UPROAR - Spring 2023

Spring 2023

20 NEW DAY 30 PLAYER 36 RESIDENCE IT’S A

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ARTIST-IN-

Spring 2023

ON THE COVER Wild Card is a mixed-media painting by Shelby Prindaville, the first artist-in-residence at a U.S. veterinary school (see the story on page 36).

in this issue

features

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Dean’s Message Oliver Garden

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News Briefs 6 Stephenson Pet Clinic opens 8 Good Samaritan Fund helps us treat ownerless animals 9 Petco Love funds Community Outreach Mobile Unit and more

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Class Notes 44 News of LSU Vet Med alumni Photos of alumni and friends gathered at events 47 In Memoriam: Dr. Robert “Bob” Simmons, Class of 1977

It’s a New Day

With a new Dean, pet clinic, curriculum, clinical services, record enrollment, and unprecedented investment, LSU Vet Med launches a bold growth initiative to help relieve a veterinarian shortage and advance veterinary and biomedical research toward a healthier world for all.

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The Player

A beloved, quirky racehorse named “The Player” makes a comeback from injury to a new life with expert care at the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine.

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Artist-InResidence

The first ever artist-in-residence program at a U.S. vet school launches at LSU.

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First-year students Blaire Holliday of Chicago and Bianca Ryans of Los Angeles enjoy a picnic lunch on the new Stephenson Pet Clinic Terrace on a sunny January day.

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administration Oliver Garden Dean Heidi Banse Associate Dean for Educational Strategy Bonnie Boudreaux Senior Associate Dean for Student Success Tammy Dugas Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Education Henry Green Associate Dean for Inclusive Excellence Britta Leise Associate Dean for Staff and Faculty Advancement Thomas Rooney Assistant Dean for Strategic Communications Ernest Tanoos Assistant Dean for Finance and Administrative Services

magazine Sandra Sarr Editor Ginger Guttner, Grace Kelly Contributing Editors STUN Design & Interactive Graphic Design Eddy Perez, Katherine Seghers, Thomas Rooney, Chris Jones, Sandra Sarr Photography

Mission Improving and protecting the lives of animals and people through superior education, transformational research, and compassionate care.

Vision Bettering lives through education, public service, and discovery.

Values Innovation. Compassion. Integrity.

School of Veterinary Medicine Skip Bertman Drive Baton Rouge, LA 70803 Veterinary Teaching Hospital Pets and small exotics: 225-578-9600 Horses and farm animals: 225-578-9500 Dean’s Office: 225-578-9900 Fax: 225-578-9916 vetmed@lsu.edu

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In our teaching hospital, clients are greeted by veterinary students who get a thorough history of pets. The pets are then taken into the hospital and evaluated by our veterinary team.

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We Teach.

We Heal.

We Discover.

We Protect.

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LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY

A Message from the Dean

We’re on a mission

OLIVER GARDEN BVetMed, PhD, FHEA, FCPP, FRCVS, DACVIM, DECVIM-CA

H

ailing from England, by way of Penn Vet, I could not have anticipated the pure joie de vivre life in Louisiana would bring.

I am inspired every day by Louisiana’s rich cultures, food, music, dance, and friendly people—lagniappe enriching my purpose as Dean of this amazing school. I recognized opportunities to build on the school’s successes and see it soar the moment I first explored LSU Vet Med and quickly concluded, “If they offer OUR MISSION OF me the job, I’m taking it!”

IMPROVING AND Since that summer of 2021, we have wasted no time embarking PROTECTING THE on a strategic path of growth LIVES OF ANIMALS in service to the veterinary and AND PEOPLE biomedical professions. Amid the THROUGH SUPERIOR significant change of institutional evolution, our mission of EDUCATION, improving and protecting the TRANSFORMATIONAL lives of animals and people through superior education, RESEARCH, AND transformational research, and compassionate care remains our COMPASSIONATE North Star. Growth can be painful, CARE REMAINS OUR and change can be messy. We NORTH STAR. remain grounded in our collective purpose as we press forward.

In this premiere issue of UPROAR magazine, you will find stories that bring to life the teaching, healing, discovering, and protecting missions of LSU Vet Med, whose impact ripples out from the heart of Louisiana across the globe. The feature story entitled, “It’s a New Day” on page 20, illustrates the vigorous growth initiative underway and why it matters to us all.

A few highlights: We have taken an important first step in achieving our aims by increasing our class size. Doing so will result in us graduating more veterinarians to help reduce the shortage felt at state, national, and international levels. Expanding our entering class size also allows us to reinvest in our people, programs, and facilities so that we can rise to the very best in our profession.

This vision excites me beyond compare.

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We are undergoing our first curricular redesign in 27 years, and we intend to implement the new curriculum very soon.

Teaching, learning, and healing are enhanced with expanded clinical teams, new services such as Neurology & Neurosurgery, Dentistry & Maxillofacial Surgery, and Osteopathy, and additional well-equipped space to treat patients in the new Stephenson Pet Clinic.

Extending our reach and ability to do good in our region is also important to us. The new Petco Love Community Outreach Mobile Unit and forthcoming veterinarian to head our outreach efforts are highlighted on page 9.

LSU Vet Med has always been about bettering lives. As a veterinary school, we are proud to be in receipt of two National Institutes of Health Center of Biomedical Research Excellence grants, furthering our commitment to fighting cancer and lung disease. The two $11 million grants have respectively established our Center for Pre-Clinical Cancer Research and Center for Lung Biology & Disease. We also protect animals, including those that support Louisiana’s $3.2 billion agricultural economy and $2.5 billion equine industry. Furthermore, we provide critical diagnostic testing to protect Louisiana – animals and people alike – from deadly infectious diseases with pandemic potential. We could not achieve any of this life-enhancing work without the support of our entire community.

LSU Vet Med is poised to soar. Let us all continue to bring our very best to this noble, uproar-worthy enterprise that betters the lives of the animals, people, and the environment we serve. I cannot think of a more worthy investment.

With my warmest wishes,

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News Briefs

LSU Vet Med Stephenson Pet Clinic opens

Clients and patients in the new Stephenson Pet Clinic enjoy spacious and comfortable areas as they wait to be seen by clinicians.

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ON MONDAY, JUNE 27, the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine’s new Stephenson Pet Clinic (SPC) started receiving patients. The clinic is located adjacent to the LSU Vet Med Building on Skip Bertman Drive in Baton Rouge and now serves as the LSU Vet Med Veterinary Teaching Hospital entrance for our small animal patients. This 40,000-square-foot facility is the new home of our companion animal wellness efforts and many of our clinical services, including Community Practice (primary care), Dermatology, Integrative Medicine, and Ophthalmology.

In addition to animal treatment space, the SPC also has space for a Clinical Skills Lab to help LSU Vet Med students learn and practice the skills necessary to make them practice-ready veterinarians. The new building is transformational for LSU Vet Med programs.

“Physical space can shape the ways in which we interact and the ways we accomplish that which is ours to do: to teach, to heal, to discover, to protect,” said Dean Oliver A. Garden at the SPC ribbon-cutting.

“Our new pet clinic is a place where there is a harmonious balance between form and function, where people, pets, and purpose are prioritized in the very bones of this building. The generosity of Emmet and Toni Stephenson, and all the other donors who made this dream possible, will be memorialized

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in the rich legacy this wonderful facility will leave for generations to come.”

Emmet and Toni Stephenson, for whom the new building is named, have been generous supporters of LSU for many years. In 2007, they pledged $25 million to LSU. That pledge created the Stephenson Disaster Management Institute at the E.J. Ourso College of Business, aided the college’s Department of Entrepreneurship and Information Systems, and provided support for LSU Vet Med.

The Stephenson Pet Clinic at night, illuminated, a beacon.

The facility was constructed with a combination of state funds and $4 million in private funds from more than 300 individual donors, with the primary donors being Emmet and Toni Stephenson. The current Veterinary Medicine Building was completed in 1978. Since then, LSU Vet Med has greatly increased the number of people, labs, and services, and this new clinic allows us to grow and improve services to our patients.

Emmet Stephenson stated at the ribbon cutting, “Today is the culmination of 10 years of planning and effort in the making. Toni and I greatly appreciate the excellent care that LSU Vet Med provides to sick and injured animals, and we respect the groundbreaking medical research performed by the faculty and doctoral candidates.”

Learn more about the LSU Vet Med Veterinary Teaching Hospital for our small animal patients lsu.edu/vetmed/veterinary_hospital

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New Gully Fund provides support where most needed

The Gullys share a meal and plans with school leaders.

DR. ROY AND RHONDA Gully have made a

$275,000 gift to establish the Dr. Roy and Rhonda Gully Dean’s Excellence Fund at LSU School of Veterinary Medicine.

The fund provides for general support to LSU Vet Med as directed by Dean Oliver Garden in accordance with the school’s areas of need.

Dr. Gully is active in constructing veterinary hospitals, establishing veterinary practices, and facilitating associates’ transition to practice owners.

Dr. Gully, of Arlington, Texas, opened Gully Animal Hospital in 1981, after graduating from LSU School of Veterinary Medicine in 1978, the second class to graduate from LSU Vet Med. He grew up in Eastern Mississippi on his family farm with their dogs, horses, pigs, and cattle and attended Mississippi State University where he completed his pre-veterinary requirements.

Rhonda Gully, RNC-MNN, became a registered nurse because of her desire to serve. She devoted her professional career to obstetrics and motherbaby care at Arlington Memorial Hospital and produced published papers and presentations on such topics as easing infants’ pain.

“The opportunity to contribute to expanding and enhancing the student experience is exciting.

Rhonda and I are enthusiastic and grateful for the opportunity,” Dr. Gully said.

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News Briefs

Good Samaritan Kati Dooley meets LSU Veterinary Technician Jacqueline Perez Menjivar and reunites with dog, Malia.

