Connect 2022 Logo

Thank you to everyone who participated in Connect 2022.

See you all next year!

Flyer for Connect 2022 food drive for students.

Don't miss the opportunity to help veterinary students in hunger!

Bring canned food and non-perishable items with you to Connect 2022 and place them in drop off boxes near the entrances to the Commons and VMIA.

Mentor Program, Career Fair, Reunion, Continuing Education

The Mentor Program, hosted by the Virginia Veterinary Medical Association (VVMA), the Maryland Veterinary Medical Association (MDVMA), and the West Virginia Veterinary Medical Association (WVVMA) provides mentorship opportunities between the college’s DVM students and practitioners across Virginia, Maryland, and West Virginia. Mentor Day activities will take place on Thursday, October 20 from 5:30-8 p.m. and continue on Friday, October 21 from 9 a.m.-12 p.m., with a lunch from 12-1 p.m..

Any veterinarian can be a mentor. It does not matter where or when you graduated from veterinary school, nor do you have to be a member of a state veterinary medical association. When you sign-up to be a mentor, the VVMA will assign you with one or more students. An opportunity to meet and interact with your mentee(s) occurs annually, in the fall, on “Mentor Day” It’s a wonderful way to give back to the students and prepare them for their future in veterinary medicine. For more information and to become a mentor, click the button below!


Special thanks to our Mentor Program sponsors!

Boehringer Ingelheim Logo
Merck Animal Health logo.
VVMA Logo
MDVMA Logo
WVVMA Logo

***In-person registration for the Career Fair portion of Connect 2022 will close on August 31.**
The Career Fair will be held on Friday, October 21, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. and will offer an opportunity to explore current and future career options. Anyone participating in the Career Fair is invited to advertise available positions at their clinics or share additional information about their organizations. Booths will be established for you to set up and for students to explore. The price for a booth includes two attendees, so if you are interested in also attending the Mentor Day festivities you can ensure your booth has representation at no extra cost. As an extension of the Career Fair, we will also be setting up additional opportunities to interview students from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. on Saturday, October 22. If you are interested in this option, please indicate so at registration.

So, if you are looking to hire a student for a summer internship or associate position post-graduation, or perhaps you are an organization that wants to relay available opportunities for clerkships and more, sign up for the Career Fair – you won’t want to miss the day’s activities!

Pricing:

  • Table for two representatives - $200
  • Each representative over 2 - $100
  • Advertisement only (no in person attendance) - $30

Check out the 2022 Career Listings here!

Want to hire a VMCVM graduate?

A College Celebration will be held in the evening of Friday, October 21 (5-7 p.m.) in the College Grove (weather permitting). All are welcome and invited to attend the celebration that will include dinner, adult beverages, and a relaxed atmosphere complete with a band – Ft. Vause, the band of retired faculty emeritus, Dr. Jeff Wilcke! It will offer an opportunity to continue casual conversation and unwind from a busy day of mentor activities and career discussions, and kick off the party with old classmates and colleagues!

The Continuing Education Program will offer 6 hours of CE credit by alumni speakers in small and large animal tracks, as well as lectures from our 2022 alumni awards recipients! 

The Code of Virginia for Veterinary Medicine approves continuing education courses or programs sponsored by colleges of veterinary medicine approved by the AVMA Council on Education. If you have concerns about the transfer of CE credit in your state of residence, please consult your Board of Veterinary Medicine. 

Interested in delivering a presentation? Submit your information below.

Presentation of the Alumni and Faculty Awards will be hosted on Saturday, October 22 from 12-1 p.m. This event will occur over the lunch hour of the continuing education program. 

Congratulations to our 2022 award receipients!

