavior, but there are several medical disorders that can cause behavioral problems. If we don’t address them medically, we’re not going to see the success or the results that we want.”
Dr. Leticia Fanucchi
The trick to preventing behavior disorders is starting when the pets are young, Fanucchi said. The Boren Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital offers a puppy package that includes desensitization to medical procedures, where they learn to not fear the physical exam.
“We teach the clients how to work with them at home, which is a safe environment, by desensitizing them to nail trims, temperature taking, the stethoscope, things that we have to put in their faces and shining a light in their eyes,” Fanucchi said. “So all those things that are scary here in the hospital, can actually be worked on at home. And then when they come here, it’s nothing new.”
Fanucchi graduated from veterinary school at Universidade Tuiuti Do Paraná in Brazil, in 2005, and moved to the U.S. to work at a private practice in Florida. She visited the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) headquarters in New York City and spent time with their shelter medicine and behavior department where she became fascinated with the connection between the brain and behavior.
STORY SYDNEY TRAINOR | PHOTOS TAYLOR BACON
OSU-CVM’s behavior service helps identify and treat behavior disorders in large and small animals
OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY 43
TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT
with Dr. Fanucchi, call the Veterinary Teaching Hospital at 405-744-7000, ext. 3, and ask to schedule a behavior consultation.
Veterinarians may call or submit a referral form at okla.st/behaviorreferral
“I had a pet of my own that had severe separation anxiety,” Fanucchi said. “There were no specialists in my town, there was no behavior training in my vet school. So I kind of had to teach myself behavior and do my own research and look for solutions.”
In 2010, she packed up her things and moved across the country from Florida to Pullman, Washington, to earn a Ph.D. in animal sciences with an affective neuroscience specialist at Washington State University.
In the third year of her doctorate, Fanucchi began teaching and when she defended her Ph.D., she received an offer to stay at the college as a faculty member and start a behavior service.
Five years later, Fanucchi left WSU to travel abroad working ER shifts and in general practice. Eventually, she scheduled shifts at OSU where faculty members discovered her interest in behavior and asked her to join the team.
At OSU, the majority of patients seen in the behavior service are dogs and cats, exotic species like parrots and occasionally horses.
Fanucchi rehabilitated racehorses for adoption while in Brazil and at WSU it was more popular to bring in horses, which allowed Fanucchi to work cases with the equine internal medicine specialist to increase her knowledge of their behavior.
The OSU behavior service has the potential to treat horses but has not seen the caseload, Fanucchi said. As she continues to build the behavior service, she hopes to start seeing more horse cases.
“It’s something I want to offer here,” Fanucchi said. “Most of the cases we see in horses are either aggression issues, they have a panic or they have aversion to veterinary procedures.”
Horses can develop issues if they are traumatized early on and then they learn to hate procedures. They won’t allow a full physical exam, an injection, drawing blood, oral medications or putting a halter on.
The other problems are obsessive-compulsive disorders where they exhibit head weaving, pacing, stall kicking, swallowing air or biting things.
Management plays a role in the behavior issues a horse may develop. For example, some horses show aggression when put in a pen with others if they were locked up in stalls for too long lacking healthy interaction with others.
For people wanting to know if their pet has a behavior problem or basic training problem, Fanucchi suggests reaching out to schedule a short assessment to identify if their pet can benefit from the behavior service. From there, the team can implement happy visits or create a nutrition or pharmacological plan to meet the pets’ specific needs.
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Dr. Leticia Fanucchi is taking appointments at OSU CVM’s behavior service.
Regents for Higher Ed Visit OSU Vet Med
The Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine recently hosted the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education.
Present at the tour was Chair Jeff Hickman, along with regents Dennis Casey, Jay Hem, Ann Holloway, Joseph L. Parker, Jack Sherry, Steven Taylor, Courtney Warmington and Chancellor Allison Garrett. Accompanying the regents was Dr. Jeanette Mendez, provost and senior vice president at OSU.
As part of a two-day visit to the OSU-Stillwater campus, the regents visited the veterinary college to learn more about the outstanding education, research and essential services the college provides to the state and beyond.
Dr. Carlos Risco, dean, gave a brief presentation about the CVM and the state of veterinary
medicine in United States. He shared the college’s mission, goals and successes, as well as its challenges. Dr. Jerry Malayer, associate dean of research at the CVM, then spoke about the firstrate research that takes place in the college and the global impact it has.
“The CVM will continue to graduate careerready veterinarians and perform cutting-edge research,” Risco said. “We will continue to advocate for our students, faculty, staff and the future of veterinary medicine.”
Following the presentation, the group took a tour of the OSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital, led by Dr. Dan Burba, head of the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences.
“We enjoyed hosting the regents,” Risco said. “We appreciate their time and interest in the CVM and hope to host them again in the future.”
STORY KAYLIE WEHR | PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE OKLAHOMA STATE REGENTS FOR HIGHER EDUCATION
OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY 45
The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education. Front row, from left: Jack Sherry, Steven Taylor, Michael Turpen, Allison Garrett and Dennis Casey. Back row, from left: Ann Holloway, Dustin Hilliary, Joseph Parker Jr., Courtney Warmington and Jeffrey Hickman.
CRITICAL RESEARCH
CVM professors recognized, rewarded for revolutionary work
The Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine is best known for educating skilled veterinarians, but the CVM also engages in a variety of basic and applied research to further knowledge in veterinary medicine and biomedical science.
This work, led by experienced faculty, includes veterinary students and more than 40 graduate students seeking master’s and doctoral degrees.
Dr. Jerry Malayer, associate dean of research at the CVM, oversees research activities for the college.
“Broadly speaking, this basic and applied research involves investigation into diagnostic technologies,” Malayer said. “This includes identifying diagnostic targets, data analysis and modeling. There is investigation into new targets for therapeutics, as well as the development and testing of vaccine candidates.”
The college works with the private sector to test, verify and validate technologies developed
for commercial use. The CVM partners with researchers, in the U.S. and internationally, from private companies, colleges of medicine and colleges of veterinary medicine.
“The health of people and animals are connected and disease that affects one can affect others,” Malayer said. “Understanding disease development in one species gives insight to how others are affected. This, in part, is the principle of One Health, which states that the health of animals, humans, plants and the environment are interlinked.”
STORY KAYLIE WEHR | PHOTO TAYLOR BACON
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RESEARCH BY THE NUMBERS
Since 2019, researchers in the CVM have published more than 500 scientific and professional publications. In the decade since 2012, publications generated by CVM researchers have been cited in the scientific literature by other scientists nearly 25,000 times, a rate of 17.5 times per publication, demonstrating the impact of CVM research.
More than 30% of CVM publications have appeared in the top 10% most frequently cited journals in the field and approximately 28% of CVM publications involve an international partner.
The subject areas of these publications include veterinary medicine, agriculture, biochemistry, microbiology and multidisciplinary science (Figure 1). Key topic areas of these publications include viruses and virology, tick-borne diseases and parasitology, metabolic disease and laminitis in horses, and respiratory disease including bovine respiratory disease complex.
RESEARCH FACULTY HIGHLIGHTS
In the past two years, CVM faculty have received approximately $12.8 million in new, competitively awarded research funds from federal, state and animal health industry sources.
At OSU, life and health sciences are a major driver for the HighPerformance Computing Center (HPCC). Dr. Pratul Agarwal — professor in the Department of Physiological Sciences and director of the HPCC — recently received a grant of $4 million from the National Science Foundation for the acquisition of a new supercomputer to serve the OSU research community. This supercomputer will be 5-10 times more powerful than OSU’s current supercomputer, nicknamed “Pete.” It will serve as a regional supercomputing hub available to Oklahoma, Arkansas and Kansas researchers, and their collaborators worldwide. It will be the biggest supercomputer ever deployed in Oklahoma.
Multidisciplinary (4.1%)
Pharmacology and Toxicology (3.7%)
Other Agricultural and Biological Sciences (11.4%)
Medicine (27.5%)
Veterinary (47.5%)
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular (21.4%) Immunology and Microbiology (25.1%)
Topic areas of CVM research publications since 2019. Segment size represents relative publication share per Subject Area. Note that a given publication can be mapped to multiple subject areas.
Dr. Lin Liu — regents professor in the Department of Physiological Sciences, Lundberg-Kienlen Chair and director of the Oklahoma Center for Respiratory and Infectious Diseases — was notified of two grants from the National Institutes of Health on which he will serve as a principal investigator, received a score within the current pay line for funding, which will add another $5.3 million to his current seven active grants (totaling $13.7 million). Liu has now received competitive grants totaling nearly $40 million as a principal investigator during his more than 22-year career at OSU.
Dr. Fernando Bauermann — assistant professor in the Department of Veterinary Pathobiology — is studying the effect of bovine viral diarrhea virus on thymus function and calf immunity with a competitively awarded grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Dr. Clinton Jones — regents professor and Sitlington Chair in the Department of Veterinary Pathobiology — is an international leader in the biology of herpesviruses, including bovine herpesvirus. His lab is currently working on mechanisms of virus latency and reactivation with competitively awarded grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the National Institutes of Health.
Dr. Susan Little — regents professor and Krull-Ewing Chair in the Department of Veterinary Pathobiology — is part of a multi-state team using data analysis to characterize and understand the risk of tick-borne diseases in the Great Plains with competitively awarded funding from the National Science Foundation.
Dr. Akhilesh Ramachandran — associate professor in the Department of Veterinary Pathobiology and section head of Molecular Diagnostics and Microbiology in the Oklahoma Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory — is collaborating with computer scientists at OSU to develop new diagnostic tools using computational methods. The group has received competitive grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for their work.
Dr. Ashish Ranjan — professor and Kerr Chair in the Department of Physiological Sciences, director of INTERACT and the Laboratory of Nanomedicine and Targeted Therapy — has received a second major competitive grant from the National Cancer Institute to develop novel therapeutic approaches to the treatment of cancer in human and veterinary patients.
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WIDE RANGE
OSU CVM home to several research programs, initiatives
The Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine has several centers and programs that make it stand out as an institution.
OKLAHOMA CENTER FOR RESPIRATORY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES
The Oklahoma Center for Respiratory and Infectious Diseases (OCRID) was established in 2013 through an $11.3 million Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (CoBRE) grant from the National Institutes of Health. In 2016, OCRID was approved as a university-designated research center and in 2018 secured an additional $11.1 million phase II COBRE grant.
Led by Dr. Lin Liu — regents professor and Lundberg-Kienlen Endowed Chair in Biomedical Research — OCRID engages in critical research on respiratory infectious diseases focusing on the influenza virus, respiratory syncytial virus, respiratory bacterial and fungal infections, and COVID-19.
From 2013-2021, OCRID supported 12 full research projects, 41 pilot projects and three core facilities, hosted more than 100 out-of-state seminar speakers and held annual OCRID Research Retreats. The membership has grown to 75 researchers and the center investigators received $119 million in grants and published 990 papers.
The interdisciplinary projects in OCRID cover therapeutics, vaccine, diagnostics, disease pathogenesis, nutrition and bioengineering. OCRID provides training and mentoring to junior faculty, promotes collaboration throughout the region, recruits new faculty to member institutions and strengthens biomedical research infrastructure.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, OCRID was awarded six grants to support COVID-19 research on animal models, vaccine development,
drug discovery and COVID-19 pathogenesis, and recruited two new faculty members with expertise in coronavirus research to OSU.