LSU Vet Med treats dog that Good Samaritan saved from highway WHEN GOOD SAMARITAN KATI Dooley answered a message from a writer at LSU School of Veterinary Medicine asking about the dog she found in a ditch and brought to the school’s ER service in July 2022, her first words were, “She lived? That makes me so happy. I think I’m going to cry.”

Like most, Kati never planned to be a Good Samaritan. The day she encountered the dog, Kati had just been discharged from the hospital days after undergoing emergency surgery. Her mother was driving her home to St. Francisville, La., when they spotted a black dog in a ditch along Highway 61, near a trailer park.

“It was a rough area. I told my mother to turn back. As we got closer, I saw the dog dragging itself, unable to walk, slumped over. I told her, ‘I’ve got to get the dog,’” said Kati, 30, a registered nurse at Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital and a previous animal shelter volunteer.

Kati tried to lure the dog by tossing pieces of shrimp her mother had brought her for the drive home. As the emaciated

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dog tried to drag itself closer, Kati put down a bowl of red beans and rice, and when the dog began to eat, she grabbed a towel from her car.

“She looked at me and wanted to run, but she gave up. I put the towel over her, picked her up, and put her in the back seat. She didn’t try to move. I called the LSU Vet School. I’m so glad I had somewhere reliable to bring her. She needed help immediately. I didn’t think twice about where to take her,” she said.

At LSU School of Veterinary Medicine, they were met at the entrance by a clinician with a gurney. He told Kati they’d do everything they could to save the dog’s life.

“I cried, feeling like she was going to be put down.

She was in such bad shape.

I told myself, at least I got her out of her misery. At least she wouldn’t die alone. All the way to LSU, I concentrated on showing her love and attention to comfort her,” she said.

The dog was stabilized in the LSU Vet Med Small Animal Hospital’s ER and ICU service. She was diagnosed with a chronic fractured leg that healed improperly over a long period of time.

She was emaciated, flea infested, anemic, dehydrated, heartworm positive, and her face was covered with scars from being bitten.

“She wasn’t aggressive at all, even with all that had been done to her,” Kati said.

Enter Jacqueline Perez Menjivar, the dog’s second Good Samaritan. Jacqueline is a veterinary nurse in LSU Vet Med’s Community Practice and has also worked in the ER & ICU service. When Jacqueline walked up to the dog’s kennel in ICU the dog was so weak that she couldn’t stand.

“She looked at me and put her head in my hand. In that moment, I made a promise to her. I told her, ‘I’ll take care of you,’” Jacqueline said.

Once stabilized, the dog was transferred to Companion Animal Alliance, the East Baton Rouge Parish openintake shelter. CAA has been operating at critical capacity for well over a year, with all of its kennels full and animals in crates often lining the hallways.

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“I called CAA to check on her. Based on how sick she was and the lack of resources to help her, she was scheduled to be euthanized. I picked her up from CAA that day. I named her Malia and signed up to be her medical foster. She came home with me on July 11, 2022,” Jacqueline said.

In August 2022, Malia’s right hind leg was amputated at CAA, where she received additional care.

“She is the cutest little tripod ever. It took her a bit of time to regain her strength, but she gets around very well now. She even has the zoomies from time to time,” Jacqueline said.

Malia, 5, is a Labrador retriever mix who weighs 36 lbs. She has completed heartworm treatment, is up to date on vaccines and preventatives. She loves other dogs and is good with cats and people.

“She is healthy and a happy, well-adjusted pup,” Jacqueline said.

Now, Jacqueline is looking for a third angel for Malia, someone to give her a permanent home. Malia was still available for adoption through CAA as of press time.

To apply to adopt Malia, start by filling out the adoption survey and include her name and impound number 123622.

“Her name is Malia! I didn’t think she’d make it. I am so happy,” Kati said.

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Petco Love funds Community Outreach Mobile Unit and outreach veterinarian A CROWN JEWEL IN our Community Outreach Program

is LSU Vet Med’s Community Outreach Mobile Unit. Petco Love generously provided $275,000 for the mobile unit that will be used to serve the community providing veterinary services, disaster relief, animal shelter service, and student learning opportunities.

The vehicle, a 2022 Ford E450, built by La Boit Specialty Vehicles, is 26 feet in length and is equipped with an exam table, two surgery spaces, and adjustable kennels, among other features. As members of our leadership team toured the vehicle upon its arrival, Dean Oliver Garden noted, “This mobile clinic will greatly amplify our ability to do good in the region. We are literally on a roll!”

The Mobile Community Outreach Unit made its first outing last fall and provided vaccinations, flea and heartworm prevention, and general wellness examinations for resident dogs at Angola Prison.

The mobile unit will be staffed by a full-time community outreach veterinarian funded by Petco Love. The outreach veterinarian will provide preventative care, vaccination, spay/neuter, and disaster response. Responsibilities include supporting the community through work two days per week at the local shelter, Companion Animal Alliance, helping supervise students on the shelter medicine rotation and

Petco Love Community Outreach Mobile Unit arrives, amplifying our ability to do good in the region.

surgical procedures, educating students and clients on preventative care for pets, and other activities contributing to a healthy community.

Mobile Community Outreach events will include spay/ neuter events, vaccination and microchipping events, One Health community events that serve people and pets, and school educational events.

The unit and veterinarian will be utilized during disasters, establishing triage centers in collaboration with Louisiana State Animal Response Team and Companion Animal Alliance.

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Bringing the world in to see LSU Vet Med’s contributions close up

Sen. Bill Cassidy is joined by student Aspen Settle, Dr. Mark Mitchell, and student Katherine Dodick with Sheldon, the great horned owl.

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THE AMBITIOUS PLAN OF LSU Vet Med to grow the profile of the school and shine a spotlight on the impact of LSU Vet Med on the economy of Louisiana has ushered in a new campaign to “bring the world in” to the Baton Rouge campus.

Under the guidance of Senior Director of Outreach and Strategic Initiatives Bunnie Cannon, the school has hosted over 1,200 visitors in the past year, including legislative delegations, civic groups, business leaders, alumni, and higher education administrators from across the state.

“LSU Vet Med has always been considered a bit of a hidden gem, both on the LSU main campus and within Louisiana. Our goal is to bring decision makers throughout Louisiana to our LSU Vet Med campus to see for themselves the incredible work being done here,” said Cannon, who assumed her role at the school at the beginning of 2022.

The visits are tailored to each visiting group’s area of interest. Presentations and tours focus on particular areas in which LSU Vet Med effects positive change for Louisiana.

Guests are given time for questions and answers with Dean Oliver Garden and the administrative team, and each visit includes a walking tour of the campus to engage with faculty, staff, and students. Recent visitors have included Sen. Bill Cassidy, Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser, Commissioner of Agriculture

and Forestry Mike Strain, and the LSU Board of Supervisors.

“When people arrive here, when they walk the halls and see firsthand the incredible work being done by our LSU Vet Med team, it makes it much easier for them to see the impact we have on healthcare and on the economy statewide. They often leave asking how they can participate and help,” Cannon said.

For information on group visits to LSU Vet Med, contact Bunnie Cannon at bcannon@lsu.edu.

LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY

Diagnostic lab is often first line of defense in animal, human disease threats

The Louisiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory specializes in detection of deadly pathogens and disease surveillance.

AS A DIAGNOSTIC TESTING service provider

located directly on the campus of LSU Vet Med, the Louisiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (LADDL) has played a crucial role in protecting Louisiana from animal and human disease outbreaks.

The acceleration of deadly pathogens such as COVID-19, unexpected outbreaks of animal disease affecting Louisiana wildlife, and the need for expanded services such as forensic pathology have broadened LADDL’s portfolio of protection.

In animal health, detecting outbreaks of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in statewide deer populations

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has protected the safety of hunters in Louisiana. LADDL collaborates with Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to identify possible cases of CWD. The first confirmed case of CWD in Louisiana for the 2022-23 hunting season was detected

by LADDL in January 2022.

When COVID-19 outbreaks applied pressure upon state health organizations to provide quick and accurate testing to identify and control the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, LADDL established a CLIA laboratory with a certificate of compliance for testing human specimens.

This enabled LADDL to test LSU students, staff, and faculty for COVID-19. More recently, the team of scientists at LADDL developed reliable testing for the Monkeypox virus as infections began to rise across the country.

Dr. Udeni Balasuriya, Director of LADDL since 2018, has overseen the evolution of the laboratory as a service provider that reacts swiftly to the changing needs of animal and human healthcare.

“LADDL has always partnered with veterinarians, commodity groups, and health organizations in Louisiana and across the country to test clinical specimens during animal disease outbreaks,

but the rapid spread of pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2 in human populations has required us to think innovatively and react quickly,” said Dr. Balasuriya. “We have so much experience with many infectious diseases in the animal.

It was natural for us to apply that expertise to combat human disease outbreaks.”

Another area of expansion for LADDL is the recent hiring of Dr. Nanny Wenzlow as the organization’s first forensic veterinary pathologist. Crimes committed against animals are often a reliable predictor of future violent crimes against humans, and the field of forensic veterinary pathology is proving to be a helpful tool for prosecutors to bring charges against violent offenders. Dr. Wenzlow specializes in the forensic examination of animals, suspected victims of cruelty and other foul play.

“We are excited to expand into areas such as forensic pathology as LADDL continues to evolve.

Our protection mission for Louisiana requires us to stay ahead of threats to animal and human health,” said Dr. Balasuriya.

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LSU Vet Med receives national honor for outstanding commitment to diversity, inclusion LSU SCHOOL OF VETERINARY Medicine received a

Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award, its third national honor, recognizing its outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion. The award was given by INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education.

