2024 AWARDS
Basic Science — Oral Presentation
- First place — Cameron Sutherland, graduate student – "Evaluation of Environmental Bartonella spp. in Flea-Infested Homes"
- Second place — Theresa A. Quintana, graduate student – "Characterization of ABC transporter genes in Toxocara canis using RNA-Seq."
- Second place — Chandler Hansen, graduate student – "Assessing Veterinarian’s Perspectives on the Applicability of Anatomy Education to Clinical Practice"
(no picture available)
Applied/Clinical Science, Small animal/exotics – Oral Presentation
- First place — Kamilyah Miller, graduate student – "The Hardship of Parasite Diagnostics: Comparing Two Fecal Techniques for the Detection of Echinococcus multilocularis in wild canids
- Second place — Trey Neyland, graduate student/resident – "Multicentric Lymphosarcoma in a 2.5-year-old Nigerian Dwarf Wether Goat"
- Third place — Anastasia Towe, intern – "Acute abdominal distension, hypersalivation, and pale mucous membranes in a Spotted-Hyena (Crocuta crocuta)"
Trey Neyland and Kamilyah Miller (not pictured, Anastasia Towe)
Applied/Clinical Science, Large Animal – Oral Presentation
- First place — Taylor McAtee, graduate student – Quantifying the Impact of Feedlot Cattle Performance on Greenhouse Gas Emissions
- Second Place — Thomas Christensen II, second-year veterinary student – YAVSAP: versatile viral quasispecies analysis for veterinary samples
- Third Place — Rachel Champagne, third-year veterinary student – Association of liver abscess with demographic factors, comorbidities, and gastrointestinal histologic morphology in feedlot mortalities
Rachel Champagne, Thomas Christensen II and Taylor McAtee
Basic Science - Poster Presentation
- First place — Erin Mayhue, third-year veterinary student – Interaction of emodepside with canine MDR1: in silico and cellular assay
- Second Place — Hanna Rhoads, third-year veterinary student – Got Lyme?: Prevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi in Ixodes scapularis ticks collected from horses across the United States
- Third Place — Saurav Pantha, graduate student – Establishment of a mouse model of diet-induced obesity to study the effects of interaction of biological sex and obesity during influenza A virus pathogenesis
Saurav Pantha, Hanna Rhoads and Erin Mayhue
Applied/Clinical Science – Poster Presentation
- First place — Elayna Anderson, second-year veterinary student – Can Florfenicol be a Substitute for Chloramphenicol in Resistant Canine UTIs?
- Second Place — Mina Abbasi, research assistant – Liver abscesses in feedlot cattle: Is Fusobacterium necrophorum subsp. necrophorum concentrations in ruminal and colonic epithelial tissues related to occurrence of liver abscesses?
- Third Place — Gabrielle Maroulis, second-year veterinary student – Observational Assessment of Water Use in a Large Animal Teaching Hospital
Gabrielle Maroulis, Mina Abbasi, and Elayna Anderson
Endowed Scholarships and Awards
Benjamin and Catherine Kurz Research Scholarship
Jimena Kilian, first-year veterinary student, with Dr. Kate KuKanich
Miller Pathology Scholarship Award
Brianna Trent-Kielbasa (not pictured)
A.S.R. Ganta Graduate Award
Chandler Hansen, doctoral student, with Dr. M.M. Chengappa
Dr. Harish C. and Ved K. Minocha Scholarship
Dr. Harish and Ved Minocha, and graduate students Huldah Sang and Rakshith Kumar
Zoetis Research Award for Excellence in Research by a Faculty Member
Dr. Jishu Shi, professor in anatomy and physiology, accepts the Zoetis Research Award for Excellence in Research by a Faculty, presented by Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Prorgrams, Dr. Hans Coetzee
Keynote Speaker, Dr. Scott Dee
Dr. Scott Dee, DVM, MS, PhD, DACVM, gave the keynote address on "Next Generation
Biosecurity: The Future of Animal Agriculture.”