INSTITUTE FOR TRANSLATIONAL AND EMERGING RESEARCH IN ADVANCED COMPARATIVE THERAPY
The Institute for Translational and Emerging Research in Advanced Comparative Therapy (INTERACT) is a university-designated center entrusted with the responsibility of promoting One Health research on campus. Led by Dr. Ashish Ranjan — professor and endowed chair in the Department of Physiological Sciences — INTERACT has engaged a variety of researchers from across the OSU campus.
In partnership with the Nu Chapter of the Phi Zeta Honor Society, INTERACT co-sponsored the keynote speaker for the CVM Phi Zeta Research Day in April. Dr. Jason K. Sicklick, professor of surgery and executive vice chair of research in the Department of Surgery at the UC San Diego School of Medicine, presented “Molecular Profiling to personalize therapy: Advancing cancer care for humans and their pets.”
INTERACT has entered into several domestic and international partnerships including a memorandum of understanding with Humanimal Trust in the United Kingdom and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine to promote parallel human and veterinary clinical trials.
Additionally, for the Summer Research Training Program, INTERACT initiated a One Health ambassador scholarship to support veterinary student research in One Health. A summer research program with the Royal Orthopedic Society London is in development. Through this program, SRTP students will have the opportunity to travel to a medical school in London, and likewise, CVM will be
able to host medical students in support of the One Health mission.
Students for One Health, One Medicine club was established as an extension of INTERACT. The club’s intent is to promote and grow an appreciation for the evidence-based science and medicine of One Health in the OSU community.
Work is underway to develop an INTERACT graduate certification program, followed by the establishment of master’s and doctorate programs in collaboration with research-intensive universities in India.
SUMMER RESEARCH TRAINING PROGRAM
Nineteen students participated in the Summer Research Training Program in 2022. Led by a CVM faculty group of Drs. Craig Miller, Fabio Pinaffi, Joao Brandao and Josh Butcher, the program has been offered since 1995 and provides mentored training for veterinary students in biomedical research through a 12-week paid summer immersion experience.
The cornerstone of the program is the summer research project that each student conducts under the direction of a faculty mentor in a research laboratory at OSU or other affiliated institution. At the conclusion of the summer, the students present the findings from their research projects to the veterinary college community during the annual Research Day; participating students also attend a national research symposium where they interact with faculty and students involved in similar programs at other veterinary schools in North America.
STORY KAYLIE WEHR
OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY 49
PANDEMIC EXPLORATION
How OSU is studying COVID-19 through veterinary medicine
The College of Veterinary Medicine’s work with the SARS-CoV-2 virus took center stage with the onset of the pandemic in 2020. Oklahoma State University researchers have contributed much to what is known about the virus and its effects.
WORK OF OADDL
The Oklahoma Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (OADDL) offers state-of-the-art diagnostic testing services to veterinarians, animal producers and researchers nationwide. OADDL was among the first laboratories in the country to offer COVID-19 PCR testing for humans and other animal species.
Thanks to funding from the Food and Drug Administration’s Veterinary Laboratory Investigation and Response Network, OADDL offers free COVID19 PCR testing services for animals. Since 2021, it has performed diagnostic testing in common pet species such as dogs and cats as well as in multiple exotic animal species including birds, non-human primates and raccoons.
In addition to animal testing, OADDL collaborated with Dr. Wouter Hoff — professor in the microbiology department at OSU’s College of Arts and Sciences — in environmental sample testing.
Sewage samples collected from the Stillwater Wastewater Treatment Plant were periodically tested to estimate COVID-19 occurrence and progression in the community and was found to be a promising surveillance tool for infectious disease surveillance in communities.
LUNG PATHOLOGY
A hallmark of severe pneumonia in response to respiratory pathogens in many species is an exaggerated host innate immune response.
Work done at the CVM, led Dr. Teluguakula Narasaraju, has
demonstrated that excessive neutrophils (inflammatory cells) recruited during influenza infection drive pulmonary pathology through induction of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) and release of extracellular histones.
Severely ill patients with COVID-19 experience pathologic manifestations of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Studies have now shown high overlapping pathophysiology between severe influenza pneumonia and COVID-19 infections, including NETs formation and extracellular histone release, are critical to understanding the pathophysiology of COVID-19 in severely ill patients.
CO-INFECTION MODEL OF KLEBSIELLA AFFECTING COVID-19 PATHOLOGY
SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory viruses are known to make patients more vulnerable to secondary bacterial infections. Dr. Sunil More — assistant professor in the Department of Pathobiology — and his team are seeking to understand the best defense against these secondary infections.
This secondary bacterial infection complicates the disease pathogenesis and clinical management of the cases even more. Many SARS-CoV-2 patients have been infected with other respiratory bacteria and viruses, increasing mortality during the pandemic. Klebsiella pneumoniae was found to be the most common coinfection in human COVID-positive samples. As a result, OSU wants to learn how K. pneumoniae coinfection impacts the pathogenesis of COVID-19 and develop treatment strategies.
The first step in understanding why K. pneumoniae causes severe lung injury was the development of a mouse animal model. Crystal Villalva, a CVM graduate student, created a mouse model in the Balb/c strain.
When infected with SARS-CoV-2, followed by secondary K. pneumoniae coinfection, this mouse model developed serious lung pathology and mice experienced significant mortality. These mice couldn’t clear the bacteria despite a substantial increase in inflammatory cells (neutrophils and macrophages).
As a result, More’s team is looking into the role of these inflammatory cells and how SARS-CoV-2 makes them dysfunctional. Restoring neutrophil and macrophage functions will be essential in fighting secondary bacterial infection due to SARS-CoV-2.
Crystal Villalva, a CVM graduate student, created a mouse model in the Balb/c strain to better understand why K. pneumoniae causes severe lung injury.
STORY KAYLIE WEHR | GRAPHIC PROVIDED
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CATS AND COVID-19
OSU Vet Med researchers develop animal model to aid in research
Oklahoma State University veterinarians are leading the charge in better understanding COVID-19 in a way that impacts both animal and human health.
One example is the development of a COVID animal model by a team of researchers led by Dr. Craig Miller, in collaboration with Dr. Jennifer Rudd, both assistant professors in the College of Veterinary Medicine’s Department of Pathobiology.
MODELS OF HEALTH
When studying a disease, animal models are essential to understanding how a disease works, developing treatments, vaccination studies and clarifying the risk of transmission. Research teams have attempted to identify an animal model such as this for quite some time with little success.
“Apes and monkeys mimic disease in humans but are expensive and have intensive care requirements,” Rudd said. “Mice and other rodents were not naturally infected and had
to be genetically modified to study the disease.”
Very few were looking at cats for answers before Miller and Rudd considered how a cat can be helpful in the battle against COVID-19.
“Cats happen to be naturally infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, and can get disease from infection,” Miller said. “In addition, cats can spread the virus to other cats and, although rarely, to humans. Since cats are frequently in close contact with their owners, they are at a higher risk for being a potential source of spreading infection to others. Based on this knowledge, cats offer an incredibly valuable way to study this disease.”
The team developed a cat animal model that is helping to better understand COVID-19.
“This animal model offers a unique opportunity in describing how the virus infects a host, how it damages lungs and other organs and gives us a deeper understanding of how the immune system and unchecked inflammation contribute to the disease,” Miller said.
Through these studies, Miller’s research team has confirmed that cats are not only infected with SARS-CoV-2 variants, including the devastating delta variant, but that they also get a disease pattern that mimics what is seen in people who are hospitalized with COVID-19.
A BETTER UNDERSTANDING
Similar to people, infected cats will have a fever, cough and wheeze. The damage to lungs, brain and other organs also mimics what we see in people, including a particularly dangerous outcome of COVID-19 called acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Important changes to the genes that help control the inflammatory response were also identified.
Through these studies, the team was able to determine where the virus infects and gain a better understanding of how it causes this devastating disease.
As we collectively move beyond the brunt of a global pandemic, these findings continue to offer hope for the development of new, better ways to treat, prevent and predict disease.
STORY KAYLIE WEHR | GRAPHIC PROVIDED
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Models shows acute SARS CoV-2 (delta variant) infection in domestic cats
Embracing the Future. Celebrating the Past.
CVM’s annual continuing education conference returns to campus
The Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine’s annual Fall Conference was held in November at the CVM’s Panciera Education Center.
Previously held at the Wes Watkins Center for International Trade Development on the OSU-Stillwater campus, attendees enjoyed being back at Vet Med in the state-of-the-art classroom building.
The main purpose of Fall Conference is for veterinarians and veterinary technicians to earn the necessary continuing education credits required to renew their licenses each year. While veterinarians from all over attend both in-person and virtually, a large number of
CVM alumni also seize the opportunity to reunite during this time.
“As always, it is a great opportunity for attendees to expand their veterinary knowledge and network with fellow professionals,” said Dr. Rosslyn Biggs, director of continuing education and beef cattle extension specialist at the veterinary college.
In conjunction with Fall Conference, Alumni Affairs specialist Sharon Worrell organizes events for the alumni to enjoy while in town. The OSU CVM Class of 1963 Distinguished Lectureship provided the keynote presentation for the conference and featured Dr. Mike Bunning, a retired United States Air Force public health officer and CVM
alumnus. He presented “Veterinary Career: Long and Winding Road.”
The Alumni Affairs Office also hosted the Distinguished Alumni Award Luncheon, an annual event honoring alumni who have made significant contributions to veterinary medicine, as well as the Corral Crawl — a reunion event that alumni look forward to every year.
“Alumni offer a partnership with students, donors, faculty and administrators to sustain the community and build a positive culture,” Worrell said. “At the CVM, we are pleased to honor the robust engagement of alumni.”
STORY KAYLIE WEHR | PHOTOS TAYLOR BACON 52 VET CETERA 2022
Class Reunions
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Back row, from left: Drs. Gerald Rayburn, John Link and Paul Schmitz.
Front row, from left: Drs. Stephanie Rosin Moore and Margaret Thompson.
From left: Drs. Thomas Loafmann, Mike Bunning, Timothy Snider and Carlos Risco.
OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY 53
19
19 85
Back row, from left: Drs. Gary Spodnick, Jeffery Sarchet, David Hille and John Summar.
Front row, from left: Drs. Richard Marrinson, Randal Burris, Heather Cobb and Julia O’Carroll.
Fourth row, from left: Drs. Gregory Riffell, Grant McMillian, Tracy Patton, Tommy Wilson and Aaron Farr.
Third row, from left: Drs. Christopher Kelly, Bryan Spriggs, Dennis Crow, Garry Dorsey, Rex Johnson, Beth Stropes and Chip Schultz.
Second row, from left: Drs. Richard Chu, Michael Lunsford, Christopher Rispoli, Paige Maasen, Jennifer Matthews, Heather Neumann,
Riecker, Sean Penn and Mary Flynn.
Front row, from left: Drs. Kent Hart, Stacey Riffell, Simone Nutt, Paulette Faulkner, Tara Haddad, Larry Garten and Kathy Brown.
Emily
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54 VET CETERA 2022
97
Greetings from the Alumni Society
Dear OSU CVM Alumni and Friends,
I am grateful for the opportunity to serve each of our alumni as the president of the OSU CVM Alumni Society.
