RUSVM Alumni Magazine: The Legacy Issue March 2023

The Legacy Issue R O S S U N I V E R S I T Y S C H O O L O F V E T E R I N A R Y M E D I C I N E A L U M N I M AG A Z I N E

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The Legacy Issue R O S S U N I V E R S I T Y S C H O O L O F V E T E R I N A R Y M E D I C I N E A L U M N I M AG A Z I N E

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FE AT U R ES.

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A STRONG FOUNDATION

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ROSEY & NIN

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LEADERS AMONG US

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FULL CIRCLE

Every journey starts somewhere. Warren Ross recalls the founding of Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine by his father, Robert, in 1982.

Rosey Cameron Smith created a special 40th anniversary painting to honor RUSVM. Learn more about this passion project rooted in her deep connections to the RUSVM family.

Today’s veterinary leaders were once yesterday’s veterinary students with a dream. Read their stories.

At Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, we are fortunate to have several alumni come back to share their knowledge and expertise as faculty. Meet a few of them.

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE. A Message from Dean Callanan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 A Message from the Alumni Action Council President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Oh Hay! The Horses of Ross Vet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Student Government: SAVMA Chapter Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Return of the West Indies Veterinary Conference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

The Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine Alumni Magazine is published by the Office of Alumni Relations along with the Office of Marketing and Communications.

It is distributed to alumni, faculty, staff, students and friends. For information or to send name/address changes please contact: rusvmalumni@rossu.edu.

DEAR ROSSIES,

celebrating

40 YEARS

OF PRODUCING MORE DIVERSE, EQUITABLE, AND INCLUSIVE VETERINARIANS

Congratulations to all of you for being part of the storied history of Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine!

Since 1982, over 6,000 Rossies have stepped foot on St. Kitts, the first steps on the most critical part of the veterinary journey on which we all embarked. There are more than 6,000 stories of how a veterinary college located on St. Kitts is making a huge impact around the world. Some of these stories started as childhood dreams, some formed later in life as career endeavors. No matter where your veterinary journey originated and no matter where you are now, the commonality of choosing RUSVM to achieve your dreams and goals brings us together. You are a Rossie!

We have taken several opportunities and unique SEAN CALLANAN celebrations to commemorate this milestone 40th year, many of which were celebrated in a way only RUSVM could.

We culminated our year in a big way by welcoming the West Indies Veterinary Conference back to St. Kitts. The week was informative, educational, and a wonderful reunion for so many friends and colleagues to come back to the home that brought our paths together. Our campus has also been equipped with some beautiful new artwork courtesy of Rosey Cameron Smith, whose story you will read about later is intertwined with RUSVM’s entire 40-year history. Her story is among the thousands of others in and out of this commemorative magazine that create a testament to the family and community that has been fostered here since RUSVM opened its doors to aspiring veterinarians worldwide. Thank you all for being part of that family!

Our network of alumni, students, and colleagues embody RUSVM’s TEACH values: Teamwork, Energy, Accountability, Community, Heart—progressing on each of our individual journeys with a shared sense of responsibility and purpose to support broader communities we serve. Over my last eight years as Dean, meeting the needs of every community has been one of my driving forces. It has been my and RUSVM’s mission to strengthen representation from diverse backgrounds here on our campus and subsequently worldwide, wherever our alumni may end up on their journeys. Together, we lead the way to providing more opportunities for underrepresented groups so that the next 40 years will be even more impactful for future generations. Producing more diverse, equitable, and inclusive veterinarians is the legacy we can proudly look back on when we think of our place in global healthcare and One Health for all people, animals, and environments we serve.

It has been a memorable year for all of us, and I hope you all enjoy this commemorative magazine as we remember RUSVM’s last 40 years and look forward to the future we continue to create today and every day!

Sincerely, SEAN CALLANAN MVB CertVR PhD FRCPath DipIECVP FRCVS Dean RUSVM, Professor of Anatomic Pathology

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DEAR ROSSIES, “I hope to make people realize how totally helpless animals are, how dependent on us, trusting as a child that we will be kind and take care of their needs.” —James Herriot Herriot, an English veterinarian, once said this, and it is the goal all veterinarians strive to achieve in becoming a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, as we all once stated in our Veterinary Oath.

40 years ago, an institution of a different pedigree and humble beginnings appeared on the horizon of the small Caribbean island nation of Dominica in search of people that had a dream of helping animals. Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine (RUSVM) was born and DR. MARK SALEMI soon after moved to the island nation of St. Kitts and Nevis, where it thrives today.

RUSVM was founded with its small class sizes, pioneer veterinary students, and professors willing to take that leap of faith as the school progressed through its growing pains. Regardless of its humble beginnings, RUSVM eventually grew to what it is today, a well known, AVMA-accredited veterinary institution.

Throughout 40 years of RUSVM history, over 6,000 dedicated veterinarians have come and gone on to fulfill their oath around the world. Countless leaders have rrisen through the ranks of prominent veterinary organizations and institutions that shape the vision and future of what we desire for veterinary medicine.

Throughout this commemorative issue, we will read about several of the thousands of stories that are part of our history. Together, wherever in the world you are, we are the story of RUSVM. So here we are today, as fellow Rossies, celebrating 40 years of excellence with an institution that continues moving into the future — one that alumni can, and will be, proud of for generations to come.

Sincerely, Mark Salemi DVM ’87 President, Alumni Action Council

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STRONG FOUNDATION

By Melissa Kvidahl-Reilly

“Y

ou think it’s hard to get into medical school in the US? You should see how hard it is to get into veterinary school.” After hearing this same feedback from a number of consultants in the late 1970s — that the market demanded a veterinary school based on the successful model of Ross University School of Medicine — founder Robert Ross decided it was time to explore the possibility in earnest. By 1982, he opened the doors to Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine (RUSVM) on the medical school campus in Dominica. “It was a small class of a handful of students,” recalls Warren

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RUSVM’S EARLY YEARS MAY HAVE BEEN LACKING IN TECHNOLOGY AND MODERN FACILITIES, BUT THEY SET THE TONE FOR PROFESSORS AND STUDENTS TO FORM A CLOSE-KNIT COMMUNITY THROUGH QUALITY VETERINARY INSTRUCTION AND TRAINING.

Ross, Robert’s son and current president of the University of Medicine and Health Sciences in St. Kitts. “I remember that the RUSVM faculty loved the atmosphere so much they taught their classes under the palm trees.”

But RUSVM soon outgrew its location, and school leadership went in search of a new campus. St. Kitts turned out to be an ideal spot. In the early 1980s, the island’s sugar cane industry was struggling, and the country needed a new revenue stream. Robert Ross met with the prime minister, who was fully supportive of the veterinary school and encouraged him to relocate. “We looked at several Caribbean islands, but in the end we decided upon St. Kitts,” says Warren Ross. “We

quickly fell in love with the country and the people, and greatly appreciated the support of the government.” The island had solid infrastructure, and offered a location close to the airport. It was also more developed than other islands in the West Indies, which was attractive to both students and school leadership.