LSU Vet Med, one of only six veterinary schools in the U.S. to receive the award in 2022, was featured, along with other recipients, in the December 2022 issue of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine.

INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine selected LSU Vet Med for several reasons, including: • Development of minority affinity groups within LSU Vet Med, including the Student Association of Black Veterinarians, VOICE, the Latin X Veterinary Medical Association, the International Veterinary Student’s Association, and the Women’s Veterinary Leadership Development Initiative; • Established minority scholarships for recruitment; • Added diversity and inclusion education in the DVM curriculum.

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Our Student Association of Black Veterinarians strengthens and empowers the Black community; fosters diversity and inclusion.

“The HEED Award process consists of a comprehensive and rigorous application that includes questions relating to the recruitment and retention of students and employees— and best practices for both—continued leadership support for diversity, and other aspects of campus diversity and inclusion,” said Lenore Pearlstein, publisher of the magazine. “We take a detailed approach to reviewing each application in deciding who will be named a HEED Award recipient. Our standards are high, and we look for institutions where diversity and inclusion are woven into the work being done every day across their campus.”

“We are truly delighted to accept this award, which recognizes our efforts to celebrate diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. We strive to treat everyone—our students, faculty, staff, and clients—with the utmost respect every day. We are better veterinarians and scientists when we unite and share our unique perspectives,” Dean Garden said.

LSU Vet Med’s diversity efforts are led by Henry Green III, DVM (LSU 1999), DACVIM, associate dean of inclusive excellence and associate professor of veterinary cardiology, and Donnie Watkins, program manager for Inclusive Excellence.

Learn more www.lsu.edu/vetmed/diversity

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Associate dean elected National Academy of Inventors fellow LSU SCHOOL OF VETERINARY Medicine Comparative

Biomedical Sciences Professor and Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Education Tammy Dugas was one of two LSU faculty members elected as fellows to the National Academy of Inventors, or NAI, in 2022. They are among 169 newly elected fellows.

“It’s been said that as long as scientists are free to pursue the truth wherever it may lead, there will be a flow of new scientific knowledge to those who can apply it to practical problems.

At LSU, we have the privilege of seeing that new scientific knowledge revealed through cutting-edge discoveries have the power to improve our lives or even save them. It’s an honor to work with these innovators and pioneers,” said Andrew Maas, associate vice president for research, Office of Innovation & Ecosystem Development.

Dr. Dugas’ groundbreaking work resulted in several new innovative technologies and patents related to drug-eluting stents and drug-coated balloons. The devices use a combination of the natural compounds resveratrol and quercetin to help prevent arteries from re-narrowing after medical procedures, such as angioplasty. Dr. Dugas has two U.S.-issued patents and one foreign patent related to those devices. She also has two pending U.S. patent applications and six pending foreign applications. She is co-founder of Baton Rougebased ReQuisite Biomedical, an early-stage device company that develops novel coatings for drugcoated balloons and drugeluting stents.

“In many academic settings, research commercialization is met with barriers that make these endeavors tremendously difficult. LSU has been a wonderful place for my laboratory to thrive, and I am grateful for the support we have received

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from the LSU administration.

I am thankful for this award and for my nomination by our Office of Innovation & Technology Commercialization because it celebrates not only my laboratory’s research endeavors over the last two decades but also the value

Dr. Tammy Dugas’ groundbreaking work has led to several innovative technologies and patents.

that LSU places on research commercialization as a scholarly contribution,” Dr. Dugas said.

Election as an NAI Fellow is the highest professional distinction accorded solely to academic inventors.

To date, fellows hold more than 58,000 issued U.S. patents, which have generated over 13,000 licensed technologies and companies, and created more than one million jobs.

In addition, over $3 trillion in revenue has been generated based on NAI Fellow discoveries.

The NAI Fellows will be inducted at the 12th annual Meeting of the National Academy of Inventors in Washington, D.C., June 25-27, 2023.

Dr. Dugas is among 11 LSU faculty who have been elected NAI fellows; She joins two other LSU Vet Med faculty. They include Madan Bhasin (2021), LSU Vet Med Pathobiological Sciences Department Head Konstantin Kousoulas (2021) and Ralph Portier (2021), Robert Hammer (2019), Roger Laine (2018), LSU Vet Med Veterinary Clinical Sciences Professor Mandi Lopez (2016), Isiah Warner (2016), Kalliat T. Valsaraj (2015), and Wen Jin Meng (2014).

Five LSU faculty members (one with LSU Vet Med) have been named NAI senior members. They are Mark Batzer (2020), LSU Vet Med Pathobiological Sciences Professor Shafiqui Chowdhury (2018), Khonsari (2018), Dandina Rao (2018), and George Voyiadjis (2021).

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American Association of Immunologists awards fellowship to LSU Vet Med researcher focusing on respiratory immune response

Fourth-year PhD student Michael McGee looks at T-cell signaling’s potential to regulate immune response.

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MICHAEL MCGEE, A FOURTH-YEAR PhD student at LSU School of Veterinary Medicine, has received an American Association of Immunologists (AAI) Fellowship designed to encourage career development of young scientists. AAI typically awards 25 Careers in Immunology Fellowships to scientists worldwide each year.

McGee’s project focuses on T cells in the lungs following flu infection. These T cells develop a 'memory' which can recognize the flu virus and can rapidly respond to reinfections and help clear the viruses. If the T cells respond too aggressively, they can lead to long-lasting damage to the lungs.

“My work aims to further understand how this doubleedged sword of protection vs. damage is properly balanced.

We’re looking at the role of T-cell signaling, how it could potentially regulate immune response,” McGee said.

Influenza infection is a leading cause of respiratory disease and death worldwide, causing 3-5 million cases of severe illness and more than 250,000 deaths during an average flu season.

Strong immunity is important to rid the body of a virus, but it can lead to tissue damage if not properly controlled.

Inflammation can continue after the infection is gone.

The production of the immunoregulatory cells is critical in limiting tissue damage during flu infection. Specific markers can help identify these cells for therapeutic use.

McGee conducts his project research in the laboratory of Weishan Huang, PhD, assistant professor of immunology at the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Huang serves as McGee’s mentor on the project.

Her research focuses on how influenza infection can be blocked and how viral infectioninduced immunopathology can be prevented and treated. She has been awarded a $1.878 million grant to research the immune response to influenza infection that affects the respiratory system.

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Dr. Konstantin “Gus” Kousoulas and Dr. Tammy Dugas

Two faculty members awarded LSU Vet Med endowed professorships THE RECIPIENTS OF TWO endowed professorships,

specifically the Everett D. Besch Professorship in Veterinary Medicine, established in 2002, and the Hannelore and Johannes Storz Professorship in Pathobiological Sciences, established in 2015, have been announced.

Tammy Dugas, PhD, has been awarded the Everett D. Besch Professorship in Veterinary Medicine, which was established in honor of the school’s founding dean.

Dr. Dugas is associate dean for Research and Graduate Education and a professor in the Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences. She received her PhD from Louisiana State University in 1996. She went on to complete postdoctoral fellowships at the Drexel University College of Medicine and the University of Texas Medical Branch. After 13 years as a faculty member at the LSU Health Sciences Center in Shreveport, she joined the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine in 2014 to continue her research and education programs.

Dr. Dugas’ research broadly focuses on cardiovascular pharmacology and toxicology. Her toxicological research is aimed at understanding the role of environmental exposures like that of air pollution in promoting vascular diseases, including atherosclerosis (“heart disease”) and pulmonary hypertension. Her pharmacological research is directed at the development of drug-eluting medical devices such as drugcoated balloons and drug-eluting stents for the treatment of artery blockages. Dr. Dugas’ research has culminated in two approved patents and several other patent filings related to these technologies.

Konstantin “Gus” Kousoulas, PhD, has been awarded the Hannelore and Johannes Storz Professorship in Pathobiological Sciences. He is the first recipient of the Storz Professorship.

Johannes Storz was head of the LSU Vet Med Department of Veterinary Microbiology & Parasitology (now Pathobiological Sciences) from 1982 to 2000. Dr. Kousoulas’ research team is working on vaccines to combat herpes infections, COVID-19, and other viral and parasitic infections. He holds 18 patents that span innovations in gene delivery, vaccines for herpes viruses of humans and animals, other viruses and bacteria and immunotherapies for the treatment of cancer. His primary research interests are focused on the molecular biology and pathogenesis of herpes simplex viruses (HSV), bovine herpesvirus-1 (BHV-1) and human and bovine coronaviruses.

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Dr. Kousoulas is director of the Division of Biotechnology and Molecular Medicine (BIOMMED), and department head and professor in the Department of Pathobiological Sciences.

He received his PhD from Pennsylvania State University in 1981 in molecular and cell biology. He joined the LSU Vet Med faculty in 1988. Dr. Kousoulas is the Principal Investigator of the Louisiana Biomedical Research Network (LBRN) supported by the NIH:NIGMS Idea Network for Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) Program and the Louisiana Board of Regents, and a coinvestigator and director of the Molecular and Cell

Biology Core of the Center for Pre-clinical Cancer Research (CPCCR), and director of the Molecular and Cellular Biology Core of the Center for Lung Biology and Disease (CLBD), both supported by NIH:NIGMS Centers for Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) Programs. He is a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, the highest professional distinction accorded solely to academic inventors.

An endowed professorship provides the resources to reward a renowned professor for academic achievement and enables the professor to pursue research or innovative teaching methods. Endowed professorships are critical to enhance research at the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine. Each professorship is awarded for five years, and recipients are selected based on a distinguished and sustained record in the areas of teaching, research, and public and professional service. The award is used to support academic activities of the professorship position, including instruction and research, equipment, materials, faculty improvement, and travel.

