Employee and Student Updates and Awards
Around the College
AAVMC 2024
VETERINARY SCHOLARS SYMPOSIUM
Seven Auburn DVM students had the opportunity to attend the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges – AAVMC 2024 Veterinary Scholars Symposium (VSS) in St. Paul, Minnesota. The VSS highlights the essential role of scientific research in veterinary medicine and provides veterinary medical students who have conducted original research through Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health and the Veterinary Scholars Program with an opportunity to formally present their research in a professional environment.
KATHY GERKEN
RECEIVES ENDOWED PROFESSORSHIP
Dr. Kathy Gerken has been named the P.B. Griffin Endowed Associate Clinical Professor in Emergency and Critical Care. This professorship, last held by Dr. Douglass “Dougie” MacIntire, is in recognition of an emergency and critical care faculty member with a strong commitment to students, high quality instruction, outstanding clinical work, impactful research and scholarship, and dedicated service.
CANDACE LYMAN
NAMED SFT PRESIDENT
Dr. Candace Lyman, associate professor of equine and small animal theriogenology, has been named President of the Society for Theriogenology (SFT) for 2024-2025. SFT is an organization dedicated to animal reproduction, whose mission is to promote standards of excellence in reproductive medicine, to provide outreach and education to animal health professionals, and to foster continual improvements in theriogenology.
RACHEL WEST AWARDED
TOP REVIEW ARTICLE OF THE YEAR
Dr. Rachel West was awarded “Top Review Article of the Year” by Biology of Reproduction at the 57th Annual Meeting of the Society for the Study of Reproduction in Dublin, Ireland. The review titled “Sex differences in innate and adaptive immunity impact fetal, placental and maternal health” was published in September 2023 and was the most cited review article and most read article of the year. Dr. West received her award at the conference’s opening ceremony where she gave a talk describing the major points of the paper.
AUCVM STRONG PRESENCE AT
21ST ANNUAL VETERINARY LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE
The Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine had a strong presence at the 21st Annual Veterinary Leadership Experience (VLE). Representing the class of 2026 were Becca Riesenberger and Raven Washington. Dr. Lindsey Boone participated as the faculty/staff representative for the CVM. Drs. Brandi Brunson, Ryan Gibson and Tajuan Sellars, all past VLE alumni, served as facilitators. In addition, numerous other VLE facilitators earned their DVMs from Auburn University. The VLE aims to develop servant leaders with increased social awareness, emotional intelligence and communication skills within veterinary medicine.
AUCVM STUDENTS
RECOGNIZED AT 2024 RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM
Many of Auburn Vet Med’s graduate and undergraduate student researchers were recognized at the Auburn University Research Symposium.
Dr. Virginia Aida won first place in the university-wide graduate student oral presentation competition in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). Dr. Aida ‘22 is a fellow in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Bio-and Agro-defense Facility (NBAF) Scientist Training Program.
Other recipients from the CVM were Frank Wilbanks (second place in the undergraduate student oral presentation competition in STEM), Nathan Newman (first place in
the university-wide undergraduate poster presentation in STEM), Julia Peterson (second place in the undergraduate student poster presentation competition in STEM), Natasha Wendy Grabau (second place in the graduate student poster presentation in STEM), and Ji-Hang Yin (third place in the graduate student poster presentation in STEM). College-level distinction was earned by Arth Nayak (undergraduate oral presentation), Andrew Aitken (graduate oral presentation), Carrie Smith (undergraduate poster presentation), and Alana Kramer (graduate poster presentation).
MAHMOUD MANSOUR
RECOGNIZED BY THE AAVA
Dr. Mahmoud Mansour, an alumni professor in the Department of Anatomy, Physiology, and Pharmacology, has received the Fellow Status Award from the American Association of Veterinary Anatomists (AAVA). This honor recognizes the significant contributions of a distinguished AAVA member to education and research in the anatomical sciences.
Dr. Mansour has authored six anatomy textbooks focused on the anatomy of equine, ruminants and birds. The award ceremony will be held during the 2025 AAVA annual conference, taking place in Saskatoon, Canada, from July 31 to August 2. This event will also celebrate the 75th anniversary of the AAVA.
KARA MANEVAL
WINS NATIONAL RESEARCH AWARD
Dr. Kara Maneval was awarded a 2024 ACVIM Cardiology Research Abstract Award at the ACVIM Forum in Minneapolis for her abstract entitled “Correlation of Echocardiographic and Angiographic Measurements of Pulmonary Annular Diameter in Dogs.” Maneval received her DVM degree from Auburn University in 2021. She then completed a Small Animal Rotating Internship at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University before returning to Auburn for a Cardiology Specialty Internship. Maneval began her Cardiology Residency in July 2023 and is advised by Dr. Randolph Winter.
JAMES GILLESPIE
RECEIVES RESEARCH SUPPORT PROGRAM AWARD
Dr. James Gillespie, assistant research professor in the Department of Pathobiology, was one of eight recipients of the 2024 Auburn University internal research and creative works funding awards. Dr. Gillespie received this award for his research project titled, “Development of Bacteriophage Nano/Microparticles for Nasal Delivery of Species-Specific Immunocontraceptives.”
The Research Support Program (RSP) and Creative Work and Social Impact Scholarship Funding Program (CWSIS) were established by Auburn’s Office of the Vice President for Research and Economic Development as important intramural funding mechanisms representing part of Auburn University’s overall research enterprise. Both programs provide a competitive internal funding source to support faculty and provide an opportunity for small-scale, yet high-quality funding to refine their projects before competing for larger, external awards.
The programs were developed as annual cycle funding
to foster the development and growth of innovative and transformational research activities building on faculty expertise, stimulating interdisciplinary collaborations and strengthening seed research activities.
ANGEL HONORED WITH
PRESIDENT’S AND SAMFORD-CANNON FOUNDATION AWARD
Dr. Haley Angel ‘24 was selected as College of Vet Med’s recipient of the 2024 President’s and Samford-Cannon Foundation Award, one of the university’s highest student honors. Given each year to one student from each college, the award recognizes students who demonstrate outstanding qualities of leadership, citizenship, character and promise of professional ability. Selected by the Dean, Angel received the award from President Christopher B. Roberts on April 16 at the annual President’s Luncheon.
YA-XIONG TAO
ELECTED INTO THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF MEDICINE OF MEXICO
Dr. Ya-Xiong Tao was elected into the National Academy of Medicine of Mexico as an Honorary Member, the highestRick Tubbs is the epitome of volunteering – stepping up whenever needed and giving of his time, his talents, and his knowledge in order to make this world a better place. It has been my privilege to get to know him and work with him throughout my time here at ICVA.”
2024 STAFF RECOGNITION AWARDS
One of the most important things we do as a college is recruit, reward, retain and promote exceptional employees—both faculty and staff. Congratulations to the following staff who earned recognition at the 2024 Staff Awards Ceremony:
Staff Recognition Awards – Abbi Gardner, Stacy Griffin, Kelly Chenowith, Jamie Butler and Leigh Mitchell
Deborah Hatch Czerkawski Award – Lisa Jolly
Regina Rodriguez Williams Award – Simon Taylor
Dean’s Award – Brandon Simmons
NEW FACULTY APPOINTMENTS
Alyona Michael
Associate Clinical Professor, Pathobiology
Maggie Thompson
Assistant Professor, Extension Poultry Veterinarian
Laura Raines Cain
Professor of Practice, Clinical Sciences
Kelly Parrish
Professor of Practice, Clinical Sciences
Jeba Jesudoss Chelladurai
Assistant Professor, Pathobiology
RETIREES
Peter Christopherson
Professor, Pathobiology