BATON ROUGE―The Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine conferred 84 Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degrees at its 41st annual Veterinary Medicine Commencement Exercises on Monday, May 8.
Sandra Merchant, DVM, DACVD, professor (retired) of veterinary dermatology, gave the commencement address at the 2 p.m. ceremony. Dr. Merchant retired from the LSU SVM after serving on the faculty for 28 years and teaching more than 2,200 veterinary students.
Joel Baines, VMD, PhD, dean and Dr. Kenneth F. Burns Chair in Veterinary Medicine, presided over the ceremony, and James W. Moore, Jr., representing the LSU Board of Supervisors, conferred the degrees. Micah Doyle (Class of 2017) opened the ceremony with the invocation. Program speakers also included John Dunn, DVM (LSU SVM 1997), PhD (LSU SVM 2003), LSU SVM 2016 Distinguished Alumnus and deputy state epidemiologist and state public health veterinarian for the state of Tennessee; and Christie McHughes, DVM (LSU SVM 2004), president-elect of the Louisiana Veterinary Medical Association
Dr. Baines led the graduates in taking the Veterinarian’s Oath, and H. Grady Bailin, DVM (LSU SVM 2017), closed the ceremony with the benediction.
Students who received Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degrees, senior awards, and internships and residencies are listed below alphabetically by state/country, hometown, and then name:
Alabama
Walter Ramage Gandy, DVM, of Montgomery, Alabama, will join a small animal practice in Pensacola, Florida.
Arkansas
Jon Lucas Moody, DVM, of Devalls Bluff, Arkansas, will join a mixed animal practice in Mountain Home, Arkansas;
Caroline Jones Gill, DVM, of Dumas, Arkansas, received an Oncology Certificate of Merit and the Arkansas Veterinary Medical Foundation Outstanding Student Award and will join a small animal practice in Little Rock, Arkansas;
Rebekah Anne Lee, DVM, of El Dorado, Arkansas, received a Companion Animal Medicine and Surgery Certificate of Merit and will join a small animal practice in Little Rock, Arkansas;
Alexandra Estha Lee Canfield, DVM, of Fayetteville, Arkansas, will join a small animal practice in Elgin, Texas;
Aubren Briana Cabe, DVM, of Greenwood, Arkansas, will join a small animal practice in Little Rock, Arkansas;
William Meredith Ryan, DVM, of Jonesboro, Arkansas, will do a Small Animal Internship at Veterinary Specialty Hospital of San Diego;
- Grady Bailin, DVM, of Little Rock, Arkansas, received a Companion Animal Medicine and Surgery Certificate of Merit and will do a Rotating Internship at University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine;
Courtney Jayne Hemeyer, DVM, of Little Rock, Arkansas, will join a small animal practice in Little Rock, Arkansas; and
Monica S.B. Runge, DVM, of Mayflower, Arkansas, will join a small animal practice in Payson, Arizona.
California
Allison Palmer Morreale, DVM, of San Diego, California, received the Robert Rosenthal Senior Student Award for Proficiency in Clinical Oncology and will do a Small Animal Internship at Veterinary Specialty Hospital of San Diego.
Colorado
Lindsey Marie Hall, DVM, of Grand Junction, Colorado, received a Companion Animal Medicine and Surgery Certificate of Merit and will join a large animal practice in Bloomington, Indiana.
Florida
Ashley Nicole Gillett, DVM, of Sarasota, Florida, received a Companion Animal Medicine and Surgery Certificate of Merit and will join a small animal practice in Sarasota, Florida.
France
Aimee Lorraine Trujillo, DVM, of Guadeloupe, France, will join a small animal practice in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Kentucky
Cheryl Anne Chooljian, DVM, of Louisville, Kentucky, received the Kaytee Outstanding Senior Award in Avian and Exotic Animal Medicine and will do an Equine/Zoo Internship at the Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch in Murchison, Texas.