In 2022, the Alumni Society engaged our alumni by hosting a booth and/or reception at several industry conferences and meetings. Please don’t forget that classes with graduation years ending in three and eight will celebrate reunions at Corral Crawl during the 2023 Fall Conference.
We look forward to engaging alumni and renewing friendships at alumni functions in 2023. You can see a list of where to find us at vetmed.okstate.edu/alumni/events.html.
During the fall semester, we assisted with cooking and serving the CVM student body during dead week, as well as assisted in serving an appreciation meal to the faculty and the staff.
At the annual fall alumni society meeting, our bylaws were accepted by a unanimous vote. These bylaws were reviewed and revised by a committee under the leadership of Drs. Beth Stropes and Kim Morey. Also at the meeting, the Board of Directors unanimously elected Dr. Rosslyn Biggs (’04) to be our new secretary/treasurer. She will be a welcome source of knowledge to our executive committee. Dr. Trey Kraft (’20) transitioned to the president-elect and Dr. Beth Stropes (’97) to the immediate past president. I do believe that this group will be able to serve our alumni and continue to aid Dean Risco in moving the CVM into the future.
Stropes will continue to maintain the OSU CVM Alumni Society Facebook group. If you haven’t joined the group, please
do! This is a great way to reconnect with classmates, interact with alumni across the country and win some cool merch!
The next few years will require all of us to move forward as one united body to continually seek and secure our place in the future of veterinary medicine.
Please do not hesitate to reach out to me or any member of the executive committee to learn more about opportunities to serve, contribute or attend events. Go Pokes!
Craig Jones, DVM President, OSU CVM Alumni Society
Ways to Engage
Connect with the Alumni Affairs Office: The CVM Alumni Society engages alumni and students in the life of the college through regional affinity gatherings, reunions, career and student programs. Our goal is to inform alumni of opportunities to engage with the CVM, creating a prideful and inspired connection with one another.
If you have an interest in taking an active role in CVM alumni programs, please contact Sharon Worrell, alumni affairs specialist, at sworrel@okstate.edu.
Dr. Craig Jones
Stay up-to-date with the latest alumni news: Update your information with the college at vetmed.okstate.edu/alumni/
Stay connected: Connect with other alumni by joining the
group at
Nominate a Distinguished Alumni: Nominate deserving
at
PHOTO TAYLOR BACON
update-info.html
OSU CVM Alumni Society Facebook
facebook.com/ groups/osucvmalumnisociety
CVM alumni
vetmed.okstate.edu/about/alumni-awards
OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY 55
After All These Years
Class of 1972 returns to OSU for a 50-year reunion
The College of Veterinary Medicine’s class of 1972 gathered in Stillwater to celebrate their accomplishments over the last 50 years.
The class enjoyed multiple social events during their twoday reunion, including a tour of the college. While it was good to be back where it all started, it was reconnecting with their classmates that they enjoyed the most.
Gary T. Burger, DVM — After graduating from veterinary school in 1972, he entered the Veterinary Medical Senior Program of the U.S. Army for five years. He served at Natick Laboratories in Boston and the U.S. Army Institute of Infectious Diseases in Frederick, Maryland. Afterward, he taught at the University of Arkansas School of Medicine before moving to Newark, Delaware, to work at Dupont’s Stine Haskell Laboratories. He then moved to North Carolina to work at RJR/Nabisco labs and taught at various times at Duke University, the University of North Carolina and Wake Forest University. While in North Carolina, he consulted for the National Toxicology Program in the NIEHS studies, peer reviewing studies on carcinogens, and also served on their contracts committee for awarding contracts for pre-clinical studies in the National Toxicology Program. During his career, he passed the veterinary pathology boards and received boards from the American Board of Toxicology. In his second year in veterinary school, he married Janis Glass. They have two children, a son, TJ, and a daughter, Ellen. In 2002, he retired to an Angus cattle ranch near Stillwater.
Anthony Confer, DVM — Completed his pathology residency and pursued graduate work at Ohio State University before going on active duty in the U.S. Air Force. He then lived in Rockville, Maryland, serving as captain of the USAF Veterinary Corps assigned as a staff pathologist at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology in Washington, D.C. After completing his service, he moved to Columbia, Missouri, to pursue a Ph.D. in microbiology at the University of Missouri. He studied cell-mediated immunity in Marek’s disease and passed the ACVP certifying examination in 1977. In 1978, he completed his Ph.D. Confer then became a faculty member at Louisiana State University, teaching urinary pathology and neuropathology. In 1981, he returned to Stillwater and taught at the CVM for 38 years, served as department head twice and associate dean of research. He retired in 2019, but still helps at the CVM occasionally.
Danny Dillon, DVM — After graduation, he moved back to Kernersville, North Carolina, to join a newly opened mixed practice and went into a partnership with the owner. It was the first veterinary practice in his hometown. He sold the large
animal part of the practice in 1977 and concentrated on small animals. Due to the growth of the practice, they moved to a new facility in 1986. At the end of 1999, his partner retired, and he became the sole owner while employing three associate veterinarians. After 40 years of marriage, his wife, Kathryn, passed away in 2010 from cancer. He then worked only part time as the practice manager and handled the day-to-day duties. In 2013, he married Sandy Englebert. In 2018, he sold the practice and officially retired from practice in 2019.
Larry E. Franks, DVM — Retired from his small animal practice in Magnolia, Arkansas, after 44 years. He and his wife, Harriett, have three sons and seven grandchildren.
Robert C. Green, DVM — Less than a year after graduation, he formed a partnership with Drs. David Mitchell and D.C. Smith at Veterinary Associates in south Tulsa. It would grow to a fiveveterinarian practice over the next 25 years. He then left for an adventure with boats and marinas on Grand Lake where he and his wife, Dena, live. He still performs surgeries for veterinarians in Vinita, his hometown, and Grove on an as-needed basis.
John B. Hays, DVM — After graduation, he entered the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps for two years and was stationed in Omaha, Nebraska, for most of that time. He started a small animal clinic on the Navy base, getting supplies out of Fort Sheridan in Chicago. While in Nebraska, he met two veterinarians that had mobile small animal clinics, which gave him an idea. He and a Seabees unit installed cabinets, sink, linoleum floor and insulated ceiling in a Dodge van. He returned to Oklahoma City in July 1974, bought a house on a signature and opened the Mobile Pet Clinic. It was the first mobile small animal clinic in the Southwest U.S. He had three generations of families for clients and made many great friends and had access to a hospital 24/7 if he needed something. In 2010, Jennifer Grigsby established an endowed scholarship at the College of Veterinary Medicine in his name. When Boone Pickens died, the value was tripled. They try to go to OSU each year and meet the recipient at the presentation banquet. His wife, Brenda, died in 2000 of cancer. In 2006, he married Carolyn Capps. He retired in 2011.
Jerry B. Hedges, DVM — His veterinary medicine career began with two years of small animal practice in the Dallas area. He and wife Joyce returned to northwest Oklahoma to establish a large animal practice and raise two sons. They did full-time farming and ranching for 45 years, culminating in retirement in 2021. A 20 cow-calf herd operation is part of his retirement along with travel to visit family, friends and the Colorado Rocky Mountains.
STORY KAYLIE WEHR | PHOTO GARY LAWSON 56 VET CETERA 2022
Back row, from left: John McGuire, Danny Dillon, Bobby Ward, Mike Johnston, Jerry Hedges, Robert Green, Anthony Confer and Terence Jones.
Front row, from left: Kenton Riddle, Gary Woulfe, Joe Howell, Rebecca Morton, Kay Helms and Gary Burger.
Kay K. Helms, DVM — Upon graduation, she moved to Coalgate, Oklahoma, where she served as associate veterinarian at Winsor Animal Clinic until 1977. She served for one year as veterinary officer at American Packing Company and Potter’s Sausage in Durant, Oklahoma. In 1978, she went to work at Murray State College to help establish and subsequently chair Oklahoma’s first Veterinary Technology Program and then became dean of agriculture. She married a local rancher, Phillip Helms, in December 1979. She initially retired on Dec. 31, 1999, but went back for the spring semester of 2001 and fall semester of 2002 on a temporary basis. For two terms, she served on the Murray State College Board of Regents, a seven-year commitment. After retirement, she worked almost full time as a relief veterinarian throughout eastern Oklahoma. Along with relief work, she was introduced to and became involved with several local humane organizations throughout central and southeastern Oklahoma, holding numerous spay and neuter clinics annually. In 2013, she agreed to perform spays and neuters two days per week for the local Coalgate veterinarian. In May 2020, he sold the practice to a couple of producers who hired a veterinarian to manage the practice. In October 2020, the DVM resigned, leaving a huge void. So, Helms took up the role as the veterinarian at the 69-year-old Winsor Animal clinic, where she started 50 years ago.
Fred A. Hines, DVM — He joined the Army’s Veterinary Corps a year after graduating and was assigned to the Army’s Medical Field Service School (MFSS), located in San Antonio, for eight
weeks. His wife, Betty, accompanied him. A fellow classmate, John (Curly) Hayes, was also assigned to this MFSS. His first work assignment in the Army’s VC was as a laboratory animal veterinarian at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR), located in Washington D.C., from 1972 to 1975. In 1975, he entered the second stage of his Army career when he applied to the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology. In 1979, he resigned from the Army and went into industry and moved to New Jersey to work as a toxicologic pathologist for ER Squibb (now BristolMyers Squibb). In April 1982, he was recruited to join the United States’ Public Health Service Commissioned Corps (USPHSCC). From April 1982 until his retirement from the USPHSCC at the end of 2004, he worked at the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition as a toxicologic pathologist focusing on risk management of food ingredients and food additives. While he pursued his career, Betty worked in retail management until she retired in 2000. In 2005, he and Betty opened a family business in Columbia, Maryland, called “Home Inspirations” with their son, Brian, and his wife, Nicole. Home Inspirations was a home decor shop that was thriving until the economic downturn in 2008. In 2008, he accepted a position in the FDA’s Office of Dietary Supplement Programs as a Consumer Safety Officer (CSO). He worked as a CSO until his retirement at the end of 2019.
OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY 57
Joe M. Howell, DVM — Began practice at the hospital he worked at as a student, Britton Road Veterinary Clinic in northwest Oklahoma City, and remained managing partner and owner for more than 36 years. The Britton Road Veterinary Hospital was a four-doctor small animal facility established in 1953 by a former partner and was one of the first AAHA accredited facilities. He built Quail Creek Veterinary Hospital in northwest Oklahoma City and sold it to two colleagues a few years later. The following year, he sold Britton Road Veterinary Clinic and served on the faculty at OSU CVM. He was a consultant for five years as a professional relations liaison for Hill’s Pet Nutrition. He is the owner of Howell Investments Inc. that owned the Minolta Business Equipment dealership for Oklahoma from 1989 to 1992. He is currently building a commercial real estate company with his son and wife. He also serves as examiner for the Clinical Proficiency Exam for the AVMA/ECFVG program that is administered once or twice a month in Las Vegas by Western Veterinary Conference for graduates of non-AVMA accredited schools seeking licensure in the United States and Canada. He is active in business investment in banking in Piedmont, Oklahoma, and a cow-calf farming operation in Payne County on their ranch.