Though Warren Ross admits that the veterinary school’s facilities were fairly primitive in the 1980s—the anatomy lab was a wooden structure without functioning air conditioning—the caliber and quality of education was outstanding.

About 30 to 40 students enrolled each semester, and class sizes were as small as 15 students, meaning that each student received personal, hands-on education.

“My goal was to convince him to purchase, build, or develop whatever they needed to improve the university.”

A GROWING COMMUNITY

But RUSVM soon outgrew its location, and school leadership went in search of a new campus.

St. Kitts turned out to be an ideal spot.

“The RUSVM students and faculty in the early years were recipients of the investment the university made in developing the facilities and promoting constant growth, thanks to a series of motivated deans,” says Warren Ross.

“We believed in reinvesting any profit we made back into the institution.” Stanley Dennis, who served as dean from 1992 to 2000, stands out in particular. “He had a white board behind his desk, and he would write down his ‘wishlist,’” Ross recalls. “He wouldn’t erase anything until he got it.” During those years, the campus grew to include modern large and small animal surgery suites as well as an anatomy lab, library, and an additional auditorium. It also launched a

new technology lab and outfitted every classroom and library with audio/visual equipment.

At the time, it was all hands on deck.

Warren Ross, as vice president, worked in admissions, development, purchasing, alumni affairs, and infrastructure planning. “I was a believer in listening, so whatever the faculty, deans, and students told me they needed, I took back to my father for consideration,” he says. “My goal was to convince him to purchase, build, or develop whatever they needed to improve the university.”

It paid off. Today, RUSVM is known for its technologically equipped facilities and has an alumni network of more than 6,000 graduates.

Much of what made RUSVM unique in its early days still applies today. Small class sizes meant that each RUSVM student received a significant amount of attention.

“When students transitioned into their clinical years, they felt just as prepared for rotations alongside their peers from American institutions,” says Ross. So even though RUSVM started with just one American partner—Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine— that affiliation grew to 28 clinical affiliate partners in the U.S., Canada, and beyond. “Word spread quickly about how talented our students were,” Ross says, “and American schools soon became excited to host our students for their clinical years.” Another thing that hasn’t changed? The faculty’s commitment to teaching. “We recruited faculty who weren’t research-oriented by design,” he says. “Instead, we sought faculty who loved to teach and were dedicated to the success of our students.”

So while much has changed since RUSVM’s launch, its sturdy foundation—the tight-knit community, passionate faculty, and enthusiastic students —still defines the RUSVM experience. “Our philosophy was to maintain outstanding faculty and a small school environment with personalized education,” Ross says. “I’m proud to say that RUSVM still offers these benefits, even as it has grown to become the institution it is today.”

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As of 2022, RUSVM has over 500 animals on campus.

RUSVM earned AVMA accreditation in July 2010.

RUSVM’s first postgraduate research program, Master of Science (MSc) by Research was launched in 2013.

It was soon followed in 2014 with the launch of the PhD by Research program and the dual DVM/MSc by Research program.

In 2006, the organism Candidatus Rickettsia Kellyi was proposed in honor of RUSVM faculty member, Patrick Kelly MSc, PhD, who has greatly contributed to the current knowledge of rickettsiae throughout the world.

Since 2016, 248 scholarships worth $820,000 have been awarded to RUSVM students through the Empower Scholarship Fund.

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ROSEY & NIN When St. Kitts Becomes Home and RUSVM Becomes Family

By Dan Ciaglia

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or the entirety of Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine’s 40-year history, alongside its growth and development in St. Kitts and Nevis was Rosey Cameron Smith, a local artist originally from the United Kingdom who relocated to St. Kitts in 1977, five years before RUSVM was founded in Dominica.

From her earliest years being born in Scotland and moving to England when she was four, Cameron Smith had an innate passion for art. “My father was very good at drawing and could handle a pencil so well, and my grandfather was a painter. I think I first announced it to my family when I was three and from then on, I always had a pencil in my hand and drawing something new,” Cameron Smith recalled. She added that her other dream as a child was to, of course, become a veterinarian.

Equal to her love for creating art was a desire to see the world, and it was a trip to stay with friends on the way to South America that first brought her to St. Kitts 45 years ago. Over the first couple of months on island, she noticed there were no local shops selling art pieces or paintings, so she spotted an opportunity to do what she loved doing and possibly make a business of it, so the South American part of the trip never happened.

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NINIAN “NIN” CAMERON BLAKE

Cameron Smith opened the Spencer Cameron Workshop on North Independence Square in 1978 with her business partner, Kate Spencer. Although Spencer would leave the business in 1982 to further her art studies in Italy, “Cameron Smith stayed on to pursue her lifelong passion on St Kitts. That same year, RUSVM arrived. Although there were fewer than 20 students to start, the RUSVM presence on island grew quickly and became known

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locally. “Cameron Smith’s gallery at that time shared premises with The Ballahoo Restaurant, which was a major student hangout, and so began the development of a happy, symbiotic relationship with Cameron Smith and the RUSVM community. “I remember they used to have to carry all their books around and carry their microscopes and equipment in boxes. It looked like a physically draining business being a student back then.

There were no iPads like they have today!”

One of the students Cameron Smith remembered from the early days was Heidi Hoefer, DVM ’87 who returned to teach at RUSVM in 2009 and whose son, Jack, became another legacy student in 2018.

As RUSVM grew and more students arrived to pursue their own dreams, Cameron Smith’s art business thrived as a mainstay in the downtown Basseterre area. The workshop moved around to a few bigger and better locations.

Kittitian and Nevisian clients began to commission murals and other works that can be found throughout the Caribbean islands and as far as the United Kingdom, Washington DC, and Rome.

With her professional life firmly established, Cameron Smith cemented her life in St. Kitts by starting a family. In 1989, Cameron Smith’s son, Ninian “Nin” Cameron Blake, was born and almost instantly was drawn to animals. “Growing up on the island, we would always have stray animals that we took in and it was up to my sister, Leah, and I, to take responsibility for them,” Blake recalled. “That was one of the first things where I began to try and understand animals and how to help them in any way.” As Blake grew up, the family became close with Dr. Allen Reich and his children; Dr. Reich was one of the first professors at RUSVM and stayed for more than 25 years since the early

1990s as a professor and administrator. “Our families were close, and he was the person who encouraged me to turn my interest in animals into a potential career and helped me develop an inquisitive and analytical nature. He was an inspirational and fascinating person to be around.”