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News Briefs

Neurology and neurosurgery service now available

COLLEEN EMBERSICS, DVM, DACVIM,

joined the faculty at LSU Vet Med in October 2022 as assistant professor of neurology and neuroscience. Her clinical interests include brain and spinal surgery, electrodiagnostics, neurooncology, seizure disorders, head and spinal trauma, neuromuscular disease, and integrative medicine.

Appointments are accepted by referral.

“We were delighted to launch our Neurology & Neurosurgery Service in January with the addition of Dr. Embersics,” Dean Oliver Garden said.

Dr. Embersics is also a researcher and teacher.

Her research interests include neurogenetics, surgical and therapeutic applications of ultrasound and electromagnetic fields, 3D printing and custom surgical implants, therapeutic potential of natural neurotoxins, effects of gastrointestinal microbiota on the central nervous system, and classification and management of canine epilepsy. Her teaching interests are neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, clinical neurology and neurosurgery, electrophysiology, medical ethics, and the history of neurology.

Dr. Embersics is originally from Texas, where she attended the Texas Academy of Leadership and Stephen F. Austin State University. Following graduation from the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine, She completed a one-year rotating small animal medicine and surgery internship with an interest in neurology and neurosurgery at the Purdue University Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital. Following her internship, Dr. Embersics completed a residency in neurology and neurosurgery at the University of California, Davis.

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LSU Vet Med first vet school in U.S. to offer animal osteopathy to its veterinary care offerings

ANAÏS MUSSO, ANIMAL OSTEOPATH, has joined

LSU School of Veterinary Medicine and will make available animal osteopathy treatments to patients through LSU Vet Med’s Integrative Medicine and Equine services.

LSU is the first school of veterinary medicine in the United States to include a non-veterinarian animal osteopath on its team.

Animal osteopathy is a manual therapy that aims to remove bodily tension and restrictions and encourage healing in the animal’s musculoskeletal system. It is often administered for pain relief, improved movement, enhanced performance, and injury prevention.

The osteopathy services Musso provides involve:

• Structural: mechanical joint adjustment for enhanced movement • Myofascial: soft tissue techniques, vibratory stimulation, massage, tendon recoil • Craniosacral: light touch to examine membranes and movement of spinal fluids in and around the central nervous system to

LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY

New librarian brings passion for teaching and community engagement

LSU VET MED LIBRARY DIRECTOR Karlee

Anaïs Musso instructs students in osteopathy, an effective treatment for pain relief, improved movement, enhanced performance, and injury prevention.

Kielyn Scott, clinical assistant professor of Integrative Medicine and Rehabilitation, assists.

relieve tension in the central nervous system and promote health and immunity • Visceral: mobilization of the internal organs such as the liver, stomach, kidneys, and intestines completes the osteopathic treatment by ensuring that the organs are in their place and function properly Musso treats a variety of species, including equine, bovine, canine, ruminants, birds, and reptiles.

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Musso, who graduated with animal osteopathy and master’s degrees from the European School of Animal Osteopathy in Lisieux, France, is passionate about teaching.

A research focus for Musso is to document how osteopathy helps postsurgery racehorse injuries heal and to measure its efficacy using diagnostic testing of blood and determining muscular quality and density.

Musso was born in Saudi Arabia to a Brazilian mother and a French father whose career in the helicopter industry led to Musso living in France, Sultanate of Oman, and Hong Kong. In China, she was exposed to holistic approaches to healing, including energetics and traditional Chinese medicine, which are used in tandem with traditional Western medicine.

Burleson’s first day on the job was Jan. 9, and she has focused her first few weeks on getting to know students, faculty, and staff and how the Library can serve their needs.

Burleson believes that libraries are the heart of an academic community, and that a contemporary library is a flexible space where there is collaborative space for students and faculty to work in groups.

“Since medieval times, libraries have been the central hub for learning, and that is still the case,” said Burleson, who holds an MLS and an MEd in curriculum and instruction and hails from Lubbock, Texas.

“My MEd emphasized strategies for faculty to be better teachers. Education is my biggest passion,” she said.

At Lubbock Christian University, Burleson was public services librarian and assistant professor from 2015-22.

In her new role at LSU Vet Med, Burleson will provide leadership, vision, and overall management of library services and collections for LSU Vet Med, including planning, budgeting, and staffing of the Library in support of the academic and research needs of Vet Med students and faculty.

“It’s important for students to learn how to evaluate informational sources, to discern fact from fiction. A librarian can teach strategies for how to read critically when researching information,” she said.

She will advance key areas of the Library via: • Information and digital literacy training, data mining, and engagement in research, • Capturing and documenting scholarly output and publication metrics, • Outreach and community engagement with both internal and external stakeholders, and • Archiving and curating historically important printed works and veterinary antiquities.

Burleson also is interested in exploring opportunities for how LSU Libraries campuswide can partner to better serve communities.

“I’m very happy to be at LSU Vet Med. My husband and I love Baton Rouge,” Burleson says.

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News Briefs

LSU Vet Med Distinguished Alumni Awards THE DISTINGUISHED ALUMNUS Award recognizes

alumni of the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine for outstanding professional and personal achievements. Any graduate of the school is eligible for the award. Candidates are recognized for their accomplishments in veterinary medicine or science and/or contributions to the community through public service.

The LSU Vet Med award recipients for 2022 are Michael Graziano, MS, PhD, Mark Mitchell, DVM, PhD, DECZM, and V. Hugh “Chip” Price, DVM.

Dr. Michael Graziano, Dr. Mark Mitchell, and Dr. “Chip” Price

MICHAEL GRAZIANO, MS (LSU 1981), PhD Dr. Graziano graduated from the LSU Vet Med Master of Science program in 1981. While he originally pursued a degree in veterinary medicine, he realized that his passion was for research. He was the first graduate of the LSU Vet Med Comparative Biomedical Sciences (CBS) Department, which was then called Veterinary Physiology, Pharmacology, and Toxicology. After receiving his PhD in toxicology from the University of Kentucky and completing post-doctoral training at the University of California-Berkeley, he began his professional career at Parke-Davis/Warner Lambert Company in 1987. He joined Bristol-Myers Squibb in 2003 and became Vice-President of Drug Safety Evaluation in 2006.

After, a very short retirement, Dr, Graziano is now Associate Vice-President of Preclinical Development at Organon. Dr. Graziano started an Animal Science Graduate Student Scholarship at his alma mater, Rutgers University, and felt compelled to do the same for LSU Vet Med, since he has described the training he received there as laying the foundation for his career.

The Graziano Scholarship will support a student pursuing a Masters degree in CBS. He genuinely believes in giving others opportunities to excel in the research realm and this scholarship will do just that. He also donates his time by serving on the Dean’s Advisory Council and by his willingness to speak at the CBS graduate retreat and at the Phi Zeta Research Emphasis Day. MARK MITCHELL, DVM, PhD (LSU 2001), DECZM Dr. Mitchell has dedicated his veterinary career to mentoring veterinary and graduate students and improving the health and lives of wildlife and exotic animals. Dr. Mitchell is a professor of zoological medicine at LSU Vet Med and director of our Wildlife Hospital. He is as passionate about teaching and research as he is about veterinary medicine. Since 1996, when he first joined the faculty at LSU, he has taught countless veterinary students and graduate students. Many of his trainees have become

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very successful clinician scientists running large wildlife conservation centers, heading up veterinary services at zoos, and running wildlife, epidemiology, and population medicine programs at other academic institutions. Some of his trainees also have become general practice veterinarians and researchers.

Dr. Mitchell is a renowned researcher, educator, and veterinarian. His research contributes significantly to improving the health of reptiles and wildlife with a focus on antibiotic resistance, reproduction, and epidemiology. He is a strong mentor and emphasizes hands-on experiences when teaching, which also includes advising and instructing the veterinary students who give 30-40 presentations each year about wildlife conservation and LSU Vet Med’s role in it.

Dr. Mitchell has also served as hospital director at LSU Vet Med, and in that role helped

increase revenue and improve processes. Dr. Mitchell is an expert and leader in zoological medicine, epidemiology, and education, and, as such, is an exceptional ambassador for LSU Vet Med.

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V. HUGH “CHIP” PRICE, DVM (LSU 1980) Dr. Price is a leader in the veternary medical profession.

He has served as the director of animal resources and attending veterinarian at the LSU Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, La., for the past 38 years, facilitating research and ensuring researcher compliance. In addition to his clinical work, he has served in leadership roles in several veterinary organizations, with his many years of service to the American Veterinary Medical Association most notable. Dr. Price served as the Alternate to the AVMA House of Delegates and as a Delegate, both representing the Louisiana Veterinary Medical Association, playing a key role in the governance of the AVMA and the future of veterinary medicine. He served on the board of the LVMA and was president in 1999. He also served as District Director of the AVMA District VIII Executive Board from 2009-2015, serving as Vice-Chair and then Chair.

Chip was a member of the Board of Directors of the American Veterinary Medical Foundation from 2010-2015, serving for three years as the vice chair. He also served on the board of the American Association of Laboratory Animal Science and was president in 2005. Dr. Price also served in the U.S. Army Reserve for 25 years and retired as a lieutenant colonel.

He has served on both the LSU Health Sciences Center Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee and the

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Biosafety Committee for the past 38 years. He served on the Radiation Safety Committee from 1984-2008. His input and expertise helped ensure regulatory compliance, and a safe work environment for his co-workers and students.

For the past 33 years, Dr. Price has instructed students in the physiology of the heart, circulatory system, GI tract, and the renal system. For the past 23 years, he has taught in the Philosophical and Ethical Issues in Science course, lecturing on the Use of Animals in Biomedical Research. And since 2000, he has taught in the Skills in Investigative Research course, lecturing on Skills in Animal Use in Research. His vast experience and expertise have benefitted nascent scientists in their understanding of and practice of humane animal care and use.