Glenn A. Hutchinson, DVM — Attended LSU with a preveterinary focus in 1966-1968 and was selected as outstanding freshman in the College of Agriculture in 1967. From 1968, he attended the OSU CVM and served as senior class representative. He went to the Army and the Veterinary Corps stationed him in Fort Polk, Louisiana, from 1972-1974. Following military discharge, he practiced veterinary medicine at Amite, Louisiana, with Dr. Doug Kent. From 1977-1989, he served at the Animal Medical Clinic in Hammond, Louisiana, transitioning to employment with the USDA in 1989 as a federal veterinary employee in the poultry plant. From 1990-2000, he practiced with Dr. Tom Hulsey of Amite. In 2000, he began a private small animal practice at Hutchinson Veterinary Clinic in Amite, Louisiana. From 2000 to present, he serves the Baton Rouge Veterinary Medical Association. In 1976, he married Lana Murrell. Together they have two sons, Brett, 43, a pediatrician in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Justin, 39, a high school football coach at Central, Louisiana. Justin and his wife, Brittany, have three children. Having done well following a bypass surgery in October 2021, he has no plans to retire.
John M. Johnston, DVM — In the month of graduation, he passed his boards, got engaged, got a job, got married and moved to St. Louis. He worked for an OSU CVM alumnus, Dr. Tom Loafmann, who is a friend to this day. Johnston and his wife made seven trips back to Oklahoma that year before moving to Bethany, Oklahoma, where he started an equine call practice in 1973. In 1978, he teamed up with Drs. Kent Haury and Robert Boss to form Equine Medical Associates Inc., a referral equine surgical facility. He was active in the Oklahoma Veterinary Association as a board member for 16 years and served as president in 1990. In 1983, he remarried. He and wife Nancy had two children, Addison and Audrey. When Johnston was about to retire a few years ago, Nancy passed away. He still works 40-50 hours a week. He is proud of his children and spends time with his grandchildren.
Terence O. Jones, DVM — After graduation, he was offered a position as a contract veterinarian at the Pawnee Veterinary Clinic. As his first year drew to a close, his wife, GeoReta, and he were drawn to return to their roots in western Oklahoma to begin a mixed practice. They moved to Cheyenne, Oklahoma and began practice in that area with opportunities in beef, dairy, swine, sheep and equine medicine, in addition to possibilities in small animal practice. The practice, while primarily serving agriculture in Roger Mills and northwestern Beckham counties, grew to serve clients in limited portions of four additional Oklahoma counties and two counties in the Texas Panhandle. From late 1995 through mid-2001, he had employment at the management level of custom cattle feeding operations in the Great Plains. This experience took him to Enid, Oklahoma; then Kinsley, Kansas; and finally, to Garden City, Kansas. In 2001, he became a team member with the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service assigned to meat inspection at the IBP Beef Slaughter and Processing plant near Holcomb, Kansas. At the time, the slaughter industry was rapidly incorporating humane handling procedures in the slaughter of animals in compliance with federal regulations. In addition, he was charged with oversight of livestock health upon receipt as well as wholesomeness of carcasses and products prior to leaving the slaughter floor. In 2014, GeoReta and Jones retired to start a custom cattle grazing enterprise on land she inherited from her family. At Walking Buffalo Grasslands, they have incorporated no-till farming practices and moved away from producing cash grain crops.
John E. McGuire, DVM — Following graduation, he went on to practice small animal medicine at Village Animal Hospital in Oklahoma City. He was able to buy the practice and building after only three years. After 24 years, he left veterinary medicine and went on to develop a career in residential real estate over the next 24 years. He and his wife, Sherryl, built a house in the mountains of southern Colorado, and have enjoyed it with their families and friends. She earned a Ph.D. from University of Oklahoma and became a professor, teaching in a master’s degree program on the main campus in Norman, as well as on military bases in Europe and the Far East. When Sherryl taught for OU in Europe, McGuire was often able to go with her and play tennis in his free time. Sherryl established a nonprofit inner city preschool in Oklahoma City; it operated for more than 30 years. About 13 years ago, he began a service providing a pathway for those less fortunate to own their own homes. Over the next several years, 11 individuals will have their homes paid off in full.
Rebecca J. Morton, DVM — After graduation, she went to a small animal practice in her hometown of Charleston, West Virginia. After a fairly short time, she returned to Stillwater to marry Wendell Morton. She then worked part time at the Baker Animal Clinic in Stillwater and was enrolled in a master`s program in microbiology at OSU, working with mycoplasmas agents. She graduated with a master’s degree in 1975 and started work in the newly built Oklahoma Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory. After 11 years at OADDL, and upon the retirement of Dr. Paul Barto from the CVM, she accepted a teaching and research position in the Department of Parasitology, Microbiology and
58 VET CETERA 2022
Public Health at OSU as an assistant professor. She completed a Ph.D. in 1975 in the same department. In 2005, she was selected and honored as Distinguished Alumna by the CVM Alumni Society. She retired in 2007 as a full professor after 33 years at OSU. She and Wendell had bought 20 acres southeast of Stillwater in 1974 and built a home. Wendell retired from the State Conservation Service and passed away in 2018. She still lives in Stillwater. She does a lot of volunteer work for her church and community working with the local food bank, teaching an adult Sunday School class, and publishing a church monthly newsletter, as well as delivering meals.
Ronald W. Nida, DVM — In 1972, he became associated with an established general practice in Tonkawa, Oklahoma, until 1979 when he purchased a one-man practice in Ponca City, Oklahoma. There, he cared for dairy cattle, cow-calf, swine, sheep, goats, equine reproduction and a modest small animal practice. From 1981-1987, he became heavily involved in non-surgical Bovine Embryo Transfer work. After 29 years of practice, he joined the USDA Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) in 2001 as an in-plant supervisor and inspector in charge of a large beef packing plant in Liberal, Kansas. In 2004, he became a frontline supervisor of inspectors in the northeast quadrant of Kansas and in the metro Kansas City area. In 2009, he was promoted to a deputy district manager position for Kansas and Missouri. In 2012, due to district consolidation by FSIS, he was transferred to Dallas with oversight in Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana and New Mexico. He retired in 2019 and now lives in Hot Springs Village, Arkansas, with his wife, Kathy. At this writing, he was on a list for bilateral lung transplant at the University of Texas South-West in Dallas due to severe pulmonary hypertension, emphysema and pulmonary fibrosis.
Kenton E. Riddle, DVM — Following graduation, he completed an internship and residency in Primatology Specialty Great Ape Medicine with Yerkes Regional Primate Research Center at Emory University. He then accepted a position with the University of Texas System Cancer Center, M. D. Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute as Associate Professor of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery from 1974-1985. In 1985, he was recruited by the President of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Abu Dhabi, H.H. Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, to design and direct a unique hospital for hunting falcons — The Abu Dhabi Falcon Research Hospital— from 1985-1999. In 2001, he managed the Qatar Falcon Hospital in Doha, designing and overseeing the construction of a unique falcon hospital there. Over the years, he designed and oversaw the equipping, staffing and management of a number of falcon hospitals in the Emirates, around the Arabian Peninsula and in Morocco. Since then, he has been chief veterinarian and falconry team supervisor for H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al Nahyan, Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of Abu Dhabi since 2006. He authored a falconry book “The Art of Falconry from Arabia Westward,” detailing the unique training and conditioning methods of ancient Arab and modern western falconers, He resides part time in Morocco and Edmond, Oklahoma, and is an active master falconer with 70 years experience.
Bobby J. Ward, DVM — After graduation, he and wife Bonita spent the first four years of his career working in a mixed practice in Searcy, Arkansas. It was during that time he came to realize his passion was in small animal medicine. In 1976, they moved to Hot Springs, Arkansas, and opened a small animal practice where he spent the next 38 years as a solo practitioner. He has maintained membership in both the American and Arkansas Veterinary Medical Associations from graduation to retirement. He retired in 2014. They built a cabin on the banks of the Ouachita River in west Arkansas.
OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY 59
Distinguished Alumni Award recipients
Drs. Estep, Healey and Mitchell are 2022 honorees
Oklahoma State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine recently named Drs. J. Scot Estep, Burke L. Healey and Richard D. Mitchell its 2022 Distinguished Alumni Award recipients.
The Distinguished Alumni Award is selected and presented by the OSU CVM Alumni Society in recognition of outstanding professional and personal achievements as well as contributions to the enhancement of the veterinary profession.
The recipients were honored at the veterinary college’s Distinguished Alumni Award Luncheon on Nov. 4, 2022.
STORY KAYLIE WEHR | PHOTOS TAYLOR BACON AND PROVIDED
From left: Dr. Carlos Risco, dean; Dr. Rick Mitchell; Dr. Burke Healey; Dr. J. Scot Estep; and Dr. Craig Jones, OSU CVM Alumni Society president.
60 VET CETERA 2022
J. Scot Estep Burke L. Healey
Pathology and Texas Veterinary Passages. He is still a practicing veterinarian, an adjunct faculty member at Texas A&M University and participates in relief work.
During his 20-year Army career, Estep spent five years managing small animal practices, three years in a veterinary pathology residency and 12 years researching neurology, ocular injury, wound healing, shock and hemorrhage control. Specifically, he supported development of the one-handed tourniquet and topical hemostatic dressings.
Estep has lectured in the United States and Europe on many topics, including cytology, diagnostic necropsy, Chagas Disease and feline enteritis. He has 35 scientific and clinical publications, including two book chapters.
Estep’s colleague and friend, Dr. Jerry Cowart, nominated him for this award.
“Scot has provided a lifetime of service to his church, community, professional organizations and country, serving 20 years in the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps,” Cowart said. “He is a youth leader at his church, has mentored more than 100 students and provided professional mentoring to more than 40 medical professionals ranging from veterinarians to medical doctors to research professionals. I am honored to have him as a business partner, mentor and friend.”
Estep earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the OSU CVM in 1992.
HLeader for Policy and Operations.
Veterinarian of Oklahoma. His career with the USDA began in 2004 when he became the Oklahoma Area Veterinarian in Charge.
Healey held many leadership positions within the USDA’s veterinary services, including the deputy administrator and U.S. chief veterinary officer. Prior to that, he served as the executive director for the Surveillance, Preparedness and Response unit; in this role, he was the National Incident Commander for the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) outbreak of 2014-2015.
He successfully led the largest animal disease incident response in U.S. history, with more than 200 cases of HPAI found in commercial and backyard poultry, as well as wild birds across the country.
“Dr. Healey is respected internationally for his knowledge, approach to implementing change and leadership,” said Dr. Rosslyn Biggs, who nominated Healey for this award. “His ability to build international partnerships has positively impacted worldwide public health and enhanced American livestock producers’ viability.”
Healey earned his DVM degree from the OSU CVM in 1984.
OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY 61
Richard D. Mitchell
CVM professor wins distinguished faculty award
Locomotor Pathology, of which he is a founding member. He recently received the 2022 AAEP Distinguished Life Member Award.
Mitchell served as an official veterinarian for the United States Equestrian Team at six Olympic Games, as well as multiple Pan American and World Games. Internationally certified in veterinary acupuncture and equine locomotor pathology, he is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation.
Authoring many nationally and internationally published articles and textbook chapters on equine health care and welfare, he served on multiple boards of directors including United States Equestrian Foundation, Connecticut Veterinary Medical Association, the American Association of Equine Practitioners and the EQUUS Foundation.