New members/initiates to Phi Zeta
Student Initiates
Class of 2024 (rank scholastically in top 25% of the class)
- Xiangyu Lin
- Allison Skubal
- Nicole Robben
- MaRyka Smith
- Melissa Dorner
- Angela Thompson-Butler
- Dawson Black
- Laura Walsh
- Palak Shah
- Shyanne Hogsett
- Katherine Stenger
- Hanah Huber
- Lilli Heinen
- Grace Wilson
- Valerie Haskett
- Emma Hawkins
- Jingwen Peng
- Taylor Lile
- Grace Calo
- Hanna Westermier
2024 Initiates: Front row: Hannah Huber, Melissa Dorner and Angela Thompson-Butler. Back row: Dr. Nicolette Cassel, Phi Zeta Secretary/Treasurer; Palak Shah, Valerie Heskett, Taylor Lile, Dr. Raghavendra Amachawadi, Phi Zeta President; and Bailey Fritz, Phi Zeta Vice President. (not pictured: Xiangyu Lin, Allison Skubal, Nicole Robben, MaRyka Smith, Dawson Black, Laura Walsh, Shyanne Hogsett, Katherine Stenger, Lilli Heinen, Grace Wilson, Emma Hawkins, Jingwen Peng, Grace Calo, Hanna Westermier and Anne Brien.)
Class of 2025 (rank scholastically in top 10% of the class)
- Heidi Anderson
- Lauryn Clifton
- Julia Dickerson
- Carlie Dill
- Deanna Gennett
- Kelsey Kroutch
- Ashely Meisel
- Yi Wen
- Abigail White
- Madison Burkhart
- Emma McClure
- Eden Johannes
2025 Initiates: Front row: Dr. Cassel; Yi Wen, Julia Dickerson, Madison Burkhart, Emma McClure and Eden Johannes. Back row: Kelsey Kroutch, Deanna Gennett, Lauryn Clifton, Heidi Anderson, Carlie Dill, Ashely Meisel, Dr. Amachawadi and Bailey Fritz. (not pictured: Abigail White)
House Officer Initiates
- Jocelyn Stedman
- John Whittaker
- Morgan Johnson
- Mariajesus Soula
- Jose Estrada
- Shakirat Adetunji
- Kathryn Ryan
- Michell Gonzalez
- Flavia Vaduva
- Victoria Granacka
- Danielle Cucuzella
- Hannah Neill
- Rachael Cunningham
- Sarah Scott
- Darby Toth
- Lauren Ryon
- Caylie Voudren
- Ashley Bowyer
- Trey Neyland
Initiate: Dr. Cassel, Shakirat Adetunji, Dr. Amachwadi and Bailey Fritz.
Initiates: Dr. Cassel, Dr. Kathryn Ryan, Dr. Danielle Cucuzella, Dr. Hannah Neill, Dr. Caylie Voudren, Dr. Ashley Bowyer, Dr. Trey Neyland, Dr. Amachawadi and Bailey Fritz.
Not pictured: Drs, Jocelyn Stedman, John Whittaker, Morgan Johnson, Mariajesus Soula, Jose Estrada, Michell Gonzalez, Flavia Vaduva, Victoria Granacks, Danielle Cucuzella, Rachael Cunningham, Sarah Scott, Darby Toth and Lauren Ryon.
Graduate Students and Post-Doctoral Fellows
- Deepak Kumar
- Mina Abbasi
- Konner Cool
- Chester McDowell
- Kamilyah Miller
- Cameron Sutherland
- Rakshith Kumar
- Alex Zabiegala
- Vanessa Veloso
- Harith Salih
Initiates Front row: Dr. Cassel, Vanessa Veloso, Bailey Fritz and Cameron Sutherland. Back row: Harith Salih, Rakshith Kumar, Alex Zabiegala, Konner Cool, Chester McDowell, Kamilyah Miller and Dr. Amachawadi.
Initiates: Dr. Cassel, Mina Abbasi, Deepak Kumar, Dr. Amachawdi and Bailey Fritz.
Faculty Initiates
- Adam Basset
- Cody Dressler
- Dylan Lutter
- Anamarie Weber
- Matt Tanner
- Jeba Jesudoss Chelladurai
- Roman Pogranichniy
- Stephanie Martinez
Initiates: Dr. Cassel, Dr. Stephanie Martinez, Dr. Roman Pogranichniy, Dr. Adam Basset, Dr. Anamarie Weber, Dr. Amachawadi and Bailey Fritz. (Not pictured: Drs. Cody Dressler, Dylan Lutter, Matt Tanner and Jeba Jesudoss Chelladurai.)
Research Technician Initiate
Taghreed Mahmood
Initiate: Dr. Cassel, Taghreed Mahmood, Dr. Amachawadi and Bailey Fritz.
Senior Research Scientist initiate
Velmurugan Balaraman
Initate: Dr. Cassel, Velmurugan Balaraman, Dr. Amachawadi and Bailey Fritz