Dr. Price’s research has contributed to the study of cardiovascular disease and has received NIH funding to support his research.

He also serves as the relief veterinarian for Chimp Haven, a retirement community for chimpanzees formerly used in scientific research.

He provides expert care for those retired animals that contributed in a great way to medical advancements for humans.

SUBMIT NEWS SANDRA SARR sarr1@lsu.edu

Sones Wins National Academy of Medicine Catalyst Award JENNY SONES, DVM (LSU 2008), PhD, DACT,

associate professor of theriogenology, is the recipient of a Catalyst Award from the National Academy of Medicine. Sponsored by the National Institute of Aging, the award includes a $50,000 cash prize and travel costs to attend an annual Global Innovator Summit. Dr. Sones is one of only 25 U.S.-based innovators to receive a Catalyst Award per year during 2020-22.

Dr. Sones is principal investigator of a study that investigates the effects of maternal obesity and the transgenerational effect of preeclampsia, a complication of pregnancy that often involves high blood pressure and sometimes organ damage that, if left untreated, can be fatal. “The majority of adults in the U.S. are overweight or obese, often with concurrent cardiovascular disease. The cardiometabolic epidemic likely begins with in utero development, before a baby is even born. Hypertensive pregnancies, as in preeclampsia, greatly increase offspring risk of cardiometabolic diseases later in life,” Dr. Sones said.

The precise mechanism of this phenomenon is unknown, and the long-term effects on offspring are unclear. Sones hypothesizes that the disease factors can be reversed with maternal weight loss before pregnancy.

“Preliminary data supports our approach that weight loss reduces pregnancy hypertension and in utero fetal death.

“The findings of this proposal are necessary to understand the effects of preeclampsia on offspring into adulthood,” said Dr. Sones, whose co-investigator is Dr. Fiona Herzog, a second-year theriogenology resident at LSU Vet Med. Dr. Sones’ study fits the National Academy of Medicine’s desire to support bold, new, and innovative ideas that aim to extend the human healthspan, or the number of years lived in good health, especially approaches that challenge existing paradigms or propose new methodologies or concepts.

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Dr. Alberto Gines instructs students in the new Clinical Skills Lab as Dean Garden observes.

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LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY

F E AT U R E

It’s a

NEW DAY With a new Dean, pet clinic, curriculum, clinical services, record enrollment, and unprecedented investment, LSU Vet Med launches a bold growth initiative to help relieve a veterinarian shortage and advance veterinary and biomedical research toward a healthier world for all.

BY SANDRA SARR

SCHOOL OF VETERINARY MEDICINE

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It’s a New Day

A Savannah Billings performs an examination as Leigh Ann Burton, holds Chloe, a diabetic alert dog, who comes for a checkup every three months.

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powerful hurricane heralded the arrival of Oliver Angus Garden to Louisiana in August 2021, and ever since, it’s as if he has harnessed the forces of nature for change as Dean of LSU School of Veterinary Medicine.

Since taking the helm of LSU Vet Med on the eve of Hurricane Ida roaring onto the Louisiana coast, Dean Garden has focused his considerable energy on maximizing the potential of the school for the betterment of animals, humans,

and the environment. This has required vision, tenacity, discipline, and the willingness to listen to stakeholders while advancing the school’s forward momentum. More than 1,200 visitors, including Louisiana’s governor, legislators, and other

dignitaries, have stepped inside LSU Vet Med to better understand all the school delivers as well as its areas of need, helping to garner $2 million in capital outlay and nearly $1.5 million in additional state appropriations for 2023.

“I hope this signals the beginning of our momentum as we educate future veterinarians and protect humans from zoonotic disease

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Dean Garden greets Sen. Bill Cassidy during his visit to LSU Vet Med.

through our diagnostic laboratory and biomedical research, while ensuring food security, serving the equine industry, and treating wildlife and family pets,” he said.

Under Dean Garden’s leadership, LSU Vet Med has implemented a plan to significantly increase its entering class size and to expand the veterinary services it offers in response

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to the growing need for veterinary care.

“Increasing the number of students we teach and the ways we teach them will help us better meet the needs of our clients and patients while also strengthening our school so that we can best serve Louisiana and beyond,” said Dean Garden.

The overarching plan, I2C / Innovate, Invest, Communicate: a bold roadmap for growth, calls for LSU Vet Med to embark upon a comprehensive and sustained initiative to grow in excellence, reputation, and service to the

veterinary medical profession.

The I2C initiative is built upon the following imperatives: INNOVATE We think beyond conventional paradigms to deliver outstanding world-firsts in teaching, healing, discovery, and protection—to better lives.

INVEST We generate novel funding capacity by augmenting state support, philanthropy, self-generated revenue, and extramural research grants to enable continued investment in our people, programs, and facilities— to drive growth.

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It’s a New Day

Members and allies of the Student Association of Black Veterinarians step out into the East Baton Rouge community to increase the awareness of veterinary medicine and provide hands-on activities for the youth.

COMMUNICATE We message our successes in an energetic, relentless, and multimodal manner to raise our state, regional, national, and international visibility as an academic powerhouse—to elevate reputation.

One of first steps the school is taking toward accomplishing these imperatives is to increase the student cohort size. Doing so in response to the call from the veterinary profession will result in LSU Vet Med graduating more veterinarians to help reduce the shortage while fulfilling its missions to teach, heal, discover, and protect.

“Many veterinary clinics are short-staffed. There is a workforce shortage, especially in rural and large animal practices,” said Associate Dean for Educational Strategy Heidi Banse, who surveyed Louisiana

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veterinarians through the Louisiana Veterinary Medical Association.

The plan encompasses significant changes within multiple areas of LSU Vet Med, including student admissions, curriculum, and veterinary care services delivered in the school’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital and its new Stephenson Pet Clinic.

Growth has already begun.

More students have applied to LSU Vet Med for this fall’s entering class than ever before. LSU Vet Med’s robust admissions process evaluates candidates on both subjective and objective criteria, with an increasing focus on holistic considerations. Like most veterinary schools in the U.S., LSU Vet Med has relinquished as an admission requirement the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), which has been recognized to create a bias against underrepresented minority applicants.

SPACE TO GROW AND LEARN Accepting more students creates a need for more teaching space and more professors to accommodate the greater numbers. Two major teaching spaces will be expanded and renovated.

The 1970s-era auditorium will be updated to meet contemporary instructional needs, including flexible learning space that can accommodate both small and large group learning.

The Junior Surgery area will be transformed into a new Surgical Training Center,

growing from 14 surgical bays to 28, to train 70 students at a time in teams of three. Kennel space will be increased in the new Surgical Training Center.

The school is currently recruiting for 10 positions within Veterinary Clinical Sciences and adding six new positions over the next two years—three faculty members and three veterinary technicians—to teach clinical skills and surgical skills to help ensure third- and fourth-year students get handson experience treating animals.

“Our teaching is at the heart of all we do. We wouldn’t be here without it,” Dr. Banse said.

Primary care services within the Veterinary Teaching Hospital will be reconfigured under one umbrella. These services include Community Practice (general practice), Shelter Medicine, Equine, Food Animal/ambulatory, and Community Outreach/mobile unit. Community Practice and Shelter Medicine will expand.

Equine and Food Animal offer both in-house/hospital services and ambulatory/field service (farm calls).

Expanded clinical services not only serve clients and patients but also expand hands-on learning for third- and fourth-year students.

STUDENTS GAIN HANDS-ON KNOWLEDGE TO PERFORM AT HIGHEST LEVELS Dr. Banse is taking the lead on the school’s competencybased, student-centered curricular reform. She said faculty members are working in teams to determine methods of delivery.

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“WE MUST BE ROOTED IN A SHARED SENSE OF PURPOSE.”

“The curriculum will focus on integration of skills, knowledge, and behaviors and will be an active, engaging, experiential learning process so that our graduates are Day 1 ready— prepared to practice veterinary medicine upon graduation. A competency-based curriculum involves reframing the role of instructors to teacher-coaches, rather than simply lecturers and test-givers,” Dr. Banse said.

At the heart of the newly invigorated student learning experience at LSU School of Veterinary Medicine is a three-year integrated hands-onanimals program in our spacious new Clinical Skills Laboratory that integrates classroom learning and prepares graduates to be practiceready from Day 1. The Clinical Skills Lab is located within our new 40,000-square-foot

SCHOOL OF VETERINARY MEDICINE

OLIVER GARDEN PhD, Royal Veterinary College (London) BVetMed, Royal Veterinary College (London) BSc, King’s College London CASLAT, Imperial College London CERTIFICATIONS AND LICENSES Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine Diplomate, European College of Veterinary Internal Medicine-Companion Animals Fellow, Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (UK) Fellow, Higher Education Academy (UK) Member, Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (UK) Fellow, Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (UK) Fellow, The College of Physicians of Philadelphia RESEARCH INTEREST My research focuses on mechanisms of peripheral tolerance in health and disease, spanning the mouse, rat, and dog as model species of both autoimmune disease and cancer. My work has interrogated the role of regulatory T cells and, more recently, myeloid-derived suppressor cells in this context.

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It’s a New Day

Cheddar explores the new “cat wall” before being examined by Community Practice clinicians.

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LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY

Stephenson Pet Clinic, home to our companion animal wellness efforts and several clinical services, including community practice (primary care), dermatology, integrative medicine, and ophthalmology.

The experiential learning space is equipped with an expanded number of clinical skills models and video to record simulated client interactions to increase communications skills. Our veterinarians-in-training learn from board-certified and other experts who are trained to teach. The comprehensive curricular reform ensures that students enter their careers with confidence, knowledge, and the ability to perform at the highest level.

We train and deploy animal rescue and response teams who are ready when disaster strikes.