VMCVM Lifetime Achievement Alumni Award:

  • CAPT Jennifer Hensley McQuiston (BS '93, DVM '97, MS '98), DACVPM

VMCVM Outstanding Recent Alumni Award:

  • LCDR Caitlin Cossaboom (BS ’10, MPH ’14, PhD ’15, DVM ’17)

 VMCVM Outstanding Faculty Alumni Award: 

  • Phillip Sponenberg, DVM, PhD, Professor of Pathology & Genetics

Alumni from all programs are invited and encouraged to attend all Connect 2022 events. Special focus will be made on reunion class years - ’87, ’92, ’97, ’02, ’07, ’12, ’17. On Saturday, October 22 we will host a gathering at Moon Hollow Brewing Company from 5-9 p.m. with the Cabo Food Truck! (Dinner and drinks included)

Moon Hollow Brewing Company
Cabo Food Truck

Thursday, Oct. 20, 2022

Mentor Welcome Dinner

5:30 - 8:00 p.m. (Commons)

Friday, Oct. 21, 2022

Mentor, Match, Celebrate

8:30 - 9:30 a.m. Breakfast
9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. - Mentor Day Activities (Commons)
8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. - Career Fair (VMIA)
12:00 - 1:00 p.m. - Lunch (Commons)
5:00 - 7:00 p.m. - College Celebration (The Grove) All are invited!

Saturday, Oct. 22, 2021

8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. - Continuing Education Program
10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. - Student Job Interviews
12:00 - 1:00 p.m. - Alumni and Faculty Awards Presentation
5 - 9 p.m. - Reunion Gathering - Moon Hollow Brewing Company

Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022

7:00-7:50 a.m. - Light Breakfast and Coffee (Commons)

7:30-7:50 a.m. - Mingle with Dean M. Daniel Givens (Commons) 

8:00-8:50 a.m.

Small Animal-Classroom 100
Britt Carr Benson (DVM 2012)
Britt Carr Benson (DVM '12, DACVSMR)

"Rehabilitation Therapy for the Companion Animal"

Large Animal-Classroom 102
Headshot of Sarah Low (DVM '15).
Sarah Low (DVM ’15)

"Gentling Mustangs with Positive Reinforcement and Protected Contact"

9:00-9:50 a.m.

Small Animal-Classroom 100
Kendall Taney (BS '97, DVM '02)
Kendall Taney (BS '97, DVM '02, Dipl. AVDC)

"Dentistry and Oral Surgery for the General Practitioner"

Large Animal-Classroom 102
Kelli Beavers (BS '08, DVM '12)
Kelli Beavers (BS '08, DVM '12, DABVP, DACT)

"Considerations for Breeding the 'Problem Mare'"

9:55-10:05 a.m. - Break

 

10:05-10:55 a.m.

Small Animal-Classroom 100
Meriam Saleh (PhD '17)
Meriam Saleh (PhD '17)

"OMGiardia: Plus Other Parasitic Causes of Diarrhea in Dogs and Cats"

Large Animal-Classroom 102
Jeremiah Easley (DVM '07)
Jeremiah Easley (DVM '07)

“It's All One Health: the Intersection Between Veterinary and Human Medicine, Industry Innovation and Academic Research”

Classroom 102

11:05-11:55 a.m.

D. Phillip Sponenberg, DVM, PhD
D. Phillip Sponenberg (DVM, PhD)
2022 Outstanding Faculty Alumni Award Recipient

"What It All Means"

12:00-1:00 p.m. - Lunch and Awards Presentation

 
Classroom 102

1:00-1:50 p.m.

CAPT Jennifer McQuiston (BS '93, DVM '97, MS '98)

CAPT Jennifer Hensley McQuiston (BS '93, DVM '97, MS '98, DACVPM)

2022 Lifetime Achievement Alumni Award Recipient

"Infectious Disease Response at CDC: Expecting the Unexpected"

 
Classroom 102

2:00-2:50 p.m.

LCDR Caitlin Cossaboom (BS ’10, MPH ’14, PhD ’15, DVM ’17)

LCDR Caitlin Cossaboom (BS ’10, MPH ’14, PhD ’15, DVM ’17, DACVPM)

2022 Outstanding Recent Alumni Award Recipient

"An Update on Zoonotic Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers"

Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022-Small Animal Sessions

8:00-8:50 a.m. - Classroom 100
Britt Carr Benson (DVM 2012)

Britt Carr Benson (DVM '12, DACVSMR)
Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Veterinarian

"Rehabilitation Therapy for the Companion Animal"

Dr. Britt Carr Benson is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation. She received her B.S. in Biology from Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina and her DVM from VMCVM in 2012. After earning her DVM, Dr. Carr Benson completed a Small Animal Rotating Internship at the Animal Specialty Group in Los Angeles, California followed by a Small Animal Surgery and Sports Medicine Internship at Veterinary Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Group (VOSM) in Maryland. She then remained at VOSM to complete a residency in Canine Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation. During her residency Dr. Carr Benson attended the Canine Rehabilitation Institute and is also a Certified Canine Rehabilitation Therapist. She has co-authored dozens of peer-reviewed publications and several textbook chapters. She is a national speaker and instructor as well as a recipient of many awards and honors for her work.  She currently practices in the upstate of South Carolina where she resides with her husband and two children. 