As Cameron Smith continued thriving in her art businesses, Blake started to grow into his passion for animals and found more interests in the science program at Basseterre High School. He returned to his mother’s native United Kingdom for his undergraduate degree in Biochemistry. When it came time for veterinary school, there was only one choice that Blake was destined to make. By 2010, he was back in St. Kitts and enrolled at RUSVM to fulfill his dream of becoming a veterinarian.

Although he spent most of his early years among some of the RUSVM community, there was a surprising

“I think the core of the university is still the same. There is still an idea and ethos of ‘anyone can come St. Kitts to follow their dream.’ ”

ROSEY CAMERON SMITH

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Sharing Stories

adjustment Blake had to make when he became a student himself. The first couple semesters, he barely got to see his family and old friends, but the student experiences everyone goes through brought him close to his fellow students. Blake and Cameron Smith both have fond memories of Lanse Fox, one of Blake’s closest friends from orientation and through their entire time on the island. “My mom became his island mom.”

Fox tragically passed away in an accident before graduation, but his legacy is carried on by Blake and so many others.

“Coming to St. Kitts opened up his world, and I think he loved every bit of it,” said Blake. “There are certain points when I had to go through tough moments as everybody does, but I do always remember him and think he never got the chance to go through these tough veterinary moments and it has always given me encouragement to think he is right there by our side with me and my friends.”

Nowadays, Blake is better known in the RUSVM family as Ninian Cameron Blake, DVM ’14, Veterinary Clinical Instructor.

On what it has been like to watch her son fulfill his dream and do so as part of her extended RUSVM family, Cameron Smith said: “It is very rewarding. The school has changed so much over time since I first moved here, but I think the core of the university is still the same. There is still an idea and ethos of ‘anyone can come St. Kitts to follow their dream.’” Blake’s sister and Cameron Smith’s daughter, Leah, is also a well-known fixture of the community.

Known as The Bread Chick, Leah has been selling baked goods

at the RUSVM farmers market for the past decade and at her Gallery Cafe downtown, which became a haven for many RUSVM students over the years until it sold in 2019.

Cameron Smith also continued to give back to RUSVM in only a way she could. When Blake was in school, she painted a mural on campus as a thank you for a scholarship he was awarded. Her love for her island home and RUSVM family made her a natural choice to create 40 Years of Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine to commemorate the rich history and growth of RUSVM and to honor the past, present, and future of our Rossie family. The artwork depicts the evolution of the university through the decades as well as key milestones, campus icons, faculty, island staples, and everyone’s favorite furry friends.

The original artwork will be hung on campus, and a percentage of proceeds from Cameron Smith’s sales will support the Empower Scholarship Fund to provide scholarships for future Rossies.

R U S V M

A L U M N I

“What stood out is just how much of a family Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine truly is. Everyone gets to know everyone else. I also think it is just such a unique experience to live in another country. I appreciated the cultural aspect of it, which is ultimately why I chose to go there.

Ross has made my career possible.”

HANNA MOREHEAD, DVM ’21

R E M I N I S C E

“My degree from Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine has allowed me to live the American dream as an immigrant. I have been very successful, and I have most everything I could have ever dreamed of.”

D AV I D B A H O U , D V M ’ 9 4

Use this QR code to purchase a print of 40 Years of RUSVM! Three sizes available: 20 x 24 Rolled / 20 x 24 Stretched / 30 x 36 Rolled

“I met friends at Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine who are going to be my friends for life. Living in St. Kitts was an amazing experience as well. The amount of clinical experience I got was so valuable now that I’m out practicing. Compared to students from other veterinary schools, I was much more prepared for the real world because people knew that a RUSVM graduate would be more independent than a different graduate. I think back on my experience fondly, and I appreciate being given the opportunity.”

MAGG I E MOR R I S, DVM ’12

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Alumni Scrapbook

D O N N A S C H U R I N G , DV M

1989

Riding in a More for the annual island wide scavenger hunt; the theriogenology lab with cows.

OUR BEST TIMES TOGETHER

E VA N R OS E N O F F, DV M

1991

With a few classmates in 1988 at Ronnie Rascal, a local bar.

L I L LY O C K , DV M

2011

Some of my fellow Rossies are still some of the best friends of my lifetime! So many happy memories : )

L I N DS EY R A M U S, DV M

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Some of my greatest memories on the island with some of the greatest people I’ve ever met who became my family.

KAR LA “KAWI” G O N ZALE Z, DVM

2019

G R AC E B R OWN , DV M

I loved Mr. Ross — it was a great celebration in which we all got together for one night and had a lot of fun and forgot about the stress of school.

2015

RUSVM provided hands-on experience which was incredibly valuable.

DAN I E L L E S C HAF E R, DVM

2020

R E N E E J O N E S , DV M

After waiting 2 years I finally got to walk across that stage and celebrate my accomplishments with my family and friends!

2019

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L E A N N E R U O F F, DV M

2019

So many wonderful memories such as Beach Fest.

Three Rossies in front of the RUSVM Sign; we all went to Texas A&M University.

Participated in the Dolphin Discovery Certification on island.

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LEADERS AMONG RUSVM

“We had about seven graduates in my year. It forced us to become such a tight knit community and really rely on each other.”

Joe Rossi, DVM ’87

By D an Ciaglia

T

he Westminster Kennel Club (WKC) is an organization filled with history and tradition. First established in 1877, WKC is the oldest organization in the United States dedicated to the sport of dogs. With its inception 144 years ago, it began hosting the iconic Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, the secondlongest continuously held sporting event in America. The annual dog show has captivated dog enthusiasts for more than a century and brings together nearly 3,000 dogs from around the world.

In 2022, WKC established its newest tradition prior to the 144th Dog Show in June. WKC, in partnership with Trupanion, announced Joe Rossi, DVM ’87, as the recipient of the inaugural Veterinarian of the Year Award. The two organizations launched this new award to recognizes and celebrate veterinarians who make a difference in our pets’ lives. Rossi is no stranger to the Westminster Kennel Club or its historic Dog Show — his own Norwich terrier, Doloris, won Best in Breed in 2020.

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“Dr. Rossi has gone above and beyond caring for the animals of his community and fostering the talent behind the bestin-class service at North Penn Animal Hospital since opening the facility in 1996,” WKC shared in its announcement.

“It is humbling in a way,” said Rossi.

“To be recognized with this award feels like I am really making a difference

and affecting people so much so that they would go and nominate me for this when I am just doing my job the best I can. It is an honor and exciting to be part of Westminster’s history.”

As part of the Veterinarian of the Year award, WKC is donating $10,000 in the name of Rossi to MightyVet, a non-profit, industry-wide online platform founded to support veterinarians, students, and veterinary technicians facing mental well-being issues and continuing education in the veterinary profession. Through the platform he was given as the award recipient, Rossi took every opportunity to call attention to the unseen challenges veterinarians face.

Rossi came to Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine (RUSVM) as one of the first classes to graduate in 1987.