Louisiana
Ashlyn Overholt Guillot, DVM, of Alexandria, Louisiana, will join a small animal practice in Opelousas, Louisiana;
Carter Wenner Ward, DVM, of Alexandria, Louisiana, received the American College of Veterinary Pathology Award and Nutramax Companion Animal Award and will do a Small Animal Internship at Baton Rouge Veterinary Specialists;
Shelby Ellen Langdon Moore, DVM, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, received an Oncology Certificate of Merit and will join a small animal practice in Charlotte, North Carolina;
Michael Paul St. Blanc, DVM, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, received the Louisiana Veterinary Medical Association Equine Clinical Proficiency Award and will do an Equine Medicine and Surgery Internship at Equine Sports Medicine and Surgery in Weatherford, Texas;
Stephen Murph Colvin, DVM, of Benton, Louisiana, will join a mixed animal practice in Bossier, Louisiana;
Maggie Castille Buller, DVM, of Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, received the Edward Lloyd Mitchell Award, an Companion Animal Medicine and Surgery Certificate of Merit and the Clinical Pathology Award of Excellence; she will do a Small Animal Medicine Rotating Internship at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University;
Callie Jean Mitchell, DVM, of Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, will join an equine practice in Dover, Delaware;
Renée Ashley Poché, DVM, of Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, will join a small animal practice in Houston, Texas;
Ali Cherie Robin, DVM, of Cecilia, Louisiana, will join a mixed animal practice in Rayne, Louisiana;
Kaleigh Regan Bamburg, DVM, of Coushatta, Louisiana, will join a small animal practice in Natchitoches, Louisiana;
Ariel Fowler, DVM, of Covington, Louisiana, will join a small animal practice in Rockford, Illinois;
Samantha Kimberly Tate, DVM, of Delhi, Louisiana, will do an Equine Internship at Tennessee Equine Hospital in Thompson’s Station, Tennessee;
Jenna Ann Terry, DVM, of Gonzales, Louisiana, will join a small animal/exotic/integrative medicine practice in Prairieville, Louisiana;
Rebecca Marie Davis, DVM, of Hammond, Louisiana, will join an equine practice;
Kelsey Kathryn DiMiceli, DVM, of Hammond, Louisiana, received a Companion Animal Medicine and Surgery Certificate of Merit and will join a small animal practice in Mandeville, Louisiana;
Michele Stafford, DVM, of Hammond, Louisiana, received an Oncology Certificate of Merit and will join a small animal practice in Covington, Louisiana;
Anna Catherine Heinen, DVM, of Hathaway, Louisiana, will join a mixed animal practice in Jennings, Louisiana;
Brooke Nicole Clement, DVM, of Houma, Louisiana, will join a small animal and exotics practice in Pensacola, Florida;
Dana Marie Romano, DVM, of Houma, Louisiana, is seeking a diagnostic pathology residency;
Staci Marie Sternberger, DVM, of Kenner, Louisiana, will join a small animal practice in Cumming, Georgia;
Aubrey Brent Cooper, DVM, of Kentwood, Louisiana, received a Companion Animal Medicine and Surgery Certificate of Merit and the Boehringer-Ingelheim Outstanding Food Animal Student Award; he will join a mixed animal practice in Kentwood, Louisiana;
Matthew Christian McCollum, DVM, of Lafayette, Louisiana, will join a small animal practice in Las Vegas, Nevada;
Olivia Kathryn Oubre, DVM, of Lafayette, Louisiana, will do a Small Animal Medicine & Surgery Internship at Oradell Animal Hospital, Inc. in Paramus, New Jersey;
Danielle Ann Powers, DVM, of Lafayette, Louisiana, received the American College of Veterinary Radiology Award, an Oncology Certificate of Merit and the Boehringer-Ingelheim Cardiology Award; she will do a Small Animal Rotating Medicine and Surgery Internship at BluePearl Veterinary Partners Nashville;
Ty Steven Theriot, DVM, of Lafayette, Louisiana, received a Companion Animal Medicine and Surgery Certificate of Merit and will join an equine practice in Church Point, Louisiana;
Ariel Marie Odenheimer, DVM, of Lake Charles, Louisiana, received the Audrey Engelhart Scholarship in Shelter Medicine and will begin a shelter medicine fellowship at the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine;
Michael James Warshaw, DVM, of Lake Charles, Louisiana, received a Companion Animal Medicine and Surgery Certificate of Merit and the Gordon Pirie Zoological Medicine Award; he will do a Small Animal Rotating Medicine and Surgery Internship at BluePearl Veterinary Partners Florida;
Elisabeth Claire Burch Hotard, DVM, of Mandeville, Louisiana, will join a small animal practice;
Kirsten Elizabeth Lapuyade, DVM, of Mandeville, Louisiana, will join a small animal practice in Hammond, Louisiana;
Jessica DeJean Vinterella, DVM, of Mandeville, Louisiana, will join a small animal practice in Covington, Louisiana;
Michael Ford Block, DVM, of Metairie, Louisiana, received the Hershey Comeaux Memorial Award of Excellence and a Companion Animal Medicine and Surgery Certificate of Merit; he will join a small animal practice;
Caroline Mary Burglass, DVM, of Metairie, Louisiana, received the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine Certificate of Clinical Excellence (large animal) and will do a Large Animal Medicine & Surgery Rotating Internship at Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine;
Christina Marie Exnicios, DVM, of Metairie, Louisiana, will join a small animal practice in Metairie, Louisiana;
Keith Ardel Jarrett, III, DVM, of Metairie, Louisiana, received the American College of Veterinary Surgeons Proficiency Award (small animal) and will do a Small Animal Medicine & Surgery Internship at Oradell Animal Hospital, Inc. in Paramus, New Jersey;