Mitchell was nominated by his colleague, Dr. Mike Johnston.
“Rick has demonstrated all the qualities of a distinguished alumnus as evidenced by his involvement in national and international equine competitions as both an equestrian and veterinarian,” Johnston said. “To me, his most selfless contribution to the well-being of the horse has been his role at the helm of the AAEP Foundation for the Horse. In addition, he also likes to declare ‘Go Pokes!’ whenever he gets the chance.”
Mitchell earned his DVM degree from the OSU CVM in 1974.
She is an associate professor of anatomy in the physiological sciences department and director of the Clinical Skills Lab. Her primary appointment involves teaching anatomy in the DVM curriculum and current research interests include teaching/learning pedagogy and curricular development.
Akkerman earned a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from North Carolina State University, a Doctor in Veterinary Medicine from NCSU, and a Ph.D. in Comparative Biomedical Sciences from NCSU. She received her postdoctoral training at the environmental carcinogenesis Division of the Environmental Protection Agency. Akkerman was faculty at the NCSU College of Veterinary Medicine, teaching anatomy of both small and large animal species for 15 years prior to coming to Oklahoma State.
The Distinguished Early Career Faculty Award recognizes faculty members awarded tenure within the past three years and who demonstrate an exceptionally strong potential for continued contributions to the university and to the honoree’s profession. Honorees are chosen by their respective college leadership team and each receives a plaque and a $2,000 stipend.
“We are very pleased and excited to see Dr. Akkerman receive this well-deserved recognition for her work at the CVM,” said Dr. Martin Furr, physiological sciences department head. “She has made a positive impact on the college and we look forward to her continued efforts as her career progresses.”
Dr. Jill Akkerman was awarded the Distinguished Early Career Faculty Award at the 2022 University Convocation in December.
62 VET CETERA 2022
PHOTO PHIL SHOCKLEY
Experts in the Field
Vet Med faculty and staff share their knowledge and expertise worldwide
Dr. Rosslyn Biggs , assistant clinical professor, beef cattle Extension specialist and director of continuing education, was awarded the Oklahoma Association of Extension Agriculture Agents’ State Specialist Award and the Oklahoma Veterinary Medical Association Distinguished Service Award.
In January, Biggs presented at the Oklahoma Veterinary Medical Association Regulatory Thursday about the Integrated Beef Cattle Program. She was a presenter at the Arkansas Veterinary Medical Association in February, as well as a presenter and moderator at the Academy of Veterinary Consultants in April. Biggs created presentations delivered by Dean Carlos Risco at the World Buiatrics Congress in Madrid, Spain, in September. These presentations focused on the development of continuing education programs for veterinarians focused on production medicine and the historical perspective of veterinary medical education in food animal medicine.
Biggs presented at a number of other conferences and meetings throughout the year including the Oklahoma Collegiate Cattlemen’s/Cattlewomen’s Association’s Beef Industry Panel Discussion in March; the Cow-Calf Bootcamp Claremore, Oklahoma, in April; Women’s Cow-Calf Bootcamp in Chickasha, Oklahoma, in June; Oklahoma Cattlewomen’s Association in June; the Okfuskee County Cattlemen’s Association in June; the Oklahoma Women in Ag Conference in August; Caprock Beef Conference, Texas A&M Agrilife Extension in September; the Oklahoma Cattlewomen’s Association–Cultivating Cattlewomen in October; the McClain County Extension Fall Cattle Conference; the Oklahoma Pork Council Pork Industry Group in October; the Oklahoma Junior Shorthorn Association in December, and the Cowboy Christmas Ball as the keynote speaker in December.
Biggs also facilitated Beef Quality Assurance Training at the Cattlemen’s Congress in January and presented “This One’s For The Girls: Inspiring Young Women in Agriculture” at the Oklahoma Youth Expo in March.
Mayte Aleman-Carter, RVT, presented a case report titled “Thoracoplasty – ‘Bernie’” at the Southwest Veterinary Symposium. She finished in the top three for the Technician Challenge and will serve as a speaker at the 2023 Southwest Veterinary Symposium. Aleman-Carter is the large animal nurse’s station supervisor at the OSU Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital.
Dr. Giselle Ozuna Cino, an anatomic pathologist and assistant professor in the veterinary pathobiology department and the Oklahoma Animal Disease Diagnostic Lab (OADDL), was a speaker at the Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine Conference held in Tokyo in April and the joint meeting of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians and United States Animal Health Association held in Minnesota in October. She presented the results of the first isolation of the bacteria Trueperella abortisuis associated with abortions in several pig farms in the U.S.
WEHR
STORY KAYLIE
| PHOTOS TAYLOR BACON , PHIL SHOCKLEY AND GARY LAWSON
OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY 63
Dr. Brandy Close — director of curricular affairs, instructional design and academic technologies — and Dan Thompson — assistant director of faculty development — presented a faculty development workshop at the University of Wisconsin College of Veterinary Medicine in October. The presentation, titled “HyFlex Teaching: Equitable learning in flexible environments,” provided best practices and actionable tips to address the challenges brought on by hybrid flexible courses.
Dr. Michael Davis taught a four-day class on equine exercise physiology and sports medicine in Big Lake, Alaska. This course had 18 attendees and covered a range of topics related to conditioning for athletic performance and injuries/diseases associated with strenuous exercise in horses. Attendees were also able to learn a variety of outdoor activities, including mushing, snow machining and glacier climbing.
Davis was a speaker at the Equine Poor Performance Workshop in Big Sky, Montana, sponsored by Dorothy Havemeyer Foundation and Boehringer Ingelheim. He also spoke at the Calgary Equine Symposium on Equine Sports Medicine, which was hosted by the University of Calgary.
Davis was also the keynote speaker at the International Conference in Equine Exercise Physiology in Uppsala, Sweden. He was named to the ICEEP Board of Directors.
Dr. José de la Fuente, professor at the University of Castilla-La Mancha in Ciudad Real, Spain, and adjunct faculty at the Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine led a team of multidisciplinary researchers to answer the question: How long does SARS-CoV-2 survive on the surface of pollution particles of different origin?
The study revealed that atmospheric particulate matter emitted by engine exhaust inactivates SARS-CoV-2, but also has a negative impact on human health with implications for COVID-19 and other diseases.
Dr. Reed Holyoak has a continued collaborative research partnership with colleagues at the China Agricultural University’s College of Veterinary Medicine in Beijing. In 2022, the team published two papers and submitted another. The published articles are titled “Endometrial and vaginal microbiome in donkeys with and without clinical endometritis” and “Antimicrobial susceptibility of bacterial isolates from donkey uterine infections, 2018-2021.” Holyoak also gave a virtual lecture on equine breeding management to veterinary students at the Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University’s College of Veterinary Medicine in Shaanxi, China.
Dr. Meredyth Jones , associate professor of food animal medicine, was awarded the American Association of Bovine Practitioners Award of Excellence, as well as the Dr. George McConnell Award by the American Association of Small Ruminant Practitioners.
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Dr. Kelsey Jurek and third-year vet students, Braden Steidley and Porter Sciba, participated in a study abroad course in Mexico over the summer, where they mentored undergraduate students and assisted in performing veterinary care. The course provides pre-med and pre-vet undergraduate students hands-on experience and a better understanding of the One Health concept through serving local communities by caring for their animals.
Dr. Véronique-Anne Lacombe, DVM, PhD, DACVIM, DECEIM , professor in the physiological sciences department, along with members of her lab, the Comparative Metabolism Research Laboratory, gave two research presentations at the 19th Annual Meeting of the Society for Heart and Vascular Metabolism (SHVM) in October in Seoul, South Korea. She is a full member of the SHVM Board and was invited to chair a scientific session. In addition, Lacombe gave an interview regarding her research on diabetes to a famous YouTube healthcare channel for Koreans.
The Comparative Metabolism Research Laboratory also participated in the 19th Annual Harold Hamm Diabetes Center Research Symposium in November. Lab member and Ph.D. student, Mathew Rochowski , received two awards for best oral presentations by young investigators (i.e., trainees, fellows and junior faculty). The title of his talks were “Influenza viral replication is dependent on bronchial epithelial glucose metabolism” and “SARS-CoV-2 infection induces alteration of glucose metabolism in a feline model.”
Drs. Carlos Risco, Jerry Malayer, Ashish Ranjan and Lionel Dawson visited India in August. The group met with dignitaries from various organizations including the Veterinary Council of India, Animal Welfare Board of India and Madras Veterinary College. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University in Chennai, India, was signed.
Risco attended the 2022 World Buiatrics Congress in Madrid, Spain, where he presented and led a panel discussion on the shortage of food animal veterinarians. He also met with Dr. Jose de la Fuente, a research professor at the University of Castilla-La Mancha in Ciudad Real, Spain, and signed a MOU to develop collaborative research activities in veterinary medicine.
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Dr. Mirthula Selvan , a Ph.D. candidate mentored by Dr. Craig Miller, secured second place for Graduate Presentation Medical Microbiology Category -1 for her presentation at the Missouri Valley Branch of the American Society for Microbiology annual meeting. She also presented alongside Miller at the American Society for Microbiology’s Microbe Symposium and the International Society for Companion Animal Infectious Diseases. Selvan was awarded the Women’s Faculty Council Research Award and the Cox Graduate Fellowship in Genetics Research.
Dr. Brianne Taylor, assistant professor in veterinary pathobiology and anatomic pathologist at the diagnostic lab, presented a poster titled “Pathological survey of respiratory infectious disease in Oklahoma shelter dogs” at the International Society for Companion Animal Infectious Disease (ISCAID) annual meeting held in Glasgow, Scotland, in September. Taylor also presented on eastern equine encephalitis at the American College of Veterinary Pathologists (ACVP) annual meeting, held in Boston in November.
Dr. Megan Williams , assistant professor of equine surgery, presented at the American Veterinary Medical Association’s annual conference in July. Williams’ presentations were over standing surgery on the head and neck and wound management.
OSU Vet Med offers new service
The Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine now offers a dermatology service at its Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital.
Dr. Jennifer Thomas is an OSU alumna and is board certified by the American College of Veterinary Dermatology. Thomas earned a bachelor’s degree in Biomedical and Molecular Biology from Bridgewater State College. After completing her veterinary degree, Thomas completed a postdoctoral research fellowship at Oklahoma State University while continuing her education as an affiliate resident with the National Center for Veterinary Parasitology.
To make an appointment, call the Veterinary Medical Hospital at 405-744-7000, ext. 3.
Dr. Jennifer Thomas
PHOTO KEVIN MCCROSKEY
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PHOTO GARY LAWSON
State Legislators Visit OSU Vet Med
Veterinarians are vital to the health and well-being of communities on a local and national level.
Local ordinances and public policy can affect how veterinary medicine is practiced and new veterinarians are trained. Strong relationships with local governing bodies enable veterinary organizations, such as veterinary colleges, the ability to showcase the essential and exceptional work of veterinarians.
In late July, Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture Blayne Arthur; Sen. Blake Stephens, Rep. Dick Lowe; and Oklahoma Department of
Agriculture, Food and Forestry Deputy Commissioner JanLee Rowlett, visited Oklahoma State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine.
The legislator’s interest in veterinary education, particularly the impact on their constituents in rural areas, is what brought them to OSU Vet Med. Dean Carlos Risco and Dr. Rosslyn Biggs, director of continuing education, led the group on a tour of CVM facilities, highlighting ongoing initiatives and discussing future opportunities with the legislators.