As one of the earliest students, being on campus and living in St. Kitts looked much different. “I do not have the exact statistics, but I think we had about seven graduates in my year,” he recalled. “It forced us to become such a tight knit community and really rely on each other.

We were friends with all our professors

and went out to dinner together after class. We had each other, and it was a really neat thing to experience especially when we went to our clinical rotations and saw that was not how students at other schools formed relationships.”

For Rossi, RUSVM became just one big piece of what was a lifetime of caring for animals. He was born and raised in Livingston, New Jersey and has always been around animals and pets. When he was about 12 years old, a family chicken was attacked by a raccoon that left wounds no local veterinarians would treat, so he took it upon himself to stitch up the chicken and keep it alive and well. That moment was one of the first foundations of what has been a 35-year career caring for and raising animals. He went on to Delaware Valley University in Pennsylvania to study Biology and Animal Science with a minor in Chemistry. After earning his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at RUSVM, he returned to Pennsylvania as a large animal veterinarian before opening his own practice — North Penn Animal Hospital in Lansdale, Pennsylania — in 1996.

At his home in neighboring Quakertown, Pennsylvania, Rossi and his wife, Jill, care for more than 60 pets, including seven dogs, five cats, donkeys, horses, sheep, Scottish Highland cattle and rescued chickens, bringing him full circle back to one of his initial inspirations to pursue a career in veterinary medicine. One of the couple’s three children, Alexa, recently joined North Penn Animal Hospital’s staff to further the family’s lifelong connection to animal care. With the lines between work, animal care, and family always blending, being a veterinarian has meant so much more than a career.

“Veterinary medicine isn’t my profession, it’s my life,” Rossi told Jen Reeder of The Today Show’s online publication following the award announcement. “Everything we do revolves around animals. At our

practice, with my employees, it’s the same way. Animals are their lives.”

Although it is an individual recognition, Rossi equally attributes the Veterinarian of the Year award to his staff at North Penn Animal Hospital where he employs 10 veterinarians and nearly 70 support staff. “My staff is wholeheartedly what makes my practice.

My staff is what got me here where I am, and they deserve it more than I do.

I’m just the figurehead. My staff is what makes this practice go. “No matter how bad the day is, if I look around and see how much passion my staff has for the animals, it makes me smile.”

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LEADERS AMONG RUSVM Jon-Paul Carew, DVM ’01

By D an Ciaglia

F

or 40 years, one of the strengths of the community created by attending Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine (RUSVM) is the network of Rossies willing to help each other and future generations to be successful in the veterinary field.

Jon-Paul “JP” Carew, DVM ’01, has been a product of that network’s strength at multiple points throughout his journey to RUSVM and a 20-plus year career as a leading veterinarian in Florida.

Originally born in New York and relocating to Coral Springs, Florida at a very young age, Carew does not remember a time when he did not want to be a veterinarian. His memory goes as far back as the first words he could ever speak. “I wanted this my entire life, and that never changed,” he recalled. “It was the only thing I could imagine doing and aspiring to be.”

His aspirations brought him to Florida Atlantic University, where he studied Marine Biology and worked as a veterinary technician for three years during school.

As a technician, he was mentored by Nadim Shamma’a, DVM ’88, who would

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share countless stories about studying at RUSVM and living in St. Kitts. There was more than enough in Shamma’a’s experience to encourage Carew to apply to RUSVM even though he was accepted by a couple of other schools in the United States. “I wanted to be just like him,” he recalled of Shamma’a’s inspiration. “Nadim was an amazing veterinarian, a kind man and good soul. You could tell he was a

veterinarian for the right reasons, and I wanted that experience to be my own.”

Carew enrolled in 1998 and immediately found another chance opportunity to lean on the strength of the Rossie community and bonds between fellow students. About one month before leaving for St. Kitts, Carew happened to run into an old friend from high school in their hometown, an old friend who happened to be dating a Rossie, Kimberly Bagnoni (Trussell), DVM ’01. “I immediately reached out to her and she found me a place to live, helped me get books and supplies, and arranged for her roommate, Eliza Lischin, DVM ’01, to pick me up at the airport.

They had just finished first semester right before I got there, so it was helpful to start with friends who had just done everything I was about to go through.”

One of his fondest memories is from those very first nights when Lischin took him to a beach bonfire to meet all of her and Kim’s friends and classmates. “I was hooked instantly. St. Kitts is a magical place and I absolutely love the island. I’m still friends today with a lot of local people who became our friends off campus.

We created a good work-life balance to enjoy things like scuba diving, hiking, surfing—there were lots of good ways to give ourselves mental health breaks.”

Beyond the magic Carew describes of the new island home and the ways to explore, the real magic, he believes, was in the friendships that were made and maintained to this day, 20-plus years removed from their time on the island together. Although he longer has tangible items like used textbooks or microscopes to share, the sense of community and helping each other remains strong with Carew and his role on the Alumni Action Council. He started as an alumni ambassador speaking to prospective students around 2005, and his prowess in surgery and experience learning surgical techniques made him a popular speaker at student events. Much like his original mentor, Shamma’a, he grew to love sharing his own stories about RUSVM and St. Kitts. “I love being involved with the Alumni Action Council and staying connected to RUSVM’s future and growth,” he said.

After graduation, Carew returned to Florida to practice, where he naturally connected with another RUSVM alum and

“We created a good work-life balance to enjoy things like scuba diving, hiking, surfing… there were lots of good ways to give ourselves mental health breaks.”

started at Imperial Point Animal Hospital in Fort Lauderdale. After about seven years there, he began exploring owning his own practice with a few partners and rotated around to different hospitals and clinics in Fort Lauderdale and Boca Raton looking for the right one to purchase.

Though no ownership materialized, the years-long search for the right hospital and opportunity led Carew to a connection with American Veterinary Group, a company that owned one of his prospective hospital purchases. “The hospital was not a good match, but American Veterinary Group was impressed with my numbers at the hospital I was working at and asked me if I would take an opportunity working for them traveling to animal hospitals that needed attention or advice on how to better their patient and client relations. With my experience working at some busy and high-quality hospitals, I decided to join them.”

Carew was hired as a Regional Medical Director, and has since been promoted to Vice President of Medicine.

He now runs a team of regional medical directors that partner with over 100 hospitals in the southeast United States to improve their overall operations and quality of service to their communities.

Above all, he says the job is about making veterinarians happy and connecting with them to understand how to best help, a quality he developed by being part of the RUSVM community.

“Every Rossie I have met since I finished school has instantly become a friend because we can immediately connect on our experiences. We vouch for each other professionally and know the quality of veterinarian we are speaking with because we come from RUSVM. I am proud to be a graduate and forever in good company.”