INTO THE FIELD Students gain exposure to all species—a distinguishing feature of LSU Vet Med— for a well-rounded career preparation. As part of our leading edge multidisciplinary Veterinary Teaching Hospital, our Wildlife Hospital of Louisiana students practice conservation medicine by providing veterinary care for injured wildlife, conducting conservation research, and educating the public with our resident raptors. We treat 1,200 wildlife cases each year and release 40 percent back into the wild.

An elective rotation provides hands-on opportunities to treat and release wildlife, performing basic procedures and surgeries on a variety of species with faculty support.

We conduct research projects at the state, national, and

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international level with a focus on wildlife preservation and conservation. Additionally, our Shelter Medicine and Community Outreach programs feature two fully equipped mobile clinics, including a new unit funded by Petco Love in which students and clinicians perform spay/ neuter surgeries, vaccinations, flea and heartworm prevention, and general wellness examinations. Via mobile clinics, LSU Vet Med provides veterinary services for the feral animal population at Louisiana State Penitentiary, Angola. We also train prisoners participating in the no-kill animal shelter inside the Dixon Correctional Institute how to care for animals as part of the clinical animal shelter rotation.

The mobile clinics are also used to serve the community by providing veterinary services, disaster relief, animal shelter service, and student learning opportunities. LSU Vet Med trains and deploys animal rescue and response teams who are ready when disaster strikes in our hurricane-prone region.

ON THE RISE Taking these deliberate steps for growth will allow LSU Vet Med to reinvest in its people, programs, and facilities with the aim of rising to the ranks of the very best in veterinary medicine.

“We already have what it takes to claim our place among the best. We simply need to take some bold steps to get us

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It’s a New Day

there. Major change requires people to do things differently.

I have been encouraged by the resilience and willingness of our people to embrace change.

They are proud of LSU Vet Med and want to see it flourish,” Dean Garden said.

Integrative Medicine and Rehabilitation treats a variety of conditions, including orthopedic and neurologic.

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POWERING GROWTH TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE FUTURE In addition to the DVM degree, LSU Vet Med offers PhD and MS degrees. With $74 million in research funding, students are part of a research powerhouse that includes two Centers

of Biomedical Research Excellence – the Center for Lung Biology and Disease and the Center for Pre-Clinical Cancer Research – and the Louisiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, along with other research laboratories investigating ways to improve and protect lives.

WE DISCOVER LSU Vet Med is a research powerhouse working toward a healthier world for all.

Included in federal funding for biomedical research is $22 million in Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE)

funding from the National Institutes of Health.

The newest center of excellence is the Center for Pre-Clinical Cancer Research. The Cancer COBRE established a new specialized core facility, the Pre-Clinical Evaluation Core (PCEC), to provide scientific and technical expertise for cancer projects and researchers. This includes expertise in advanced 3D cancer cell culture systems (spheroids) to derive critical translational information. The Cancer COBRE enhances cancer research both at LSU and at Southern University, strengthens collaborative

LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY

research efforts with LSU HSC-New Orleans, and aids in efforts to establish a National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Cancer Center in Louisiana.

LSU Vet Med’s biomedical cancer research efforts are on a strategic growth trajectory.

In addition to our increasing capacity for cancer clinical trials in veterinary medicine, the school is leveraging the combined resources of its Center for Pre-Clinical Cancer Research and its small animal clinical trial capacity toward the formation of a Center for Comparative Oncology that provides preclinical testing

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for cancer drug development.

This center will work together with the LSU Health Sciences Center Stanley Scott Cancer Center and the Louisiana Cancer Research Center (LCRC) to address cancers in animals and humans, with the intention of taking steps toward forming a nationally recognized comprehensive cancer center with a National Cancer Institute designation.

Collaboration across campuses will synergistically address cancers in humans and animals.

The biomedical research taking place at LSU Vet Med focuses on the link between animal and human health with scientists investigating human and animal diseases and injuries related to cancer biology, infectious disease, vaccinology, equine health, lung biology, toxicology, and other crucial areas aimed at enhancing and protecting lives.

Fewer than 5 percent of anticancer drugs are successful in clinical trials, indicating that current pre-clinical cancer drug research is not predictive of efficacy in humans. LSU Vet Med research is conducted in a state, Louisiana, that ranks fifth in the nation for cancer mortality and above the national average for cancers that disproportionately affect African Americans.

The clinical oncology and radiation oncology units allow researchers to study animals with cancer under LSU Vet Med’s care and open the way for tumor bio-banking for longitudinal studies.

The school is expanding its clinical trials program and refitting laboratories with core instrumentation and technology.

In addition to excellence in cancer research, LSU Vet Med’s strengths are many and varied. The school has established itself as a global leader in equine research and health, with over $15 million in equine research funding.

The Louisiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory at LSU Vet Med works with state and federal agencies to safeguard animal and human health against deadly diseases.

LSU Vet Med also offers PhD and MS degrees in Comparative Biomedical Sciences (CBS), Pathobiological Sciences (PBS), and Veterinary Clinical Sciences (VCS), with CBS conducting preclinical and translational research in cancer biology, cardiovascular disease, developmental biology, neurosciences, and toxicology.

“In all that we do we are working for a healthier world for all,” Dean Garden said.

BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH AT LSU VET MED FOCUSES ON THE LINK BETWEEN ANIMAL AND HUMAN HEALTH.

If you would like to support LSU Vet Med, you can make a gift at: www.lsu.edu/vetmed/giving/ how_to_give.php

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F E AT U R E

THE PLAYER A WINNER’S CIRCLE REDEFINED

A beloved, quirky racehorse named “The Player” makes a comeback from injury to a new life with expert care at the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine.

BY SANDRA SARR

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LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY

A racehorse who surprised everyone and beat the odds.

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A Winner’s Circle Redefined

T

he Player came into the world a little different from other horses. He liked to sit on his haunches like a dog, spin 360s, and eat his hay lying down—not exactly qualities one would expect in a horse, not to mention, a racehorse. Owner-trainer-breeder William “Buff” Bradley found his behaviors so quirky that he had him checked early on for possible neurological issues. Turns out, The Player, originally named Angus, was just fine. In fact, his quirkiness would serve him well, keeping him off his feet for long stretches, while he recovered from surgery at LSU School of Veterinary Medicine to repair an injury that would’ve put down most horses.

He was winning in the $400,000, Grade 2 New Orleans Handicap.

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The Player, a chestnut thoroughbred, was born March 22, 2013, on Bradley’s Indian Ridge Farm in Frankfort, Ky. He instantly won the hearts of Bradley and a whole

host of fans charmed by his unparalleled zest for life.

“He was our favorite from Day 1,” said Bradley, who has owned, trained, and bred horses throughout his life.

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Despite his quirks, Bradley saw in The Player the heart, strength, and smarts to become a winner on the racetrack.

THE FINAL STRETCH The Player ran his first race on September 26, 2015, and proceeded to establish himself as a proven winner. In 2018, he was poised to win in the $400,000, Grade 2 New Orleans Handicap. However, rounding the turn toward the finish line he faltered, the jockey pulling him to an abrupt stop.

There on the racetrack, the injured horse’s fate hung in the balance and time seemed to stop for Bradley as he realized what was unfolding.

He peeled off his jacket and ran down to his horse on the track. An initial assessment indicated shattered bones, tendons, and ligaments behind his right, front ankle. In fact, both sesamoids at the back of the fetlock had fractured.

Bradley recalled thinking, “I’m going to quit training. I’m not doing this without The Player.”

That day, March 24, 2018, The Player’s growing racing career would end.

Standing next to his horse, Bradley called his Kentucky veterinarian, Dr. Bradford Bentz.

“He told me, ‘he’s a really good candidate for euthanasia, but you could try LSU,’” Bradley said.

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After consulting longtime business partner Carl Hurst, Bradley called Charles McCauley, DVM, DABVP, DACVS, assistant professor at LSU Vet Med, to ask if there was any way the horse could be saved. Dr. McCauley told him they could perform the surgery, but that they didn’t have many cases like The Player’s because most horses with that type of injury were euthanized due to a poor prognosis for recovery.

The surgery would be straightforward, the recovery long, and post-surgery complications would be a major concern.

Straight out of the gate, Bradley trusted McCauley with his horse. They had met when Dr. McCauley did a dynamic scope on another horse at his barn just a month earlier, and he was impressed.

“He didn’t paint a pretty picture. I let him know that The Player is a unique horse. And he’s smart. I told him I thought he could handle the recovery part. My partner, Carl, and I talked it over. We agreed to try to save him as long as he wouldn’t suffer. We cried a bit. This horse had so many people who love him,” Bradley said.

Dr. McCauley told Bradley to go ahead and bring the horse to LSU, where he’d assemble his medical team. He and the horse would embark upon a marathon toward a different kind of finish line.

THERE ON THE RACETRACK, THE INJURED HORSE’S FATE HUNG IN THE BALANCE, AND TIME SEEMED TO STOP AS BRADLEY REALIZED WHAT WAS UNFOLDING.

HEALING TEAM GOES TO WORK Bradley loaded his broken horse onto an ambulance trailer, and he and The Player headed for Baton Rouge.

Arriving that Saturday night at LSU Vet Med Veterinary Teaching Hospital, The Player’s medical team immediately went to work on making him comfortable, assessing his injuries, and formulating a treatment plan.

Bradley spoke to his horse, saying, “We’re going to do everything we can to save you, but you’ve got to do your part.”

It was a safe bet that The Player would deliver.

Bradley warned Dr. McCauley about The Player’s ways, advising him that he would see the horse sitting down like a dog and that it was not cause for alarm. Dr. McCauley later told Bradley he

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A Winner’s Circle Redefined

Buff Bradley sits in an Indian Ridge Farm stall with The Player, also known as Angus, after the horse’s release from LSU Vet Med, where he spent 181 days hospitalized before returning home to Frankfort, Ky.

was glad he’d been shown pictures of The Player in odd positions, adding that the horse “was different.”

