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Congratulations to our School of Veterinary Medicine Graduate Students and Faculty who continually reach milestones and pioneer innovation in their fields and for our school. Well-earned recognition!

June 2025

Congratulations to these students who successfully defended in Spring 2025!

Andrea Calix
M.S. Candidate in Veterinary Sciences

Thesis: Public Perceptions Surrounding Dairy Calf Disbudding Practices on Texas Farms

Supervisory Committee Chair: Dr. Elpida Artemiou

Souvik Patra
Ph.D. Candidate in One Health Sciences

Thesis: Dietary Prebiotic Fiber Improve Energy Balance and Cardiometabolic Health by Modulating the Gut Microbiota

Supervisory Committee Chair: Dr. Prasanth Chelikani

Md Kaisar Rahman
Ph.D. Candidate in One Health Sciences

Thesis: Epidemiological Distributions of Beta-lactamase Genes in Enterobacteriaceae at One Health Interface in the United States

Supervisory Committee Chair: Dr. Babafela Awosile

Congratulations to Christopher Childress for completing degree requirements Spring 2025!

Christopher Childress
M.S. Candidate in Veterinary Sciences

Supervisory Committee Chair: Dr. Elpida Artemiou

Congratulations to these students who were admitted for PhD candidacy Spring 2025!

Juned Ahmed
Ph.D. Candidate in One Health Sciences

Supervisory Committee Chair: Dr. Devendra Shah

Md Tareq Aziz
Ph.D. Candidate in One Health Sciences

Supervisory Committee Chair: Dr. Prasanth Chelikani

Jessica Looman
Ph.D. Candidate in One Health Sciences

Supervisory Committee Chair: Dr. John Gibbons

Allen Jimena Martinez Aguiriano
Ph.D. Candidate in One Health Sciences

Supervisory Committee Chair: Dr. Arlene Garcia

Farzana Popy
Ph.D. Candidate in One Health Sciences

Supervisory Committee Chair: Dr. Klementina Fon Tacer

Yamima Tasnim
Ph.D. Candidate in One Health Sciences

Supervisory Committee Chair: Dr. Babafela Awosile

Sima Tozandehjani
Ph.D. Candidate in One Health Sciences

Supervisory Committee Chair: Dr. Klementina Fon Tacer

Previous Recognitions

March 2025

Dr. Elpida Artemiou

Dr. John Dascanio

Dr. Pippa Gibbons

Dr. Don Rollins

Dr. Elpida Artemiou, Dr. John Dascanio, Dr. Pippa Gibbons, and Dr. Don Rollins were awarded grant funding by the International Council for Veterinary Assessment for their study, “Evaluating Three Standard-Setting Methods for a 13-station Integrated OSCE and their Relationship with Mini-CEX Assessment.”

Dr. Trista Mills

Dr. Trista Mills was awarded grant funding by ElleVet Sciences, LLC for her study, “Pharmacokinetics and withdrawal time in horse on a CBD/CBDA rich hemp product.”

February 2025

Research & Innovation Awards

Project: Effects of uterine stimulation and follicle aspiration on embryo production from superovulated cows (Jessica Looman).”
Sponsor: American Embryo Transfer Association

PI:Dr. John Gibbons

SVM Phi Zeta Research Day Awards

Luciana Kluppel
First Place Oral Competition

Denis Stepihar
Second Place Oral Competition

Andrea Calix
First Place Poster Competition

Rafaela Santos
Second Place Poster Competition

New Alpha Iota Chapter of the Society of Phi Zeta Inductees

Dr. Heidi Villalba

Dr. Blaine Johnson

Dr. Lisa Ebner

Samuel Ajulo
Graduate Student

Luciana Kluppel
Graduate Student

Rafaela Santos
Graduate Student

Md Kaisar
Graduate Student

Juned Ahmed
Graduate Student

SVM Award for Excellence in Graduate Research

Md Kaisar
Graduate Student

November 2024

Research & Innovation Awards

Project: Maternal supplementation of pea fiber to protect against obesity and hypertension in offspring
Sponsor: USDA Agricultural Research Service

PI:Dr. Prasanth Chelikani

Co-PI:Dr. Michael Cruz Penn

Project: Evaluation of exhaled nitric oxide as a diagnostic tool in horses with asthma
Sponsor: American Quarter Horse Association

PI:Dr. Laszlo Hunyadi

Co-PI:Dr. Emily Sundman

Project: Development of rapid diagnostic tools for detecting Taylorella equigenitalis, a causative agent of Contagious Equine Metritis
Sponsor: Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health USA, Inc.

PI:Dr. Devendra Shah

Co-PI:Dr. Smriti Shringi

Project: Microbiome characterization of bacteria in equine synovial fluid from equine neonatal and juvenile foals
Sponsor: American College of Veterinary Surgeons - ACVS

PI:Dr. Carolyn Arnold

June 2024

Dr. Annelise Nguyen

She was recenlty inducted into the Nation Academy of Inventors. Congratulations on this well-deserved recognition!

May 2024

Research & Innovation Awards

Project: Targeted Communication & Educational Training for Farm Animal Veterinarians and Students: Enhancing Adherence to Postmortem Procedures.
Sponsor: United States Department of Ag