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STEP INTO A NEW WORLD TO START CHANGING YOURS

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LEADERS AMONG RUSVM Alea Harrison, DVM ’06

By Dan Ciaglia

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hen Alea Harrison, DVM ’06, was getting ready to graduate from Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine (RUSVM), the anticipation of achieving another of life’s milestones naturally led her and her family down memory lane.

Within the home movies and videos her father kept was a video of an eightyear-old Alea answering questions like ‘what do you want to be when you grow up?’ and replying with the swiftest and clearest dream to become a veterinarian.

“I wanted to take care of animals. It was always in me,” said Harrison.

The dream was always innately in her from a young age, but a literal sign from above fell into her life when her family brought home a Christmas tree and out came the cat that became the family pet for the next two-plus decades. “At that young age, I have to credit part of my inspiration to being a pet guardian and actually having to care for something other than myself.”

Harrison stayed in her home state of North Carolina to begin pursuing her career, enrolling at North Carolina Central

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University where she studied Biology and Biological Sciences. Despite her youthful dream, she initially started in the premedical program. It was not until her senior year and her work study program at NC Central’s research institute that introduced her to the laboratory veterinarian who would help get her on track to veterinary school. “I was ready to graduate and apply to medical schools, but he challenged me

to consider veterinary school,” recalled Harrison. “I thought it was too late for me and that was part of my past, but he assured me it was never too late.”

After her senior year, Harrison enrolled in an introductory veterinary summer program. Among the 30 or so students with her were 4 students that were on their way to RUSVM for the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program. “It helped making those early networking connections to talk to and tell me I should really look at RUSVM. When I started researching the opportunity, I had a recruiter reach out to me and I sat and met with this recruiter and really talked and got to hear stories from other students that were there. What I most appreciated was its inclusivity. It felt very intimate to the point that I didn’t just feel like a number. I felt valued.”

Like a photograph or still frame from a movie, Harrison can still picture getting off the plane in Basseterre and taking in the beauty of her new island home. She remembers the first breath of fresh island air and immersing herself in everything St. Kitts had to offer culturally and geographically. Orientation brought new friends into her life that shared

“I still smile today just thinking about being in a classroom setting where I can look out the window and see the beauty that surrounded me. Ross Vet forever has changed me for the better and that is something I’m extremely grateful for.”

so many memories from white coat to 7th semester transition ceremony and every mid-semester break in between.

“I still smile today just thinking about being in a classroom setting where I can look out the window and see the beauty that surrounded me. RUSVM forever has changed me for the better and that is something I’m extremely grateful for.

There is a quote on the website that says ‘step into a new world to start changing yours’ and that stands out for me because RUSVM accepted me into school and completely changed veterinary medicine for me. When I think about the legacy that RUSVM will leave on the profession, it’s the number of students that probably would have otherwise not been given an opportunity that have since graduated

and proven to make a huge mark in this profession because we are Rossies. The pride, the networking, and the connections that it has afforded me, and my own career is glorious. Everywhere I go, I meet a Rossie filled with pride to have gone there.”

Since graduation, Harrison has, Harrison has come across many Rossies as Director of Veterinary Quality for Banfield Pet Hospital, the largest provider of veterinary services in the United States; in 2020, she was promoted to Vice President of Veterinary Quality.

Much of Harrison’s role through her 16 years at Banfield is dedicated to developing veterinary leaders across the company’s over 1,000 hospitals and clinics. “Banfield is a practice that is not scared of growth,” said Harrison. “We can

truly be a change agent in the veterinary industry and that is something that I am very attracted to. Someone once told me, ‘You can be a passenger or driver when it comes to change and culture,’ and Banfield has afforded me that opportunity to have a voice and to help change.”

One critical area for change that has always been an inspiration for Harrison is diversity in veterinary medicine. “I am a product of diversity as a Black veterinarian, and RUSVM helped lead the way for me to be here. Everyone has an opportunity to apply and be accepted and even if your application is not the strongest, RUSVM gives you a shot. I can’t think of any other university that I’m aware of that applies those opportunities. That is the first step where RUSVM goes above and beyond — to give somebody an opportunity where they otherwise would have not been given one.”

Above all, what Harrison expresses most is gratitude for the opportunity she was given. “RUSVM is a special place and always will be. I am forever changed.”

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LEADERS AMONG RUSVM Erin Burton, DVM ’12

By D an Ciaglia

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hen Erin Burton, DVM ’12, MS, DACVP, was growing up in Scottsdale, Arizona, there were two guarantees that shaped her life’s journey.

First, she was born into a birthright to attend Arizona State University as a 10thgeneration Sun Devil. Second, since about nine years old, she knew she was going to be a veterinarian.

Burton’s dream began with an adopted kitten that was diagnosed with a deadly virus. “The veterinarian was so kind through the whole experience and allowed me as a very young kid to be part of the whole process treating our kitten,” she recalled. Amidst the devastation of losing a beloved family pet, it was things like compassion, helping others, and communication that stood out in the exchanges young Erin and her family had with their veterinarian. “That was when I knew I wanted to help people with their animals and return that same experience that kind woman gave to me as a kid.”

Another nine years following the start of her veterinary dream, her familial legacy called her to Arizona State University to study Biology. To build up the required

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hours for the veterinary school applications she would soon fill out, Burton began searching for work at local clinics and feline specialty practices but kept running into a unique hurdle for an aspiring medical professional—she would faint every time she saw a blood draw or invasive procedure. “The first interview I was on, the veterinarian even suggested I should stop considering being a veterinarian,” said Burton. Her determination and persistent fainting never stopped her from searching

for an early career opportunity, and her father eventually suggested starting at a lower level to build up the tolerance to watch and perform procedures. She found her way to the Arizona Humane Society where she started as an animal care technician cleaning kennels before her classes and schoolwork. She also worked later as an adoption counselor and volunteered as the media representative.

As her hours were building up, Burton tried to continue elevating herself within the Arizona Humane Society’s high volume spay and neuter clinic but was unable to do so without being a certified technician.

Her father once again intervened in her career path to, unbeknownst to her, create and deliver her resume to clinics all over the Phoenix area. Eventually he found one veterinarian at Del Lago Animal Hospital— Dr. Franklin Barnes—who, just like Burton, started his journey with a fear of blood and fainting. “Dr. Barnes was so kind and told me we would work together to help me overcome my fears,” recalled Burton. “He encouraged me to take night classes so that I could sit to become a certified vet tech, helped me put together my documents, and did tutoring classes after work so that I could be successful. He helped me find my way through.”

Burton eventually worked her way up to head veterinary technician at Del Lago when Barnes hired a new veterinarian who had just graduated from Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine (RUSVM).