“I told him all the bad things that could happen,” Dr. McCauley said.

The seven-hour surgery took place on March 26, 2018, during which a plate and 16 screws were placed in the horse’s leg. A cable was inserted in the back of his leg to take over the suspension function.

“He knew how to take care of himself, lying down 11-12 hours a day, kept the weight off the injured leg. He even

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remained lying down while they put a horseshoe on the hoof of his uninjured front leg that would help support him when he stood,” Bradley said.

Dr. McCauley believes that The Player’s quirks were the whole reason he survived.

“His routine was to lie down for several hours a day. He was an incredibly compliant patient. He was obviously uncomfortable, and yet he behaved. I’ve never had another patient like him,” Dr. McCauley said.

Bradley remained in Louisiana with The Player post-surgery for nearly two weeks. When he felt that his horse was solidly on the road to recovery, he returned home to Kentucky to tend to business at his farm and Bradley Racing Stables. He felt confident knowing that the LSU veterinary team was there at all times to care for

his horse. In addition to Dr. McCauley, the team consisted of Laura Riggs, DVM, PhD, DACVS, associate professor; Colin Mitchell, BVMS, DACVS, professor; Rose Baker, BVMS, assistant professor; and Cole Sandow, DVM (LSU Vet Med 2013), equine surgery resident.

According to Dr. McCauley, dozens of veterinary students cared for The Player.

“Every day, they did the hard stuff, administering medications on schedule, doing assessments, and reporting if they noticed problems. It was the epitome of a team effort,” McCauley said.

CHEERING FROM AFAR Even as The Player had been sidelined from racing, fans from across the nation continued to cheer him on through each phase of his recovery.

“The Player is fighting for his

LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY

The Player has nearly 9,000 Facebook followers who cheered him on during his treatment and recovery. Now his fans are watching his offspring grow up: q-r.to/theplayer

life at LSU,” wrote one of many fans who tracked his progress on social media.

Through it all, Bradley kept his horse’s fans updated on his condition by posting regularly on The Player’s social media accounts. The entries tell a tale of hope and progress, punctuated with setbacks: March 24, 2018: The Player is injured in New Orleans and arrives at LSU Vet Med March 26: He undergoes surgery led by Charles McCauley, DVM April 15: “Hoping he can come home in a few weeks” April 27: “He’s doing well

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after back on antibiotics for infection and tendon swelling” June 5: Infection sets in from a broken screw September 21: The Player goes home to Indian Ridge Farm, Frankfort, Ky. “He was in the hospital 181 days,” Dr. McCauley said.

Neither Bradley, the medical team, nor The Player, himself, ever showed signs of giving up.

“His recovery was slower than I expected. We needed objective measures— radiographic evidence of healing—to show that the fusion had progressed enough for him to take the long trailer ride home to Kentucky. A trailer ride is an athletic event with all of the stops, starts, and turns. The horse must withstand it all,” Dr. McCauley said.

ODDS ON FAVORITE Capturing the sentiments of many, one fan posted on The Player’s Facebook page, “There is nothing better than seeing a fighter like The Player to love and cheer for!”

Bradley made the 12-hour drive each way from Kentucky to Louisiana several times throughout The Player’s hospital stay. He’d arrive with a pocket full of peppermints, The Player’s favorite.

It would be six months before The Player could be released from the hospital and return home to Kentucky.

When the day finally came, Bradley rode in the back of the trailer with him. They stopped frequently to allow his horse to rest before continuing on.

He’d reached out to friends and acquaintances familiar

with The Player asking if they could provide a stall for the night so his horse could make the long drive comfortably. Bradley received many offers of lodging for both himself and his horse.

Award Winning Story

JOCKEYING FOR POSITION “He comes from a family of tough, solid runners. He was at the start of a promising racing career,” Bradley said.

Once home, The Player began a new career. At nearby Crestwood Farms, he has sired 10 foals per season over the past few seasons. His first offspring, born on February 24, 2020, is a colt that fans praise as “handsome like his daddy,” with hopes that The Player’s offspring inherit his intelligence, athleticism, and endearing qualities.

The Player’s social life has continued to pick up speed. Bradley has held two open houses for The Player at his farm during Breeder’s Cup weekend at Churchill Downs. About 150 attended each event, where visitors mingled, enjoyed food and drinks, and visited with their favorite horse.

Dr. McCauley traveled to Kentucky as a guest of honor at one of the open houses and had the pleasure of seeing the former patient on his home turf charming his fans.

“He was winning when he went down. I truly believe this horse saved his own life because of who he is,” Dr. McCauley said.

Sandra Sarr, LSU Vet Med communications manager, won a Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) award for writing. The winning entry: a story she wrote about a beloved, quirky racehorse named “The Player,” who made an unlikely comeback from injury with expert care at LSU Vet Med. Sarr has received several CASE and other awards throughout her career.

This is her first at LSU Vet Med.

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F E AT U R E

At the crossroads

Crèche Chic by Shelby Prindaville Mixed media painting of brown thrasher nestlings Including Integrative Medicine’s Jing Tang Herbal Concentrated Red Lung and Concentrated Prostate Invigorator and acrylic on panel

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LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY

of art and science lies magic The first ever artist-in-residence program at a U.S. vet school launches at LSU

BY SANDRA SARR

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Artist-inResidence

S “Singularity,” a mixed media painting of a Nubian goat includes Clinical Pathology’s Diff-Quik Eosin Y stain, Clinical Skills’ fluorescein, Histology’s light green stain, and acrylic on panel.

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ome ask, “Why?” Others ask, “Why not?”

One November morning, in 2021, Dean Oliver Garden posed a question to his Communications team: “What do you think about establishing an artist-in-residence program here?” Six months later, LSU Vet Med became the first to launch an artist-in-residence program at a U.S. veterinary school.

“I couldn’t be more excited that LSU Vet Med is spearheading a program that generates an artistic legacy rooted in our four noble missions. The arts offer an avenue for teaching, discovering, healing, and

protecting, and our new program is an innovative and lasting way to express various aspects of what we do,” Dean Garden said.

Artists-in-residence generate multiple works of art while at the school,

and each artist donates at least one creation that remains in LSU Vet Med’s permanent collection.

The inaugural artist, Shelby Prindaville of Sioux City, Iowa, began her residency June 1 and ended it July 31. She was prolific and produced one work of art a week, including paintings, mixed media pieces, and a collection of ceramic vessels inspired by her observations and interactions with clinicians, researchers,

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Nubian goat, subject of Prindaville’s painting, in LSU Vet Med Large Animal Hospital.

Prindaville photographing the orphaned baby brown thrasher, who became an artist’s muse.

clients, and patients at the veterinary school.

“We were very fortunate to welcome Shelby Prindaville as our first visual artist. Our good fortune continues when we bring in Charlie Rauh, acclaimed musician, composer, and recording artist, next August,” said Dean Garden.

Prindaville incorporated into her art materials commonly used in veterinary medicine, for example, colored stains, rope,

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laboratory paper, boards, bones, and other items clinicians and researchers gladly contributed.

“They were intrigued to see what an artist would do with items they commonly used in their work and were delighted when they saw her finished work. I was thrilled to see the collaborative process unfold,” said Sandra Sarr, Communications manager with responsibility for structuring and managing LSU Vet Med’s Artist-in-Residence Program.

The first artist’s residency culminated with a public lecture sponsored by the LSU School of Art, College of Art & Design and a public art exhibition in the LSU Vet Med Library. More than 90 community members attended the lecture and exhibition on a Monday evening in July.

“I am extremely honored to be chosen as the inaugural artist in residence. I develop bodies of work that aim to capture a sense of place or atmosphere,” Prindaville said.

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Artist-inResidence

“Fortification,” a mixed media painting of a Mississippi kite includes ZooMed’s PVP Prep Solution, Integrative Medicine’s AcuZone smokeless moxa-rolls, cornstarch, and acrylic on panel.

Prindaville donated this painting for the school’s permanent collection.

Learn more about LSU Vet Med’s Artist-in-Residence Program at: www.lsu.edu/vetmed/artist_in_residence

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LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY

LSU Vet Med’s second artist-in-residence, Charlie Rauh, will bring soothing music that will enhance the school’s wellbeing efforts for students, faculty, staff, and animals through his compositions and performances during his four-week residency during summer 2023. He will compose six original songs inspired by his experiences at LSU Vet Med. The music composed and recorded at LSU Vet Med will be performed, released by his record label, and made available free of charge to members of the school community and beyond.

Rauh’s residency will culminate in a free, public performance for LSU Vet Med clients and community members. Members of the LSU A Cappella Choir, Alissa Rowe, choral conductor, will collaborate with Rauh.

Rauh, who grew up in Huntsville, Ala., is based in New York City. Rauh is currently signed to the Austinbased label, Destiny Records.

His work as a soloist has been supported by grants from Meet the Composer, the Untitled Artist Group, the Fractured Atlas Group, and New York Foundation For The Arts. He is inspired by the imagery of various poets, ranging from Anna Akhmatova to the Brontës. The latter were the theme of his 2020 album, The Bluebell, which brought about a new chapter of his

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ARTISTS GENERATE MULTIPLE WORKS OF ART WHILE IN RESIDENCE, AND EACH ARTIST DONATES AT LEAST ONE CREATION THAT REMAINS IN LSU VET MED’S PERMANENT COLLECTION.

introspective approach. As a supporting artist, Rauh works with a variety of colleagues across several genres, both as a touring sideman and a studio musician and arranger, including work with Wilco drummer Ken Coomer, Magnetic Fields producer Charles Newman, Tom Waits producer Oz Fritz, Sparklehorse contributor Alan Weatherhead, and Pulitzer Prize nominee Cornelius Eady.

