Learn more about our Students, Alumni, Faculty, Staff, and their beloved pets!
Get to know the vibrant community that brings our college to life. From students pushing boundaries in veterinary science, to alumni making an impact in communities around the world, to dedicated faculty and staff shaping the future of animal and human health.
Here, we also celebrate the furry, feathered, and scaled companions who keep us grounded and remind us why we do what we do. Explore heartfelt profiles, behind-the-scenes moments, expert advice, and everyday insights that highlight the people (and pets!) who make our college extraordinary.
FACULTY
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VMCVM Faculty Spotlight: Sahar Abdelrazek , articleMeet Sahar Abdelrazek, research assistant professor of microbial pathogen metagenomics for the last two years at the veterinary college. Sahar credits her father as her greatest inspiration — from a large rural household of eight siblings, he became a paramedic and eventually the dean of an agricultural college. Sahar believes in "give it a try" as guiding advice — learning from a mistake is better than missing an opportunity.
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VMCVM Faculty Spotlight: Mark Elghossain , articleMeet Mark Elghossain, associate director for major gifts in Advancement at the veterinary college. Consistently inspired by people caring for animals, Mark says his role in working to secure funding for the veterinary college is "uplifting our supporters who make a huge difference for our students and the animals we treat. " Mark and his wife have a 2-year-old daughter and two dogs. He likes to enjoy a warm cup of tea and a brief round of PlayStation 5 to end the day. Mark also got to be the HokieBird a few times during his student days.
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VMCVM Faculty Spotlight: Andrew Mann , articleMeet Andrew Mann, the marketing and communications director for the veterinary college, whose mission is to help brilliant people do what they are worst at: talking about themselves. A Royal Marine and underwater photographer, Andy marvels about working alongside people who regularly save lives and students who are all A+ on his scale. He is inspired by Jacques Cousteau and wants to dive at the Great Barrier Reef. Enjoying tea, swimming, biking, and running, Andy doesn't have any pets to share that with presently, but figures he'll be well set up if he ever does with the best veterinarians in the world around him.
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VMCVM Faculty Spotlight: Michelle Theus , articleMeet Michelle Theus, faculty member at VMCVM since 2012, whose work bridges neuroscience and collaborative learning. Passionate about mentoring, she finds purpose in helping students grow into confident thinkers and researchers. Whether exploring brain injury repair or encouraging resilience through failure, Michelle brings curiosity, compassion, and imagination to everything she does—including caring for her crew of cats, chickens, pigeons, and koi at home.
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VMCVM Alumni Spotlight: Kristin Eden , articleMeet Kristin Eden '06, DVM '10, PhD '18, anatomic pathologist at the veterinary college and associate professor at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine. Passionate about education and mentorship, she brings a collaborative, compassionate approach to teaching both veterinary and medical students. Whether in the lab or the classroom, she blends curiosity, honesty, and a love for learning, plus a little ice hockey on the side.
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VMCVM Faculty Spotlight: Kush Kumar Yadav , articleMeet Kush Kumar Yadav, a faculty member who blends a passion for infectious disease research with a deep commitment to mentoring future scientists. His journey — from aspiring physician in Nepal to veterinary researcher — taught him that setbacks often lead to the most fulfilling paths. Inspired by mentors and driven to solve real-world problems, he now explores zoonotic viruses and the role of AI in preventing future outbreaks.
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VMCVM Faculty Spotlight: Ivan Ravera , articleMeet Ivan Ravera, who joined the veterinary college in January 2024. A second-generation veterinarian from Argentina, he finds the most joy in seeing students learn to think like doctors. Ivan is passionate about animal dignity, supporting future vets, and the promise of AI and biotech in veterinary medicine. At home, he enjoys quiet evenings with his wife, their rescue dog Bruno, and their cat Bayou.
STAFF
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VMCVM Staff Spotlight: Soni Mills , articleMeet Soni Mills, a community practice technician at the veterinary college. Soni, who values working hard and staying humble, sees her work as balancing science with compassion and the voices animals don't have. She loves working with students: "Being a part of their learning experience is so special and rewarding, knowing and hearing that you have made a difference in the careers of these special humans." At home she has a daughter who inspires her and 15 pets, some with fur, some with scales, some with feathers.
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VMCVM Staff Spotlight: Robyn Fox , articleMeet Robyn Fox, and LVT and clinical research coordinator. Robyn started at VMCVM in 2003 and has worked in six different departments since then. She is compassionate about end-of-life care: "Every moment matters and the human animal bond lasts until their last breath and beyond. " Robyn has two cats, two dogs, four chickens, and an 8-year-old son who says he is part cat.
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VMCVM Staff Spotlight: Kirsten Denney , articleMeet Kirsten Denney, an LVT in large animal at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital. Denney joined VMCVM in 2022 after 15 years at Ohio State in the large animal ICU. Kirsten participates in medieval reenactments and competes in jousting tournaments while also caring for two horses, two donkeys, two dogs, and a menagerie of cats, ducks, chickens and guineas. Kirsten is passionate bout veterinary mission projects, because "being able to provide services for those who so desperately need it in different parts of the world really opens your eyes."