“Honestly, I was shocked at how brilliant she was and how she encompassed all the things my nine-year old self remembered and the things I looked up to Barnes for,” said Burton. “I distinctly remember her and I sitting in surgery. I was her surgical tech that day and she said something like ‘you have been applying to veterinary school for almost four years now and if you had just gone to RUSVM when you first started you could be doing this instead of me.’” The proverbial light bulb went on in Burton’s head, so she went home to see her parents and told them RUSVM was having an informational seminar coming up in Scottsdale. Months later, she was on a plane to St. Kitts to continue her veterinary journey as a Rossie.

“As soon as I arrived on island, I felt like I was part of a family.” Coming to RUSVM was the furthest Burton had ever been from her Arizona home and family, but she felt immediately welcomed by the strangers on the campus bus and in her orientation group that swiftly became her second family. She sat next to her future roommate, Noelle Bergman, DVM ’12, on the bus to orientation. The orientation group they would be put in got together for family night every month the entire time on St. Kitts. She was a leader among her classmates and got involved with student outreach through student council and working as a teacher’s assistant. Students and faculty played volleyball together on weekends. Professors like Drs. Kathy Yvorchuk-St. Jean, Mary Mauldin Pereira DVM ’05, and Mary Anna Thrall became

friends and mentors that introduced her to fields like parasitology and clinical pathology, the eventual building blocks to Burton’s career after she graduated in 2012. “I just really felt like I was part of a community and got to be part of such a special place. That is something that I try and recreate for my students now.”

That now, for Burton, is a 2022 appointment to Senior Associate Dean of Academic and Student Affairs at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine, the same school where she completed her clinical rotations prior to graduating from RUSVM. Upon graduating, she accepted a clinical pathology residency at the University of Missouri and completed a master’s degree in biomedical sciences and public health certificate as part of the residency program’s requirements. Throughout the program, she continued to foster her passion for clinical pathology and parasitology and build toward the career she always envisioned. She worked directly with Missouri’s parasitologist to learn how to run a parasitology laboratory. She collaborated with her mentors to create online courses and took additional courses to learn teaching methods. Through the Boehringer-Ingelheim Scholars Program, she began to sharpen her presentation and public speaking skills. When the program

“As soon as I arrived on island, I felt like I was part of a family.”

concluded, the foundational pieces were in place for Burton to begin her career as a parasitology instructor at Minnesota with a classroom and teaching method inspired by Thrall’s practical approach to foundational sciences and bridging the gap to clinical sciences.

Burton spent a few years teaching before transitioning to the administrative role she now holds. As Senior Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, Burton oversees Minnesota’s veterinary program recruitment and retention, curriculum and accreditation, and disciplinary affairs.

Working with affiliate students like those still coming from RUSVM as she once did also falls under her purview.

“I am so proud when I have RUSVM students that come to Minnesota because my own story shows RUSVM supports the underdogs. My roommates and I all applied to vet schools and tried many times, only not to get in. Now one is the medical director at the University of Texas, another is an oncologist at Auburn University, one a boarded surgeon in Philadelphia, and me at Minnesota. We have so many strong leadership qualities and all it took was RUSVM to see beyond our grades and give us a chance.”

Now Burton gets to return the favor and give other future veterinarians a chance to succeed in her program at Minnesota. She recently met with Elizabeth Fletcher, class of ’23, to chart out her entire future and what it looks like.

“Her dream is outside the box, but that is why I love it. I tell her and all my students to never let anybody tell them their dream isn’t within sight. Even if your dream does not turn exactly out what you thought, it will be yours and it will be perfect.”

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LEADERS AMONG RUSVM Steven Edwards, DVM ’13

By D an Ciaglia

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t their annual meeting in October, the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) officially swore in Steven Edwards, DVM ’13, to serve as the Society’s next president.

The leadership role Edwards accepted began in 2020 when he joined AVSAB’s board as president-elect prior to his appointment to president. Cumulatively, it is a six-year commitment that concludes with another two years as president ex officio before leaving the AVSAB board.

“AVSAB is a place for every veterinarian, not just those who specialize in behavior,” said Edwards. “We work with anyone from board-certified behaviorists and general practitioners to residents, and in my term as president I want to extend our work to student chapters because students are who will continue bringing our field forward. If we can get students more involved in animal behavior, then we can bring that to be a pillar of medicine.”

Before his career as an expert in animal behavior, Edwards was just a kid who rarely found an opportunity to leave Long Island, New York. Some of the earliest foundations to his

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veterinary journey began in his family home being taught by his mother that pets were equal members of the family and deserve equal respect. He spent summers at camp, where the camp’s nature program introduced him to all kinds of exotic animals, from guinea pigs to Madagascar hissing cockroaches.

He grew so fond of the camp’s animal companions that he spent most of his free time learning about each of them.

Camp eventually evolved into a summer job teaching nature program lessons to other campers and visiting groups.

By the time Edwards reached high school, his love for animals and science set him on the path to veterinary medicine. He went on to attend Long Island University to study Biology. The first time he ever truly felt like he left home on Long Island was a study abroad trip through his Marine Biology course. “I commuted to college from my parents’ home, so you could say Fiji for three weeks was a big change,” he recalled with a laugh. Living without electricity and accessing the nearest town by boat or hiking through the forest certainly was a big change, but it was just what Edwards needed to instill in him the desire for adventure that brought him to Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine (RUSVM).

“If it wasn’t for that trip, I never would have thought I would be capable of going someplace far away. Having done that, experiencing the beaches, scuba diving, doing marine biology research, RUSVM stood out as a place where I can get a quality education and still be able to immerse myself into the island and appreciate nature and marine life in a way

that wouldn’t be possible at most other veterinary schools. So, I went for it!”

For Edwards, coming to RUSVM meant as much to his personal development outside the classroom as it did his professional development in veterinary medicine. He describes his life on Long Island as sheltered, so he sought exposure to an entirely new part of the world among a community of strangers from other countries and cultures. Strangers quickly became, as he describes it, a tight knit band of brothers and sisters all in this together. “Right from orientation, you forge bonds that you do not yet realize you are going to need because you have to rely on each other in this community,” said Edwards. “Other students we met in orientation became study buddies, and study buddies became real friendships and relationships that I still have today.”

Edwards also got involved in many student clubs, organizations, and elective courses that first introduced him to animal behavior as a specialty. He was active with People for Animal Welfare in St. Kitts (PAWS) and fondly remembers visiting local schools to provide dog safety courses for children. He held leadership roles with the Zoo Medicine Club, Animal Behavior Club, and Association of Feline Practitioners. He credits the spark for his career in animal behavior to his 7th semester behavioral elective instructor, Dr. Emma Grigg, a now-fellow AVSAB member.

When he got to Virginia Tech University for his clinical year, Edwards

was disappointed to learn the school did not directly offer behavior sciences as part of the program. Fortunately, an externship opportunity at the University of Pennsylvania put him into a three-week rotation conducting three-hour behavior consultations. “That opened my eyes to what you can really do with behavior,” said Edwards.