“The invitation to spend time as composer-in-residence at LSU’s School of Veterinary Medicine is a singular opportunity to use my creative process in a new way. I believe that spending time with Vet Med clinicians, as well as their patients, will inspire a new sound and intention in my music—a sound that will exist to magnify the oftenoverlooked qualities of wonder, strength, purity, and empathy intrinsic to all living beings at their core,” Rauh said.

Skeletal ceramics are assorted handmade stoneware vessels imprinted with or formed around various canine, equine, and swine bones from the school’s Anatomy Lab. Shelby Prindaville at work in the studio set up for her at LSU Vet Med. She holds an MFA from LSU.

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Artist-inResidence

“Seeing Double,” a mixed media relief of a Kunekune pig includes Dremel counter relief, QuickCure Clay, and acrylic on a used pig board / sorting panel.

Of his debut solo album, Viriditas, All About Jazz, he wrote, “These quiet tunes dust off a few neglected shelves of the human soul, and from them pull down vials filled with brightness.”

“Charlie Rauh plays guitar with a quiet intensity, each note and chord ringing with purpose,” wrote Acoustic Guitar Magazine. “Rauh gives a gentle reminder that playing soft and slow can be more impactful than loud and fast.”

Over time, various artists’ subject matter will represent facets of LSU Vet Med’s missions and what lies at the heart and soul of what happens at the school.

While other veterinary schools have commissioned art or invited filmmakers to

Musician-composer, Charlie Rauh, LSU Vet Med’s 2023 Artist-in-Residence.

campus for a one-time project, this trailblazing residency program hosts a different artist-in-residence at the veterinary school each year. Artists represent multiple genres, for example, painting, music, photography, sculpture, filmmaking, poetry, and more. Artist participation is by invitation.

ON THE COVER Wild Card is a mixed-media painting by Shelby Prindaville, the first artist-inresidence at a U.S. veterinary school. This painting of a brown thrasher nestling who was being treated in our Wildlife Hospital is made of materials commonly used in the course of our work at LSU Vet Med but uncommonly used, if at all, in works of art. The vivid colors are derived from Clinical Pathology’s methylene blue counter stain, Histology’s light green stain, ZooMed’s chlorhexidine, and acrylic applied on panel. Dr. Ryan Smith, head of our Emergency and Critical Care service, purchased the painting and the artist will show it in future exhibitions over the next couple of years. Prindaville was on hand when the rehabilitated bird was released back into the wild near the Mississippi River levee last summer.

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Class Notes

Class of 1982 on Stephenson Pet Clinic Terrace

1982 ALUMNI

Dr. Martha Littlefield: Martha received the President’s Award from the American Veterinary Medical Association in 2022. Also, Martha is retiring from St. Matthew’s University in December 2022.

Dr. Roger Shaw: Roger and his wife, Donna, just sold their small animal practice after 39 years.

They intend to enjoy the quietness of retirement as well as spending time with their grandchildren. Roger recently purchased a Canon camera and hopes to take wildlife photographs from the back deck of his home in Highland, Ark.

1983 Dr. Donna Novak Shaw: Donna and her husband, Roger, are celebrating their retirement in January 2023 after selling their small animal practice after 39 years. They have three children and two grandchildren. They are excited to spend their retirement doing very little and spoiling their grandbabies. Donna also serves on the Board of Alumni for LSU Vet Med.

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NETWORK OF

3,400+ VETERINARIANS

Class of 1982 at Alumni Weekend 2022

HEALING & PROTECTING THE ANIMALS THAT SUPPORT LOUISIANA’S

$2.5 BILLION AGRICULTURAL ECONOMY

1991 Dr. Kristin (Thompson) Plauche: After 28 years of working with her husband, Andy, they sold their small

animal practice in Lafayette, La., and transitioned to a new business venture.

Kristin and Andy opened a coaching company called Smartfish, where they help other veterinarians with

their practices and plan for a successful retirement.

They are enjoying the new flexibility in their daily schedule, which allows them to travel more and serve as volunteers and committee members for LSU Vet Med and their church. Kristin and Andy have two children and are hoping to become grandparents in the near future.

Learn more about the Plauches: www.lsu.edu/vetmed/ news/2022/plauches_gift.php

LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY

Class of 1987

Class of 1992

1994

Students Alexa Cesarek and Young Cho enjoying Alumni Weekend

1992 Dr. Anita Trichel: Anita currently resides in Pennsylvania with her husband, Weyman. She works at the University of Pittsburg as both a clinical veterinarian and associate director.

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Dr. Elizabeth Penton: After successful practice ownership for 28 years, Elizabeth finally sold her practice. She uses her new free time to enjoy doing some relief work for small animal practices and shelters that need a helping hand with spay and neuter surgeries.

Elizabeth is licensed in both Louisiana and Mississippi.

This past summer, Elizabeth celebrated 49 years of marriage to her husband, Rudy Penton. They currently reside in Waveland, Miss., where they remain active in their daily life and within the community.

1998 Dr. Timm Otterson: Timm resides in Buffalo, N.Y., with his wife, Laurie. He is a practicing veterinarian at the Pet

Class of 1997

Emergency Fund. This past April, his memoir, “All Creatures Weird and Dangerous,” was published by the Guernica Editions in Toronto. The book describes Timm’s life caring for mythical creatures.

1999 Dr. Gwen Rutkowski Trisler: After graduation, Gwen stayed in Baton Rouge to practice at the VCA All Pets Animal Hospital as an associate DVM.

SHARE YOUR NEWS WITH US! Send us your news and photos, including marriages, births, and other milestones: vetmed@lsu.edu

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Class Notes

Left: Class of 2002 Below: Class of 2012

ONE HEALTH INITIATIVES AT

Class of 2007

Dean Garden and student ambassadors, Reagan McCrary (left) and Faith Scott (right)

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2006

2009

Dr. Andrew Armani: After owning and operating two small animal hospitals in Pensacola, Fla., Andrew sold both practices and moved to Mountain Lakes, N.J., with his wife and three children. He is now the chief medical officer at Veterinary Innovative Partners (VIP).

Outside of his primary occupation, he teaches a “Vet Skills” course as an adjunct professor at Long Island University of Veterinary Medicine.

Dr. Melissa Jennings: Since her graduation, Melissa moved to Houston, Texas, where she works as a neurologist/ neurosurgeon at Gulf Coast Veterinary Specialists.

2010 Dr. Lindy O’Neal: Lindy resides in Rogers, Ark., with her husband, Josh.

She owns and practices at the Animal Medical Center.

LSU VET MED SEEK TO RESEARCH DISEASE & HEALTH ISSUES THAT AFFECT ANIMALS AND HUMANS

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In Memoriam

Board of Alumni, Dean’s Advisory Council

2018 2014 Dr. Elise Ackley: Elise is currently employed as a policy analyst for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). She currently resides in Virginia with her husband, Jordan.

They are expecting their first child in 2023.

2016 Dr. Erin Olson: After having her son, Parker, in June 2019, Erin went on to purchase Crowley Veterinary Hospital in June 2020. Most recently, Erin celebrated her marriage to Drew Edwards in April 2021.

2017 Dr. Michael Warshaw: Michael is currently a staff veterinarian at the Saint Louis Zoo in Missouri.

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Dr. Derecka Alexander: After working for a few years in Las Vegas, Derecka moved to the Washington, D.C./ Maryland/Virginia area to pursue a career in public practice and science policy as an American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Fellow. She is currently at the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), where she works on various programs, such as the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP) and the Veterinary Services Grant Program (VSGP).

2022 Dr. Justine Bruner: Justine is an equine medical intern at Sound Equine Veterinary Hospital in Poulsbo, Wash.

Dr. Susan Waters: Susan and her husband, Jared Blackburn, had their first child in December 2022. Susan is a lead veterinarian at PetWellClinicHighland Park in Baton Rouge.

Dr. Robert (“Bob”) Simmons, Class of 1977, has passed away. Bob was a tremendous friend to the school throughout his life. In his illustrious career, his contributions to veterinary medicine and animal health were truly significant.

Bob was a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association and a fellow in the American Academy of Veterinary Pharmacology and Therapeutics. He was listed in Who’s Who in Veterinary Medicine.

Bob met his wife, Julia, in 1976, when she presented her cat on an emergency call at LSU Vet Med. They married in 1979 and had two sons, Will and John.

Bob was honored by LSU Vet Med in 2007, when he received our Distinguished Alumnus Award. In 2014, Bob and his family established the Belle Fund in honor of his son Will’s dog.

Belle died from Lyme disease. Bob established the fund in her memory to support research focused on the prevention and cure of tickborne illnesses. Belle lived with Bob and his wife Julia while Will was deployed to the Middle East. At the time of the donation, Bob described Belle as a “once-in-a-lifetime dog.”

In addition to the Belle Fund and other gifts to LSU Vet Med over the years, Bob and Julia established the Dr. Robert and Julia Simmons Professorship in Pathobiological Sciences, a truly transformational legacy that will forever memorialize Bob and his tremendous impact on our profession.

Bob will be greatly missed by the veterinary community and by LSU Vet Med in particular. His generosity and warmth will be long remembered. Services were held in September at Buncombe St. United Methodist Church in Greenville, S.C.

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Parting Shot

LSU WOMEN’S BASKETBALL HEAD COACH, KIM MULKEY, assisted with our eagle release in January 2023. The male eagle arrived in November unable to fly. After surgery and supportive care by the LSU Vet Med Wildlife Hospital staff and students, he was able to resume life in nature.

Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 70803

Catherine Takawira, research associate, at work in the Laboratory for Equine and Comparative Orthopedic Research, a multifaceted, state of the art laboratory for the study of orthopedic injury and disease.