VETERINARY EDUCATION, RESEARCH, & OUTREACH (VERO)

Faculty advise the WT Pre-Vet Club. The WT Pre-Vet Club organizes the FFA CDE in Veterinary Science contest events on the WT Campus. Over 550 local and regional FFA high school students participate in CDE Veterinary Science contests.

• The number of students seeking the WT Pre-Veterinary Specialization degree is 254 students making it the largest undergraduate advisory program at WT.

Highlights from FY22 include:

• Completion of the inaugural year of the VMBS 2+2 program and matriculation of the second class of VERO DVM students.

• 39 rotation students taught in the first year of 4th year VERO rotations in 2020-2021 and 45 rotation students in the second year of 4th year VERO rotations 2021-2022.

• Dr. Matthew Scott received the Texas A&M VMBS Outstanding Young Faculty Research Award for his record of excellence in research, publications, and funding.

• Dr. Paul Morley received the Texas A&M VMBS Outstanding Research Leader Award and the Texas Veterinary Medical Association Research Award.

• VERO Research faculty had 14 new grant awards in 2021-2022 totaling $1.62M in funding.

• VERO personnel presented 27 research abstracts in 2021-2022.

• Dr. Benjamin Newcomer received the Texas Veterinary Medical Association Educator Award.

• Dr. Rebecca Eschmann and Dr. Sarah Capik completed requirements for American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine Diplomate Certification. Dr. Hatem Kittana completed requirements for American College of Veterinary Microbiology Diplomate Certification.

• VERO faculty presented 12 research abstracts on topics ranging from common diseases in feedlot cattle to the calf microbiome at the Conference of Research Workers in Animal Diseases (Dec. 5-7, 2021).

• Dr. Paul Morley, Professor and Director of Research, named to the Sally Rao McIntosh Endowed Chair.

• Dr. Dan Posey, Clinical Professor and Director of Student Recruitment & Professional Relations received the Texas Veterinary Medical Association 2022 Distinguished Career Achievement Award and the Distinguished Membership Award.

Current VERO faculty:

• Chrissy Barron, Clinical Assistant Professor, Veterinary Anatomy

• Kelli Beavers, Clinical Assistant Professor, Equine Veterinary Education

• Sarah Capik, Assistant Professor, Food Animal Research

• Hugh Duddy, Clinical Assistant Professor, Veterinary Surgery

• Susan Eades, Associate Dean, VMBS Canyon Campus

• Becky Eschmann, Clinical Assistant Professor, Small Animal Veterinary Education

• Abby Finley*, Clinical Assistant Professor, Anatomic Pathology

• Jenna Funk, Clinical Assistant Professor, Beef Cattle

• Lisa Lunn, Clinical Associate Professor, Food Animal Veterinary Education

• Hatem Kittana*, Clinical Assistant Professor, Microbiology

• Paul Morley, Director of VERO Research Program

• BJ Newcomer, Clinical Associate Professor, Dairy Cattle

• Dan Posey, Director of Student Recruitment and Professional Relations

• Matthew Scott, Assistant Professor, Microbial Ecology

• Cathy Sparks, Clinical Assistant Professor, Veterinary Anatomy

• Robert Valeris-Chacin, Assistant Professor, Epidemiology

• Yvonne Wikander*, Clinical Assistant Professor, Clinical Pathology

*Faculty with joint appointment to the Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (TVMDL) and VERO