9:00-9:50 a.m. - Classroom 100
Kendall Taney (BS '97, DVM '02)

Kendall Taney (BS '97, DVM '02, Dipl. AVDC)
Fellow Candidate, Veterinary Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Center for Veterinary Dentistry and Oral Surgery

"Dentistry and Oral Surgery for the General Practitioner"

Dr. Kendall Taney is a Diplomate of the American Veterinary Dental College and a 2002 graduate of the VMCVM. She is a partner at the Center for Veterinary Dentistry and Oral Surgery in Gaithersburg, MD. She has published numerous manuscripts and is a frequent lecturer of veterinary dental topics. She owes her success to the mentorship she has received over the years as a veterinary student, intern, resident, and specialist. 

She recently finished a rigorous two-year training program and examination to become an AVDC Fellow in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, a distinction held by less than 20 veterinarians worldwide. Successful candidates for completion of this Fellowship must perform advanced oral and maxillofacial surgical cases in a variety of techniques, complete 36 weeks of supervision by an OMFS Founding Fellow, give three presentations in the field, and publish a scientific paper on an advanced maxillofacial topic. Her article titled “Risk Factors for Failure of Hard Palate Mucoperiosteal Flaps: A Pilot Study” was published in the Veterinary Dentistry and Oromaxillofacial Surgery section of Frontiers online journal.  Dr. Taney was the first candidate to complete all requirements and pass the examination.


10:05-10:55 a.m. - Classroom 100
Meriam Saleh (PhD '17)

Meriam Saleh (PhD '17)
Clinical Assistant Professor, Texas A&M University

"OMGiardia: Plus Other Parasitic Causes of Diarrhea in Dogs and Cats"

Dr. Meriam N. Saleh is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Veterinary Pathobiology at the Texas A&M University College of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences. She teaches clinical veterinary parasitology to 4th year veterinary students as well as in the 1st and 2nd year preclinical curriculum. Her research interests are focused on zoonotic parasites and include helminths, protozoa, and ticks. Dr. Saleh is also particularly interested in research to improve parasitology diagnostics.


Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022-Large Animal Sessions

8:00-8:50 a.m. - Classroom 102
Headshot of Sarah Low (DVM '15).

Sarah Low (DVM ’15)

Clinical Instructor, Locum, Shelter Medicine and Surgery, VMCVM

"Gentling Mustangs with Positive Reinforcement and Protected Contact"

Sarah Low is a veterinarian with a passion for improving and promoting equine welfare. Prior to receiving her DVM from the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine in 2015, she graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2003 and spent several years working in the film and television industry as well as training horses and teaching riding lessons. In 2006 she spent time in Hawaii trapping feral horses on a large cattle ranch and developed a special interest in wild and feral horse behavior and welfare. This experience was the catalyst for pursuing a doctorate in veterinary medicine. After receiving her DVM, she completed a research training fellowship at University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, New Bolton Center, in Equine Behavior and Welfare.


9:00-9:50 a.m. - Classroom 102
Kelli Beavers (BS '08, DVM '12)

Kelli Beavers (BS '08, DVM '12, DABVP, DACT)
Clinical Assistant Professor, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University

"Considerations for Breeding the 'Problem Mare'"

Kelli Beavers graduated from Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine in 2012 and then pursued equine practice in Oklahoma City for 3 years. She then completed an Equine Practice Residency at the LSU School of veterinary medicine to become board certified in ABVP (Equine) and Theriogenology. Dr. Beavers has had a varied equine practice experience including private practice in Oklahoma, reproduction practice at Goulburn Valley Equine Hospital in Victoria, Australia, ambulatory service at Atlantic Veterinary College in Prince Edward Island, Canada, and standardbred stud practice in New South Wales, Australia. Currently, she is a clinical assistant professor and equine clinical educator at the Veterinary Education, Research, and Outreach program on the Canyon, Texas campus of the Texas A & M School of Veterinary Medicine.