“The CVM values the opportunity to share our work in education, research and Extension with Oklahoma policy
leaders,” Biggs said. “Their continued interest and commitment to our accomplishments and ongoing needs are very much appreciated. Visits like this allow us to highlight our incredible faculty, staff and students.”
During the visit, the group visited with faculty, staff and students, and was able to see firsthand some of the work that is done at the veterinary hospital.
“The support from the legislature and ODAFF has been notable the last two years and we appreciate their ongoing interest to improve veterinary medicine and Oklahoma communities,” Biggs said.
Government officials tour CVM facilities, hear about veterinary projects
STORY KAYLIE WEHR |
BACON
From left: Dr. Rosslyn Biggs, Rep. Dick Lowe, Secretary of Agriculture Blayne Arthur, Dr. Carlos Risco and Sen. Blake Stephens.
PHOTO TAYLOR
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Longtime CVM Facilities Manager Honored
Aceremony to unveil a bench in honor of the late Jim Hargrave was held on April 13. Hargrave served as the Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine’s facilities manager from 1991 until his retirement in 2020.
In attendance was Hargrave’s family, as well as several CVM faculty and staff members.
“The dedication was a very special way to honor Jim and his years of service to the College of Veterinary Medicine,” said Ashley Hesser, senior
director of development with the OSU Foundation. “Having his family, along with a number of faculty and staff, as a part of the unveiling was emotional and wonderful.”
The bench, bearing his name, sits near the Roger J. Panciera Education Center on the OSUStillwater campus. Hargrave was instrumental in the planning and construction of the center, a state-of-the-art classroom building, which opened in 2021, that houses veterinary students in years one through three.
STORY KAYLIE WEHR | PHOTO OSU
FOUNDATION
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The family of Jim Hargrave sit on the bench bearing his name. From left: Tanya Vasso, Charlie Vasso, Becky Koch, Marla Hargrave, June Hargrave, Janine Warmowski and Joey Warmowski.
Bill Barnum, DVM , passed away on Oct. 20, 2021. He
Barnum was born on Dec. 17, 1940, in Texhoma, Oklahoma, to Darius and Lorene Barnum. Upon high school graduation, he attended Panhandle State University in Goodwell, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State University for pre-veterinary medicine. He obtained his Bachelor of Science degree from OSU in 1963, as well as his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree in 1965.
Barnum met the love of his life, Delma J. Meyer, in high school. They were married on Aug. 25, 1963. Upon Barnum’s graduation, they moved to Beaver, Oklahoma, to start a new veterinary clinic, which was the only veterinary clinic in Beaver County. During this time, their first child, Mitchell L. Barnum, was born. In 1970, they moved to Spearman, Texas, to join a three-man veterinary clinic that focused on the development of feedlot operations. While there, their second son, Matthew C. Barnum, was born. In 1973, they ventured to southeastern Oklahoma in a family cow/calf operation ranch. 1977 brought yet another change to their lives. Bringing his family to Stratford, Oklahoma, Barnum joined the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture in the capacity of veterinary circuit supervisor. Barnum became the director of the Food Safety Division in 1995. He worked in that capacity until retirement. Bill and Delma were fortunate to raise their boys on a small ranch in Stratford.
Barnum is survived by his wife of 58 years, Delma; his son, Mitchell, and wife Jessica; their two children, Morgan and Brock of Stratford; his son, Matthew and wife Karen; their two children, Shelbi and Cole of Oklahoma City; his brother-in-law, Tim Meyer and wife Nancy of Texhoma; his sister-in-law, Evi Meyer of Frisco, Texas; and a host of nieces and nephews.
Barnum was preceded in death by his parents; his sister, Sandy Freeman; and his brothers-inlaw, Carl Freeman and Robert Meyer.
Source: DeArman Funeral Home
Dr. James Edward Breazile (Deacon Jim), DVM , passed away on May 4, 2022, at Carriage Hill Assisted Living in Madbury, New Hampshire.
Breazile was born on Dec. 31, 1934, on a farm near Watson, Missouri.
He attended the University of Missouri and earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree in 1957. While attending college, he also fell in love with Joan P. Vazzano and she became the love of his life. They wed in June 1957. They were married
Breazile served as a CIA operator in North Korea during the Korean conflict. While in college, he became a Christian and spent the rest of his life
studying the Bible and history of Christianity. He was ordained as a Catholic deacon in 1977, where he served at St. John’s and St. Francis Xavier churches in Stillwater. He also served at the Sacred Heart Parish in Fairfax, Oklahoma, and St. Ann’s in Schidler, Oklahoma. He also lived in Pilot Grove, Missouri, where he served as the town mayor and veterinarian. Breazile then lived in St. Paul, Minnesota, where he received his second doctorate in neurophysiology.
Breazile taught veterinary medicine for over 50 years at both the University of Missouri and Oklahoma State University, where he eventually retired. He was a world-renowned neuroscientist and editor of an international scientific journal.
He is preceded in death by his wife, Joan Breazile; his parents, Ruth (Knezeck) Breazile and Benjamin Franklin Breazile; sister Betty Horner; and his brother, William Breazile.
He is survived by his three children; Felicia Bianchi of Dover, New Hampshire; Kevin Breazile of Round Rock, Texas; and Gregory Breazile of The Villages, Florida; as well as nine grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Source: Strode Funeral Home
The Mulhall-Orlando Livestock Booster Club and the Central Oklahoma Junior Rodeo Association. If there was a way to support the local youth through education, athletics, rodeo, or livestock events, you could count on Day to be there.
Day was preceded in death by his parents; brother James Day; sister Raylene Smith; grandparents Frank and Evelyn Day; and grandparents Ray and Loyce Clark.
He is survived by his wife, Kathy; son Justin Day and wife Jeri; son Jeff Day and wife Crystal; brother David Day and wife Marla; sister-in-law Maxine Day; brother-in-law Delmar Smith; his aunt, Kathy; his aunt, Julie; numerous nieces and nephews, cousins; and his grandchildren: Trenton Day and wife Shana; Paden Day and girlfriend Cadlyn; Paige “Lizzie” Day; and Kaylee Mae Day; greatgrandchildren: Kohen and Wrenlee; and honorary grandson Hadley Bryan.
Source: Brown-Dugger Funeral Home
Jerry Pat Durham, DVM , a resident of Prairie Grove, Arkansas, passed away on June 15, 2022, in Prairie Grove. He was 83.
He was born on Dec. 7, 1938, in Alma, Arkansas, to Herbert and Katherine
Durham loved his family, his profession and the outdoors. He was born in 1938 and jokingly referred to himself as a “38 Special.” He rode horses, read
Durham earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Oklahoma State University in 1965. He practiced as a veterinarian in Prairie Grove for 45 years and built the Vinewood Animal Hospital. He traveled the world and enjoyed backpacking, wilderness camping and mountain climbing.
Durham was preceded in death by his wife, Marilyn Durham; and his daughter, Judy Durham.
Survivors include three children: Tom Durham and wife Janice of Prairie Grove; Bill Durham and wife Barbara of Farmington, Arkansas; and Kimball Durham and wife Julie, also of Prairie Grove; as well as six grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.
Day was born on Jan. 14, 1952, to Dwight and Ida Mae (Clark) Day. He graduated from MulhallOrlando High School in the spring of 1970. On Jan. 6, 1973, he married the love of his life, Kathy Ward of Red Rock, Oklahoma. They celebrated their 49th wedding anniversary just before his death. Day graduated from the Oklahoma State College of Veterinary Medicine in 1977 after completing his undergraduate work at OSU. He practiced veterinary medicine in Chickasha, Oklahoma, before moving to Medford, Oklahoma, and eventually settling back in Perry, Oklahoma, in 1979.
In addition to always being willing to help friends and family, Day also served his community as a member of the Mulhall-Orlando Board of Education, The Noble County Cattlemen’s Association,
Lester Raymond Dupler, DVM , beloved family man, retired veterinarian and pillar of the Temple, Oklahoma, community, died at home with his family on June 6, 2020. He was 83.
His parents, Archie Odell Dupler Sr. and Eula Mabel Wade Dupler, celebrated his birth on Jan. 23, 1937, in Lawton, Oklahoma. Dupler was the fourth of five children who were all raised on the family farm outside of Cache, Oklahoma. He
IN MEMORIAM
Joseph Maurice “Doc” Day, DVM , passed away on Jan. 17, 2022. He was 70.
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graduated from Cache High School in May 1955 and in August the same year, he attended Cameron State Agricultural College (now known as Cameron University) until May 1957. Supler married his high school sweetheart, Janice Hollander, on Dec. 31, 1955. The couple transferred to Stillwater in 1957 so Lester could continue his pursuit of becoming a veterinarian. Janice worked several jobs to support them and Lester’s schooling. He went on to receive his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1962.
The Duplers purchased the existing veterinary clinic in Temple in October 1962, where they also built a home, raised their family and made many friends. Dupler was known over several counties for his veterinary work. He also built a thriving registered Angus herd under the name Dupler Farms. His Angus herd was written about in the Angus Journal as “the best kept secret in Oklahoma.”
Dupler served on the school board for Temple Public Schools. All three of his and Janice’s children attended Temple schools and graduated from Temple High School. In addition to the school board, Lester served as a board member for First National Bank of Temple; he was also a member of the Temple City Council, and a member of the Temple Chamber of Commerce.
Tragedy struck the Dupler family in September 2002 when Janice died after a brief fight with cancer. Lester’s elder sister died a week later. After the death of Janice, who helped him build a successful veterinary practice, he found it difficult to return to the clinic. Within two years, he was completely retired. Family and friends rallied behind him to show their love and support.
On Dec. 5, 2003, Lester married widowed Virginia Faye Reece Stringer of Temple. The two continued to live in Temple where they enjoyed their blended family.
Lester was preceded in death by his parents, Archie Dupler Sr. and Eula Dupler; his wife, Janice; two older brothers Emmett Dupler and Archie Dupler Jr.; and his older sister, Evelyn Hart.
He is survived by his wife, Virginia; daughter Machelle Dupler Grimes and husband Kevin Grimes; their daughters, Skylar Shae and Ainsley Simone Grimes of Farmersvillle, Texas; son Bryan Lester Dupler and wife Sheri Petty Dupler; their son, Jacob Odell Dupler; daughters Emily Ann Dupler and Harley Nicole Dupler; and son Jessie Issac Levi Dupler, all of Norman, Oklahoma; son Myron Wade Dupler of Fort Worth, Texas; and younger sister Carolyn Hosking and husband Harry Hosking of Taft, California.
He is also survived by stepdaughter Rhonda Stringer Rustler and husband Brian Rustler of Severance, Colorado; their son and daughter-inlaw, Christopher and Kristin Rustler; their son and daughter-in-law, Josh and Ali Rustler; and their son and daughter-in-law, Bryce and Chelsea Rustler; stepson Ronnie and wife Marki Stringer of Mustang, Oklahoma, their son and daughter-inlaw, Chandler and Sarah Stringer, their daughter
and son-in-law, Kinin Stringer and Tyler Goble; their daughter, Jordan Stringer; stepson Roger and wife Janice Stringer of Temple; their son and daughter-in-law, Brayden and Morgan Stringer; their daughter and son-in-law, Ashton Stringer and Michael Alger; and their daughter Jamie Rae; along with eight great-grandchildren and four foster great-grandchildren.