Upon graduating from RUSVM, Edwards returned to Long Island to start his career in general practice at the Shirley Veterinary Hospital, but behavioral work remained his true passion — “When I got into general practice, I tried to use as much of what I learned at UPenn as I could, but it is challenging to implement a lot of veterinary behavior in the confines of a standard appointment. There are still a lot of behavior skills you can use in general practice, but I started to recognize I could not offer my patients both their general care and behavioral care.”

In 2017, Edwards followed his passion and established the Shirley Veterinary Hospital Behavior Service that saw all the hospital’s behavior cases and those of nearby hospitals that were referred to Edwards’ services. Around the same time as founding Shirley’s behavior services, he also enrolled in the North American Veterinary Community’s Applied Clinical Behavioral Medicine course; he completed

“Ross Vet stood out as a place where I could get a quality education and still be able to immerse myself into the island and appreciate nature and marine life in a way that wouldn’t be possible at most other veterinary schools.”

Advanced Behavioral Medicine in 2019 and is level 2 Fear Free Certified.

Though his journey from RUSVM back to Long Island brought him to a career following his passion, one part of the journey that was left behind in St. Kitts was the weather. One year after establishing Shirley Behavior Services, he decided to leave the cold of New York once again for a warmer climate in Florida. Since moving, he has settled in as a full-time behavior consultant and relief veterinarian with his company, Veterinary Relief and Behavior, LLC. The combination of being referred to many different patients and going wherever he is called are both characteristics instilled in him as a Rossie: “My time at RUSVM helped make me who I am. RUSVM prepared me to be able to take things in stride, to work in different situations under a variety of different circumstances, and to appreciate the diversity of opinions that comes with working with different groups of people.”

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Sharing Stories R U S V M

“My time at Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine was great.

I met a lot of good people there.

Everyone was very nice, and the professors were very knowledgeable.

It felt like a tight-knit community.

Island life had its challenges but feeling comfortable around everyone made it a lot easier. It made us closer, and it made us better people.

It became my second home.”

N I K I TA S O K O L , D V M ’ 2 0

A L U M N I

R E M I N I S C E

“Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine gave me a chance when no one else would.

It made me a better person and opened my eyes. It helped me grow as a person. It taught me patience and communication skills. It taught me respect for others and how to take the lead.”

L I N D S AY G A L L A G H E R , D V M ’ 1 4

“I am thankful for the opportunity that Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine has afforded me. I couldn’t be happier that I had the opportunity to go to vet school, finish vet school, and then pursue my lifelong commitment. Enjoy the island and what it has to offer. Take away every life lesson and every school lesson. Bond with other people and create another layer of network. It is an adventure.”

MARSHALL BEGGS, DVM ’10

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Larry Betance

Associate Professor Small Animal Surgery; Assistant Dean of Clinical Placement DVM Graduation Year: 1990

MNI

R U SVM

Interim Director of Animal Resources, Attending Veterinarian and Assistant Professor—Cell Physiology DVM Graduation Year: 2011 Working for RUSVM: 1.5 years “I used to joke with one of my former professors after I graduated from RUSVM that one day I would be back.

It just so happened to be at the height of the pandemic when the world was changing drastically and utilizing Rossie Resilience became a staple for me and many students I encountered “virtually” and then eventually in person. I wanted to dedicate my time and efforts into helping our future colleagues develop professionally and personally; as the two go hand in hand.”

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AT RUSVM, WE’RE FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO HAVE SEVERAL OF OUR ALUMNI COME BACK TO ISLAND TO SHARE THEIR KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERTISE AS FACULTY MEMBERS. MEET A FEW OF THEM HERE!

Working for RUSVM: 23 Years “I returned to RUSVM to give back what was given to me. The opportunity to provide motivated and energetic students with a passion to learn is what has kept me here for 23 years. My role in the clinical placement process allows me to meet and get to know each student on an individual basis. I could not ask for a more rewarding opportunity being involved with our students next journey of their clinical education.”

Nathalie H. Ragland

ALU

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Matthew Valentine

Assistant Professor of Veterinary Anatomic Pathology

Cardiologist, Assistant Professor, Assistant Dean of Admissions

PhD Graduation Year: 2021

DVM Graduation Year: 2005

Working for RUSVM: 2.5 years

Working for RUSVM: 5 Years

“Returning to RUSVM has allowed me to develop personally and professionally and make the next generation of students better than me!”

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Sarah Cavanaugh (Scruggs)

“I can’t think of a better place or better students to share my love of cardiorespiratory medicine with! RUSVM and St. Kitts and Nevis helped give me a wonderful career and life, and it’s a privilege to be back here to contribute to the education and training of future RUSVM veterinarians.”

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The Toxic Plant Garden on RUSVM’s campus houses roughly 160 plant species and was dedicated as the Dr. Ibrahim M. Shokry Toxic Plant Garden on May 22, 2019.

RUSVM received accreditation by the American Association for Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC) International in 2019. Recertification achieved in 2022.

The Master of Science by Coursework in One Health (online) program was launched in 2015. In 2020, RUSVM added a One Health Certificate offering.

The ground breaking for on-campus housing took place in June 2004.

The Learning Resource Center (LRC), now the exam center and new library building, opened in September 1995.

The first Associate Dean for Clinical affairs was also an Alumna, Helen Tuzio, DVM ’87.

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FE AT U R E .

OH HAY!

B A R C L AY

CH R I SSY & SUGAR

MANY ANIMALS LARGE AND SMALL HAVE GRACED THE PASTURES, BARNS, KENNELS AND WALKWAYS OF RUSVM, BUT OUR EQUINE FRIENDS HAVE QUITE A LASTING LEGACY. IN HONOR OF THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY WE WANTED TO TAKE A LOOK BACK AT THE ‘HORSES OF ROSS VET’ BOTH PAST AND PRESENT.

JEREMY

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C H O C O L AT E

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SUGAR

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KASSARA

NORM

LADY J U N E

RICKY

BLUE EYES

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Sharing Stories R U S V M

GET INSPIRED WITH EVERY STORY YOU READ Access all past issues of the RUSVM alumni magazine at the QR code below.

A L U M N I

“I love Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, and I am very glad I went there. I made some of the best friends of my life, we go on vacations together every year. I hire alumni from there because I know what we all go through and there is a familial bond. I like to keep the tradition alive. This is exactly where I wanted to end up.”

TIMNAH LEE, DVM ’06

R E M I N I S C E

“I had to the choice of going to Liverpool or Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, and I chose correctly. It was the most formative time in my life. It made me a totally different person. I look back on it fondly and believe meeting so many people from different places made me a more broad-minded veterinarian.”

JOSEPH BERNSTEIN, DVM ’02

“I loved the small classes at the time, and the professors were incredible.