10:05-10:55 a.m. - Classroom 102
Jeremiah Easley (DVM '07)

Jeremiah Easley (DVM '07)
Assistant Professor of Clinical Sciences and, Director, Preclinical Surgical Research Laboratory, Colorado State University

“It's All One Health: the Intersection Between Veterinary and Human Medicine, Industry Innovation and Academic Research”

Dr. Easley serves as the director of the Preclinical Surgical Research Laboratory located within the Translational Medicine Institute at Colorado State University. He is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons with over 10 years of experience working with industry and institutional partners. His area of expertise focuses on the evaluation of orthopedic, spine, and sports medicine-related medical devices, and orthobiologics, utilizing both large and small animal translational models. Additionally, Dr. Easley’s research focus is aimed at developing new large animal models that more comprehensively mimic the human orthopedic conditions. Dr. Easley acquired his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine in Blacksburg, VA. He then went on to pursue large animal surgery by completing an internship at the Equine Medical Center of Ocala in Ocala, FL followed by a three-year large animal surgical residency at the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL.


Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022-Afternoon Sessions

11:05-11:55 a.m. - Classroom 102
D. Phillip Sponenberg, DVM, PhD

2022 Outstanding Faculty Alumni Award Recipient

D. Phillip Sponenberg (DVM, PhD)
Professor Pathology/Genetics, VMCVM

"What It All Means?"

Phil Sponenberg earned his DVM from Texas A&M, followed by a PhD from Cornell. The academic career at VMRCVM began in May of 1981, and he has taught every academic year of the school’s existence. Teaching and Research interests include pathology, genetics, small ruminant production, and breed conservation and management. International work includes most continents. Southwest Virginia remains tops as a home base, for both the environment and the people.


1:00-1:50 p.m. - Classroom 102
CAPT Jennifer McQuiston (BS '93, DVM '97, MS '98)

2022 Lifetime Achievement Alumni Award Recipient

CAPT Jennifer Henley McQuiston (BS '93, DVM '97, MS '98, DACVPM)
Deputy Director, Division of High Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, CDC’s National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases

"Infectious Disease Response at CDC: Expecting the Unexpected"

Captain Jennifer McQuiston, DVM, MS, serves as the Deputy Director in the Division of High Consequence Pathogens and Pathology in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with a primary mission to investigate and respond to infectious disease threats that pose dire consequences to the public's health and safety. She is a triple-alumna of Virginia Tech, with a BS in Biology (’93), a DVM from VA-MD College of Vet Med (’97), and an MS in Molecular Biology (’98). A graduate of CDC’s prestigious Epidemic Intelligence Service (Class of 1998), Dr. McQuiston has spent her professional career at CDC, investigating outbreaks of dangerous pathogens, especially those with zoonotic sources. She is happiest in the field, but these days is frequently tapped to serve leadership roles in the agency. She is currently serving as the Incident Manager for CDC’s 2022 Monkeypox response.


2:00-2:50 p.m. - Classroom 102
LCDR Caitlin Cossaboom (BS ’10, MPH ’14, PhD ’15, DVM ’17)

2022 Outstanding Recent Alumni Award Recipient

LCDR Caitlin Cossaboom (BS ’10, MPH ’14, PhD ’15, DVM ’17, DACVPM) 
Veterinary Epidemiologist, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

"An Update on Zoonotic Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers"

LCDR Caitlin Cossaboom spent most of her adult life in Blacksburg; she graduated in 2010 with her bachelors from Virginia Tech and went on to complete her DVM, PhD, and MPH from VMCVM. In 2017, she moved to Atlanta to participate in CDC’s Epidemic Intelligence Service and is now a veterinary epidemiologist assigned to CDC’s Viral Special Pathogens Branch where she supports activities related to domestic and international surveillance and epidemiology of high-consequence zoonotic viruses. 

Videos will be posted after the event. 

Block Name: VMCVM Connect 2022
Block End Date: Sept. 20, 2022

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