Source: Hart-Wyatt Funeral Home
Gordon Ray Gathright, DVM , passed away on Sept. 14, 2022. He was 68.
Gathright was born on his mom’s birthday in Sentinel, Oklahoma, to Wilma and David on April 14, 1954. The youngest of four children, he was full of energy and frequently underfoot. He grew up surrounded by family, with grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins all living within a few miles. He did well academically, attending Dill City schools until the family moved to Fort Supply in 1970.
After graduation, he followed his dad’s footsteps, joining the Navy in 1972 where he supported long range patrols engaging in anti-submarine warfare during the Vietnam War. He completed his tour in 1976 and returned to Fort Supply. He met his wife, Valorie, shortly after his return. They were married on April 2, 1977.
He entered OSU in the fall of ’79, where he was able to finish both his Bachelor of Arts. and ultimately his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 1985. Nolan joined the family later that year and Gathright started a veterinary practice in Burkburnett, Texas. Looking for a more secure way to support his growing family, Gordon joined the Army in late 1986 and Russell, Katie, and Kelley came along in the next few years.
In 1995, Gathright returned to school to pursue a Master of Public Health from the University of Oklahoma and was able to be closer to his family roots in Oklahoma before working abroad in Germany for several years. After making lots of new friends, the family moved to Texas where he finished his Army career in 2003 at the rank of major. He became the attending veterinarian for the National Wildlife Research Center in Colorado until 2016 when he switched to part-time consulting and training work. He gained two extra children when Russell found Erin in 2013, and Katie married Brent in 2020.
He will be deeply missed by many including his wife, Valorie; his mother, Wilma; his siblings, Sue and Dave, Anita and Clay, and Flo; and his ‘babies’, Nolan, Russell and Erin, Katie and Brent, and Kelley.
Source: Kiesau-Lee Funeral Home
Betty Lee Guiney, DVM , passed away on Oct. 26, 2022, at the Heart Hospital of New Mexico. She was 81.
Guiney was born on Dec. 12, 1940, the only child of Lee Claude and Floy May (Gallaway) Reddick in Fairfax, Oklahoma. Raised in Fairfax, she graduated with the Red Devil Class of 1959. After high school, Betty attended Oklahoma State University in Stillwater and Kansas State University in Manhattan. During Guiney’s sophomore year in college, she was one of only 11 female students in the veterinary medicine program at OSU. In 1964, she graduated from OSU and was on the Presidents List of Distinguished Students with straight A’s. She received her veterinarian license in August 1968.
Throughout her lifetime, Guiney traveled many places to attend rodeos and veterinary conferences, including California, Nevada and Hawaii. She often invited friends and family to travel with her. During one of her trips to Hawaii, she visited one of the nation’s oldest and largest ranches in the U.S. — the Parker Ranch on the Big Island. She had a lengthy career in veterinary medicine, practicing in Arkansas, Colorado, California and New Mexico.
Guiney had a lifelong love of horses, owning many over the years. She also loved to spend a quiet afternoon reading or bird watching. Her spirit, gentle ways and love of family, friends and animals endeared her to all who knew her. She will be fondly missed and long remembered. Numerous cousins are left to cherish her memories, along with special friends Lamar and Susan Robinson.
Source: The Ponca City News
Richard Daniel Hefley, DVM , died Feb. 12, 2022, at Ascension Via Christi St. Francis in Wichita, Kansas. He was 61.
Hefley was born on March 30, 1960, in Kansas City, Missouri, to Jack and Rose (Kerby) Hefley. He graduated from East Central High School in Tulsa in 1978.
Hefley and Kim (Musick) were united in marriage on May 21, 1983, in Perry, Oklahoma.
He attended Oklahoma State University where he received his bachelor’s degree in zoology in 1982 and then his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree in 1987. He remained a loyal OSU fan after graduation.
Hefley proudly owned Arrowhead Animal Clinic, serving Wellington, Kansas, for over 30 years.
He was an actively involved member of the First Christian Church. He was also an Eagle Scout and Scout Master with the Boy Scouts of America. He enjoyed teaching and mentoring the younger generation and helped several mentees prepare for future careers in science and technical fields. Hefley was a proud father of his three children and enjoyed coaching their sports teams. He was also known for his soul-healing stellar hugging ability, a gift handed down by his amazing father, Jack.
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He is survived by his loving wife, Kim, of Wellington; two sons Kerby and wife Kristen Hefley of St. Louis; and Troyce and wife Annie Hefley of Oklahoma City; daughter Shanlyn and husband Zach Cooper of Wellington; brother John and wife Laura Hefley of Tulsa; numerous nieces and nephews; and a granddaughter.
Hefley is preceded in death by his parents, Jack and Rose; and brother, Robert Hefley.
Source: Sumner News Cow
Morris Laughton Hill, DVM , of Kinston, North Carolina, passed away on Oct. 19, 2021. He was 95.
Hill was born on April 18, 1926, in Lenoir County to Jesse Grainger and Oma Caroline Howard Hill. He was a graduate of Deep Run High School and drafted into the Army during World War II. He was assigned to a first armored tank division and participated in the “Battle of the Bulge,” spending two years in the European The -
Upon returning from service, his interest in veterinary medicine led him to enroll in pre-vet studies at East Carolina University. He later transferred to Auburn University before entering and graduating from Oklahoma State University in Stillwater in 1953. He returned to Kinston and worked with Dr. Charlie Randall and Dr. Branch Moore until 1956. In 1957, he opened his practice, Northside Animal Hospital, and faithfully treated all species of animals — small and large — and at times making calls at all hours of the day and night.
Hill loved his work, loved the outdoors and was blessed with a personality that blended with all that he met and served. After 40 years as a fulltime vet, he retired to his farms and his cattle. However, for many years on Wednesday afternoons, he could be found at the East Carolina Stockyard in Ayden performing veterinarian services.
Hill was a member of First Baptist Church on Rouse Road in Kinston. For 35 years, he was both a member of the Kinston Rotary Club and supervisor of Lenoir County Soil and Water Association. He was also a member of the Local and State Veterinarian Association.
He is preceded in death by his parents; wife Nora Jean Kinsey; sisters Grace H. Morris and Annie Ruth Parrish, and brother Warren G. Hill.
Left to cherish his memory are his children, Lee Laughton Hill and Kinsey Caroline Hill of Seven Springs, North Carolina; grandchildren David Hill, Michael Hill, Caitlyn Hill, Heather Dawn Nelson and Nora Mae Wilkins; great-grandchildren Kayleigh Mewborn, Alexis Mewborn, Braydon Nelson, Jaelynn Nelson and Brantlee Cansler; brother Douglas G. Hill of Morehead City, and many nephews, nieces, and cousins who greatly loved and respected him.
Source: The Kinston Free Press
Wylie Sims Hough Jr., DVM , of Miami, Oklahoma, passed away on Jan. 6, 2022, at Windridge Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Miami. He was 82.
Hough was born on Nov. 15, 1939, in Ardmore, Oklahoma, to Wylie Sims Hough Sr. and Fern Vae (Frields). He had lived in Miami since moving from Stillwater in 1963. He served in the U.S. Army during Vietnam and graduated from Oklahoma State University with his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree. He owned and operated Miami Animal Hospital from 1963 to 2007. He was a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association and the Oklahoma Veterinary Medical Association. He served on the Board of Directors for Miami Chamber of Commerce and had served on the Board of Directors for NEO A&M College Agriculture Department. He started and was very involved in fundraising for NEO A&M Equine Arena. He also started the premium sale for the Ottawa County Fair. Hough was a mem ber of First Christian Church in Miami.
He was preceded in death by his parents and one sister, Wilma Cranmore.
Hough married Doris (Briggs) Hough on May 9, 1958. Additional survivors include son Dr. Rod Hough and wife Debra of Miami; one daughter, Debbie Jameson and husband Danny of Miami; five grandchildren: Stacey Jameson, Kyle Jame son and wife Cindy, Casey Hough, Devon Jame son, and Lindsey Lawson and husband Gage; and 4 great-grandchildren: Hollynn Lawson, Wylie Lawson, Hank Wood and Sutton Hough.
Source: Paul Thomas Funeral Home
Ronald Ray Laughlin, DVM , was born March 26, 1955, and passed away on Feb. 8, 2022. He was 66.
Laughlin grew up in El Reno, Oklahoma, where he met his high school sweetheart, Nancy Royse Laughlin. They graduated from El Reno High School in 1973. He attended Oklahoma State University and always said he would never have gone to college, but he was afraid to let Nancy get away. They were married after their freshman year of college in 1974 and he went on to earn the honor of Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from OSU in 1980. They later settled in Edmond, Oklahoma, where he opened Danforth Animal Hospital in 1986. He was a dedicated veterinarian whose gift for empathy blessed his patients, clients, and employees.
Laughlin had many hobbies in life. Whenever he became interested in something, he learned everything he could about it. In fact, he had so many hobbies over the years that it became sort of a joke in his family. His hobbies have included photography, wood working, metal working, machining, remote-control airplanes, golf, motorcycles and cycling. He even gained his heat and air license simply because he needed to work on his units at his clinic. He also attended every home game of the Oklahoma City Thunder with Nancy. The
hobby that brought him the greatest joy, however, was being a private pilot and spending time at his hangar with his airplane buddies. He and Nancy loved to travel and visited many countries reaching nearly every continent in their travels.
Laughlin was a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, and Cirrus Owners and Pilots Association. He also used his plane as a blessing for others through Angel Flights and Flights for Life.
He is preceded in death by his mother, Wanda Duncan Davis; father Ronald Laughlin Sr.; and grandmother Juanita Gambill. He is survived by his wife, Nancy Royse Laughlin, daughter Lindsay Anderson and husband Dustin; granddaughter Avery; and grandsons Isaac and Eli; son Adam Laughlin and wife Mendy; granddaughters Renna and Reagan. Laughlin is also survived by his sister, Rhonda Laughlin and husband Marc Stagg; and many nieces and nephews.
Source: Matthews Funeral Home
Anna Parker, DVM , passed away on May 26, 2022.
She was a beloved sister, aunt, mother, grandmother, friend and community servant.
From 1971 to 2021, she owned and operated Southeast Veterinary Hospital in Midwest City, Oklahoma. Parker lived each day with an abundance of dedication and compassion. Although she will be dearly missed, the love and light that she shared with this world can never be forgotten.
She is survived by siblings Mary, Frank, Leona, Charles and Irene; daughter Elaine; and grandchildren Nolan, Lucy and Leslie.
Source: Legacy.com
Richard (Dick) Lee Rissler, DVM , passed away on Aug. 22, 2022. He was 91.
Rissler was born in Charlestown, West Virginia. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Brown Rissler. Rissler graduated from Charlestown High School in 1949. After one year at Shepherd College, he spent four years in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War with one year in Korea. He then completed his pre-vet studies at Shepherd and the University of West Virginia prior to being accepted to the College of Veterinary Medicine at Oklahoma State University in 1957. He received his undergraduate degree in agriculture in 1959 and his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 1961. Rissler retired in 1998 as Director of Operation Support with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In his spare time, Rissler enjoyed gardening, spending time with his beloved cats and loved to feed the birds. He was an avid Western movie lover and enjoyed watching football.