I am still in touch with a lot of my classmates now. We got a chance to know everybody and worked closely together, so it was as pleasant of an experience as it could be. I have been involved in leadership and in different roles along the way, and I have always wanted to give back to the community that supports me. Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine gave me such a solid background and a great education that I have not had challenges anywhere along my way.”

RALPH ZIMMERMAN, DVM ’88

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SAVMA at RUSVM: Aspirations for the Next 40 Years

B R I C A R D O A LVA R E Z

We are students who share pride, joy, and vision for RUSVM. The SAVMA Chapter represents RUSVM and shares a cohesive vision that represents inclusiveness, prosperity, diversity, opportunity, tenacity, and benevolence.

eing the President of of the ’22–23 SAVMA Chapter during the monumental 40th Anniversary of Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine may seem like a coincidence, but beyond that, the board and I never neglect just how much of an opportunity and blessing this role is for all of us.

For those who are unaware, SAVMA is a privilege and responsibility, one that was a choice and is not compensated. We are students who share pride, joy, and vision for RUSVM. The SAVMA Chapter represents RUSVM and shares a cohesive vision that includes inclusiveness, prosperity, diversity, opportunity, tenacity, and benevolence. The pride shared by the student body exemplifies what it can provide—how an opportunity can change lives, create communities, and make a difference in the world.

This is what students can come together to recognize in the next 40 years and remember the diversity of their peers and professors, the beauty of our institution and the island we call home, hands-on experience, the rigorous curriculum, and the extracurriculars that bind it all together.

In these next 40 years, RUSVM will obtain more of the respect that it is already gaining. RUSVM will become student-centered — an institution that understands without the entire network of students, faculty, staff, alumni, and administration, RUSVM cannot flourish; it takes all of us. We will no longer be connected to stigmas that do not reflect our impact on the veterinary profession. RUSVM belongs and is a force to be reckoned with.

The SAVMA team that I am so proud to be a part of works relentlessly and passionately to mold our vision for RUSVM. We have proven that studentadministration relations are essential, efficacious, and the future for solutions and growth. The board has taken many tasks and proposals from the student body and has stopped at nothing to achieve them. We aim to provide a voice for those who do not have one, and to provide continuous support for all students, because we believe in RUSVM and the vision we all know to be true.

What we envision is not a dream, but a goal because RUSVM and SAVMA are acting on these aspirations.

Finally, to commemorate the 40th Anniversary, a lesson from British artist and author Charlie Mackesy: “You may not be able to see a way through, but as long as you can see your next step, that is all you should focus on. With each step forward, we will get closer to finding our way through to where we want to be.”

Ricardo Alvarez, Class of ’25

“You may not be able to see a way through, but as long as you can see your next step, that is all you should focus on. With each step forward, we will get closer to finding our way through to where we want to be”.

— CHARLIE MACKESY

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the return of

THE WEST INDIES VETERINARY CONFERENCE

AFTER A TWO-YEAR HIATUS, WIVC 2022 BROUGHT ALUMNI, FACULTY, STAFF, STUDENTS, AND MANY OTHER VETERINARY PROFESSIONALS BACK TO ST. KITTS FOR A CELEBRATION 40 YEARS IN THE MAKING.

By Colleen Glenney

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ore than 230 Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine (RUSVM) alumni from around the world joined other veterinary professionals at this year’s West Indies Veterinary Conference (WIVC), held in St Kitts from November 6–11, 2022. A fixture throughout the week’s events and gatherings was RUSVM’s 40th Anniversary, starting with the opening cocktail reception on November 6, where Dean Sean Callanan gave opening remarks and Assistant Dean of Alumni Relations Mary Mauldin-Pereira, DVM ’05 gave a toast to celebrate 40 years of RUSVM. In addition, the 2020 and 2022 alumni awards were presented to Rachel Fuentes, DVM ’11, (2020 Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award), Stephanie Marks, DVM ’09 (2020 Rising Star Award), Ryan Fries, DVM ’07 (2022 Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award), and Stephanye Quinn, DVM ’18 (2022

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Rising Star Award). Alumni Action Council past President Moses Humphreys, DVM ’05 and Dean Sean Callanan were both presented with Distinguished Alumni Achievement Awards for their tireless work on behalf of the RUSVM alumni community. The Dean was also presented with a print of Rosey Cameron Smith’s “40 Years of Ross Vet” painting that was commissioned specifically for the school’s 40th anniversary.

Attendees were able to obtain up to 24 hours of continuing education credits in a variety of pertinent veterinary topics while also taking part in social and wellness events at various locations throughout St Kitts and Nevis. 34 Sponsors/Exhibitors, including the WIVC Great Dane Sponsor, Banfield Pet Hospital, networked not only with conference attendees throughout the conference, but also with current students at both a student networking event and a two-day job and externships fair.

Throughout the week, attendees participated in wellness and social events ranging from RUSVM campus tours, to

yoga, stand-up paddle boarding, and catamaran trips to Nevis. Additionally, approximately $8000 in donations was raised throughout the week to benefit student scholarships. The Joseph Wilder ’07 Memorial Open Mic Night (organized by Nick Spaccarelli, DVM ’07) featured faculty, staff, alumni, and students displaying their various talents, with all proceeds going to a top 7th semester surgical student. $6200 in donations was raised at the Alumni Reception/Alumni Action Council Scholarship Fundraiser to benefit The Empower Scholarship Fund student scholarships. Finally, the closing event was held at Reggae Beach, with dancers and fireworks on hand to celebrate the conclusion of another successful conference as well as RUSVM’s 40th anniversary.

The next West Indies Veterinary Conference will take place in November 2024.

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leg • a • cy noun

In 2022, RUSVM was the first international AVMA-Accredited university to Adopt Fear Free Techniques and Certification Standards into its curriculum.

the long-lasting impact of particular events and actions that took place in the past that are both innovative and genuine that will live on for generations to come.

RUSVM faculty have participated in research projects totaling more than $1.5 million from grant awarding bodies, industry, corporations, and governments between 2014 and 2022.

RUSVM opened its 19,000 square-foot Research and Pathology Building in July of 2018. The building features 13,000 sq. ft. of research space that includes eight laboratories, 2,000 sq. ft. dedicated to pathology that includes necropsy and histology suites along with a viewing gallery to enhance student learning, and 4,000 sq. ft. for small group meetings and student needs.

RUSVM has retained recognition as an Apple Distinguished School for the 2023-2025 period. RUSVM initially earned the designation in January 2020; the first veterinary school in North America to achieve this accomplishment. Apple Distinguished Schools are considered centers of leadership and educational excellence that demonstrate Apple’s vision for learning with technology.

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Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine’s DVM degree program is accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education (AVMA COE) 1931 N. Meacham Road, Suite 100, Schaumburg, IL 60173 Tel: 800.248.2862 | Email: MMaresh@avma.org