Kristi Prevost Camp, DVM, of New Orleans, Louisiana, will join a small animal practice in Lookout Mountain, Tennessee;
Aimée Elizabeth Perez-Chaumont, DVM, of New Orleans, Louisiana, will join a small animal practice;
Sarah Elizabeth Gautreaux, DVM, of New Orleans, Louisiana, will join a small animal practice in Metairie, Louisiana;
Mia Margaret Palmisano, DVM, of New Orleans, Louisiana, received the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine Certificate of Clinical Excellence (small animal) and Dechra Award for Excellence in Dermatology; she will do a Small Animal Medicine and Surgery Rotating Internship at BluePearl Veterinary Partners in New York;
Elena A. Pavlova, DVM, of New Orleans, Louisiana, received the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine Certificate of Clinical Excellence (small animal) and will do a Small Animal Rotating Internship Blue Pearl – Georgia Veterinary Specialists in Atlanta, Georgia;
Victor Alexander Perez, DVM, of New Orleans, Louisiana, will join a small animal practice in Harvey, Louisiana;
Mandy Walkenhorst, DVM, of New Orleans, Louisiana, will join a small animal and exotics practice in New Bern, North Carolina;
Jennifer Marie West, DVM, of Pearl River, Louisiana, will join a small animal practice in Murrayville, Georgia;
Jessica Brou Price, DVM, of Pointe Aux Chenes, Louisiana, will join a mixed animal practice in Thibodaux, Louisiana;
Lindsey Jordan Harvey, DVM, of Prairieville, Louisiana, will do a Small Animal Medicine/Surgery Rotating Internship at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine;
Carl Edward Curtis, DVM, of Rayne, Louisiana, will join a small animal practice in Athens, Texas;
Meagan Paige Kelly, DVM, of Shreveport, Louisiana, received the Louisiana Cattlemen’s Association Clinical Proficiency Award and will join a mixed animal practice in Floresville, Texas;
Caleb Neal Killian, DVM, of Shreveport, Louisiana, will join a small animal practice in Shreveport, Louisiana;
Camille DesLattes Killian, DVM, of Shreveport, Louisiana, will join a small animal practice in Bossier City, Louisiana;
Doris Marie Kinnebrew, DVM, of Shreveport, Louisiana, will join a small animal practice in Shreveport, Louisiana;
Angela Renee Jugan, DVM, of Slidell, Louisiana, will join a mixed animal practice in Freeport, Texas;
Jaclyn Lott-Myers, DVM, of Sulphur, Louisiana, received the Arizona Equine Medical and Surgical Centre Award and the American College of Veterinary Surgeons Proficiency Award (large animal); she will do an equine practice internship at Outlaw Equine in Decatur, Texas;
Alecia Cherie Meyer, DVM, of Vivian, Louisiana, will join a mixed animal practice in Benton, Louisiana;
Jewel Elise Hicks, DVM, of Welsh, Louisiana, will join a small animal practice;
Jessica Nicole Walters, DVM, of West Monroe, Louisiana, will join a small animal practice in Arlington, Texas; and
Jennifer Veillon Smith, DVM, of Westlake, Louisiana, received the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists Award and Oncology Certificate of Merit and will join a small animal practice in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
Maryland
Sarah Lindsay Wray, DVM, of Silver Spring, Maryland, will join a mixed animal practice in Lovettsville, Virginia.
Missouri
Caitlin A. Thorn, DVM, of West Plains, Missouri, received an Oncology Certificate of Merit and will join a small animal practice in Sugarland, Texas.
New Jersey
Lauren Nicole Young, DVM, of Toms River, New Jersey, will do an Equine Surgery and Sport Medicine Internship at Oakridge Equine Hospital in Edmond, Oklahoma.
New York
Fazaana Ali, DVM, of Bronx, New York, will join a small animal practice in Little Rock, Arkansas.
North Carolina
Lauren Michelle Bienenfeld, DVM, of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, will work in shelter medicine and welfare.
Ohio
Stephanie Lynn Doering, DVM, of Cincinnati, Ohio, will join a small animal practice in Mesa, Arizona.
Tennessee
Micah Pratt Doyle, DVM, of Franklin, Tennessee, will do a Small Animal Medicine and Surgery Rotating Internship Carolina Veterinary Specialists Referral Animal Hospital.
Texas
Kali Katherine Slavik, DVM, of Austin, Texas, will join the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps in Fort Belvoir, Virginia;
Samantha Renee Altemus, DVM, of Houston, Texas, will do a Small Animal Rotating Medicine and Surgery Internship at North Houston Veterinary Specialists;
Tiarra Nicole Spencer, DVM, of Houston, Texas, will join a small animal practice in Houston, Texas;
Sara Michelle Brandon, DVM, of Plano, Texas, will join a small animal practice in Fresno, Texas;
April Sharon Hernandez, DVM, of Schertz, Texas, received the American Association of Feline Practitioners Proficiency Award and the Bayer Award for Excellence in Dermatology; she will join a small animal practice in Universal City, Texas;
Clinton Callahan Walker, DVM, of Van Alstyne, Texas, received a Companion Animal Medicine and Surgery Certificate of Merit and the Louisiana Veterinary Medical Association Outstanding Student Award; he will join the U.S. Army in Fort Hood, Texas; and
Lyndi Blake Ashley, DVM, of Waxahachie, Texas, received an Oncology Certificate of Merit and will join a small animal practice in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The LSU School of Veterinary Medicine is one of only 30 veterinary schools in the U.S. and the only one in Louisiana. The LSU SVM is dedicated to improving the lives of people and animals through education, research and service. We teach. We heal. We discover. We protect.