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Rissler was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Helen, and was the loving father to Richard Rissler of Owings, Maryland, and Lee Ann Rissler of Crofton, Maryland. He was the devoted grandfather to Rachel Rissler, daughter of Rich and Stacy Rissler.
Source: Beall Funeral Home
Lewis Don Roach , was born Nov. 22, 1931, in Texhoma, Oklahoma, and passed away Feb. 5, 2022, in Oklahoma City. He was 90.
Roach graduated from Texhoma High School in 1949, attended Panhandle State University, where he played varsity football for three years before entering U.S. Air Force pilot training. He was a veteran of the Korean War and served three years as a gunnery school jet flight instructor at Laughlin Air Force Base near Del Rio, Texas, and later in the Oklahoma Air National Guard.
Roach graduated in 1963 from the OSU College of Veterinary Medicine and practiced in Texas and Oklahoma for 32 years before retiring in 1995. In 1976, his family moved from Guymon to Edmond, Oklahoma, where he established Acre View Pet Hospital and was an active member of his church, a Scoutmaster and leader in the Edmond Chamber of Commerce and AMBUCS.
Roach is survived by his beloved wife of 68 years, LaQuita; his sons, Stan and Randy; daughter-in-law Kate; six grandchildren; many nieces and nephews; and his sister-in-law, Ginger. He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers Mansel, Sam and Charles; and sisters Hope and Delores.
Source: Crawford Funeral Service
Ross was born on April 29, 1952. He earned his bachelor’s degree followed by his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree at the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1981. After practicing in Fulton, Missouri, he returned to MU, where he received his Ph.D. in physiology in 1990. He then researched and taught in the Department of Anatomy and Physiology at Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine for the next 17 years. From 2007 until his retirement in 2021, Ross served at Oklahoma State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine as professor of physiological sciences, associate dean for academic affairs, and lastly, interim dean.
Source: Stillwater News Press
Dale Loyd Schomp, DVM , was born Nov. 13, 1930, in Kingfisher, Oklahoma, to Don Earnest and Nevie Blanche (Bailey) Schomp. He died Jan. 2, 2022, at Weatherford Regional Hospital. He was 91.
Schomp attended 12 years of school in Taloga, Oklahoma, where he enjoyed and excelled in sports, graduating with Class of 1948. He went to California after graduation on his 1947 Harley and returned to marry Joy Boggess in 1951.
Schomp enrolled at Oklahoma State University earning his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine in 1962. He was instrumental in organizing and was a member of OSU-VM Omega Tau Sigma Fraternity. He and his family moved; lived briefly in Canyon, Texas, then returned to western Oklahoma to establish roots in community and business where he remained.
Schomp served his community with distinction, integrity and passion. His intense detail, precise skills and care defined his 40 plus year career serving Weatherford and surrounding communities as resident veterinarian.
He was an awesome dad to Jacqueline Joy “Jackie,” DaLynne Sue and Bonnie Jan. He was blessed with granddaughters Kathryn Joy “Katie” (Hager) Dixon, and Julia and Kellie Fischer; grandsons Lucas Loyd “Luke” Gallery and Jonathan Quinn Gallery; great-grandsons Christian Hadley Dixon and Zachary Maeson Clay Dixon. Schomp cherished family and friends.
He was preceded by parents Don Earnest and Nevie Blanche Schomp; wife Joy; brother Carol Don Schomp and stepdaughter Pamala Kay Osburn Punneo.
He is survived by wife Ava; daughters Jackie and husband Bill Gallery; DaLynne and husband Dan Fischer; Bonnie and companion Wayne Smith; grandchildren and great-grandchildren; stepson Wesley Osburn and wife Patti; beloved family members and friends who loved him deeply, respected and admired him. He touched many lives and will be greatly missed.
Source: Lockstone Funeral Home
Frank Anthony Serra, DVM , of Overland Park, Kansas, passed away on Dec. 18, 2021. He was 87.
Serra was born on March 27, 1934, to Margaret and Joseph Serra in Westerly, Rhode Island. He graduated from the University of Rhode Island in 1956 and went on to study veterinary medicine at Oklahoma State University.
After graduation in May 1960, Serra was one of six annually chosen interns from all colleges of veterinary medicine at the prestigious Angell Memorial Animal Hospital in Boston.
After his internship, he joined a veterinary practice in Overland Park, starting off a 44 year career.
In 1958, Serra met Loretta Sue Seawright. They were married in 1960 and went on to have four children: Terry, Janet Carol, Stacy and Mike. After retiring in 2005, Serra spent his time woodcarving and tending to his orchid collection.
Serra was preceded by his daughter, Janet Carol, and his sister, Delores Beal. He is survived by his wife, Loretta Sue; his sister, Julia Risica; his three remaining children: Terry Gardner and husband David; Stacy Helton and husband Steve; and Mike Serra and wife Noelle Bergmans; and his seven grandchildren: Jennifer, Bailey, Megan, Scott, Serra, Riley and Matthew.
Source: The Kansas City Star
Christopher (Chris) Robert Ross, DVM , of Manhattan, Kansas, died Dec 12, 2021 in Manhattan. He was 69.
72 VET CETERA 2022
James (Jim) Gordon Sewell, DVM , passed away on Dec. 17, 2021. He was 86.
Sewell was born on Aug. 16, 1935, to Joe and Elva Sewell on the homestead northeast
He attended the Rose Hill country school as a young boy and graduated from Perry High School in 1952 at the age of 16. He played on the football, basketball and baseball teams. He also attended the First Presbyterian Church of Perry.
After completing high school, he attended Oklahoma A&M and completed his bachelor’s degree in pre-vet studies in 1956. He completed and graduated from the veterinary medicine program and received his DVM as a participant of the first class of the newly named Oklahoma State University veterinary college in 1958. Between these two graduations, he married Nevalee Freese of Perry on Aug. 25, 1957.
Upon graduation in June 1958, Sewell started his vet practice at Veterinary Corner in Guthrie, Oklahoma, where he continued to practice medicine for 59 years until his retirement in 2017. He also found time to operate a successful cow/calf operation where he raised registered red Angus cattle on their farm northeast of Guthrie.
During his 63 years residing in Guthrie, he diligently served the Guthrie school system for 21 years as a school board member and oversaw several building and expansion projects. Sewell’s favorite pastimes included thousands of rounds of golf with his sons, grandsons and many friends, the yearly October pheasant hunting trip to South Dakota and the annual trout fishing trip to the gulf. Their favorite trip as a couple was the summer golf trips to the cool mountains near Pendaries, New Mexico. Sewell was a die-hard season ticket holder and Posse member for his beloved OSU athletic programs.
He was preceded in death by his brother, Richard, of Newkirk, Oklahoma, and is survived by his brothers, Joe and David of Perry; wife Nevalee; their sons, Bryan and wife Donna of Edmond, Oklahoma; and Evan of Olathe, Kansas. He is also survived by his grandson, Andrew and wife Kristen of Fort Worth, Texas; and by his grandson, Matthew, and wife Hayley of Oklahoma City. He is also survived by his great-grandson, Carter Bryan of Fort Worth.
Source: Smith-Gallo Funeral Home
Vernie Ray Walker, DVM , of Langley, Oklahoma, passed away at St. Francis Hospital in Vinita, Oklahoma, on Jan. 8, 2018, after a long illness. He was 78.
He was born March 3, 1940, northwest of Welch, Oklahoma, to James Leister Walker and Hazel Marie (Buck) Walker.
In 1960, Walker married Joyce Maxson in Welch. From their union came two children. He later
married Annette Nancy Elliott. The couple made their home in Langley.
Vernie obtained his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from OSU. He owned and operated his own vet clinic in Miami, Oklahoma, until 1987. He then went to work in disease control for the State of Oklahoma, working for them for over 10 years, retiring in 2007.
While in school, he was a member of the ROTC. He was a longtime member of the Ketchum Methodist Church. He had a love for animals and gardening.
He is preceded in death by his parents and seven brothers.
Survivors include his wife, Nancy; one son Craig Walker and wife Debbie of Vinita; one daughter Sherri Brady and husband Mike of Welch; one stepson Jay Dunavent and wife Leslie of Claremore, Oklahoma; two stepdaughters Elizabeth Wolfenberger of Owasso, Oklahoma, and Rebecca Doles and husband Greg Milanic of Oklahoma City; 14 grandchildren: Jonathan Walker of Langley; Jarred Walker and wife Annie of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma; Jennifer Walker of Stillwater; Jacob Mount and wife McKenzie of Welch; Hannah Mount of Welch; Shelbie Langlois of St. Louis; Kade Brady of Welch; Kaylie Brady of Welch; Shelby, Spencer, and Brooklyn Dunavent of Claremore; Alex Doles of Greensburg, Pennsylvania; Cassie Doles of Oklahoma City; and Sophie Wolfenberger of Owasso; and one great-grandson Calvin Michael Langlois.
Source: Thomas and Chenoweth Funeral Home
Ted Lee Wiggins, DVM , passed away on Jan. 19, 2022. He was 76.
He was born Sept. 29, 1945, to Alva and Minazelle (McKeen) Wiggins in Paris, Arkansas.
Wiggins graduated from Paris High School in 1963, graduated from Oklahoma State University, and earned his DVM degree there in 1970. Ted was blessed to have married his high school sweetheart, Kathryn (Kay) Allen, and they just celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary in December. Ted and Kay moved to Springdale, Arkansas, after his graduation.
Wiggins was a veterinarian in Springdale until he retired in 2011. He enjoyed spending time with his family, traveling, quail hunting, fishing, spending time at the farm, and feeding the birds.
He is predeceased by his parents and by an older brother, Hershel Wiggins of Paris.
He is survived by his wife, Kathryn; son Marc Wiggins of Springdale; daughter Melanie Moseley of Orlando, Florida,; grandchildren: Tyler Wiggins of Olathe, Kansas; Isaac Sprang of Tampa, Florida; Reagan Walters of Bentonville, Arkansas; Erin Sprang of Savannah, Georgia; and Adam Sprang of Orlando; brothers Tom Wiggins of Booneville, Arkansas, and Dr. James William Wiggins of Little Rock.
Source: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Arthur G. Wills (Doc, Jeep, or A.G.), DVM , from Daniels, West Virginia, passed away on Oct. 16, 2022. He was 84.
“Doc” Wills graduated from Shady Spring High School in 1956. He married Alice Ballard, formerly of Beckley, West Virginia, in January 1962 prior to her death in 2002. One of the most significant fights of his life was surviving a plane crash in 1962. Wills graduated with bachelor’s degree from West Virginia University in 1966, and graduated with Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Oklahoma State University in May 1970.
Known as one of the best veterinarians in the state, Wills worked at Beckley Veterinary Hospital for years, later starting his own practice, which later was located in Daniels from 1991-2015. Wills cared for countless animals over the years, and was known for helping those pets whom others couldn’t save, as well as his generosity.
He is survived by his brother, Jack Wills; son Arthur; granddaughter Mary and Zach Sabol as well as great-grandson, Zachariah; niece Sharon Brescoach; cousin Jo Ann Duff; as well as other family members and friends.
Source: Loot Press
OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY 73
College of Veterinary Medicine
308 McElroy Hall
Stillwater, OK 74078-2011