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VMCVM Staff Spotlight: Carrie Keatley , articleMeet Carrie Keatley, clinical pathology technologist at ViTALS since 2022. From chemistry to blood banking, she helps turn samples into answers that support animal care across the hospital. Carrie loves working alongside her talented team and learning something new every day. Whether she’s troubleshooting an instrument or sharing a laugh with colleagues, she brings care, curiosity, and a sense of purpose to her work—and a porch swing, a good book, and her three quirky cats to her evenings.
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VMCVM Staff Spotlight: Drew Dunn , articleMeet Drew Dunn, a veterinary assistant in neurology who joined the veterinary college in November 2020. Drew can identify many stars and constellations in the night sky and dreams of seeing the aurora over the Arctic. Inspired by his mom, "the most generous person I have ever met," Drew is also appreciative of the doctors and technicians at the veterinary college helping him expand his skills and knowledge. He was particularly moved by one case of a dog who could no longer walk and was aggressive, seeing him not only walk on his own again but crawl into Drew's lap. A fitting motto for Drew's work, he said, is "Helping Animals Walk Again ... One Step at a Time."
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VMCVM Staff Spotlight: Alex Ambelang , articleMeet Alexandra (Alex) Ambelang, clinical veterinary assistant at the Equine Medical Center since 2021. A lifelong horsewoman and former professional groom, she brings skill and calm to every case. Passionate about patient care and student mentorship, Alex also serves as an international FEI steward and loves ending the day with her rescue pup, Mona.
STUDENTS
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VMCVM Student Spotlight: DeAndrea Gray , articleMeet DeAndrea Gray, Class of 2028 student on the small animal track. Gray hails from Minnesota and began her path to veterinary college on a field trip to a petting zoo in kindergarten. She already has a master's degree in agriculture and environmental systems with a thesis on reducing greenhouse gas emissions in cattle using essential oils. She has studied traditional Chinese veterinary medicine and exotic animals as she discovers how diverse the veterinary field really is.
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VMCVM Student Spotlight: Alison Lynch , articleMeet Alison Lynch, Class of 2026 DVM student on the small animal track, from Rockville, Maryland. As class president, Alison says she sees veterinary medicine as a people profession, "showing up for clients during the best and worst days of their lives." A former Irish dance champion, Alison wants to visit Australia —she has been inspired by the Irwin family's impact on wildlife conservation, and has named her cat Bindi in honor of Steve Irwin's daughter.
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VMCVM Student Spotlight: Brian Tu , articleMeet Brian Tu, a Class of 2028 veterinary student from Frederick, Maryland, on the mixed animal track. Brian encourages his peers to be themselves, "there is nothing wrong with being weird." He is accomplished in Wushu (Chinese martial arts), has tried indoor skydiving and aspires to do the same from an airplane, and loves "being immersed into a community with like-minded peers." His path to a veterinary career began when he was 16 and he rescued his dog from a choking incident involving a bacon-flavored teething bone.
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VMCVM Student Spotlight: Malik Torres , articleMeet Malik Torres, Class of 2027 veterinary student from Harlem, New York. A self-described 'adrenaline junkie' who loves to skydive, Malik is also just fine being chill at the end of a hard day and taking a nap, listening to music, eating good food and grabbing a drink with friends. Torres said he has loved animals for as long as he can remember and kept a ton of pets growing up in the Big Apple, where he started working in animal hospitals as a teenager. Malik's goal is to become a veterinary cardiologist.
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VMCVM Student Spotlight: Cydney Suber , articleMeet Cydney Suber, a Class of 2029 veterinary student from Pottstown, Pennsylvania, on the equine track. Cydney knew she wanted to be a veterinary from a young age -- her mother dubbed her Doc McStuffins. Working with horses when she got older, and seeing how the human-horse bond could affect people's lives in a positive manner, solidified her plans to be a veterinarian. Cydney said she always thought she was a dog person, until she met her cat Percy.
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VMCVM Student Spotlight: Lauren Tucker , articleMeet Lauren Tucker '25, a public health student from Ellicott City, Maryland, who received her B.S. in public health last spring and is now seeking an accelerated MPH degree. Laura values being part of a diverse community of professionals from various fields at VMCVM and has a passion for the health and well-being of communities and those around her. She loves watching movies and her family's 15-year-old dog Cooper. Lauren gets motivated by listening to "Eye of the Tiger" and taught competitive dance for many years.
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VMCVM Student Spotlight: Ann (Lily) Stenning , articleMeet Lily Stenning, a second-year student hailing from New Enterprise, Pennsylvania. Lily is on the public corporate track in the Class of 2028, having studied biology with a minor in Spanish as an undergraduate at Old Dominion University. She loves to sing music and play instruments, particularly her guitar -- she plans to learn how to play Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Free Bird," a motivational song she often listens to before taking exams. Lily is inspired by her parents, who she describes as living life to the fullest with never-ending stories. She is pleased to be among "students, faculty, and staff from all walks of life who have come together because they decided that animals were going to be the center of their lives."
ALUMNI
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VMCVM Alumni Spotlight: Maureen Noftsinger , articleMeet Maureen Noftsinger DVM '01, medical director for Emergency Veterinary and Specialty Services, located at Roanoke. Noftsinger fondly recalls the post-exam taligates and Thursday night study sessions while watching "ER" while she was at VMCVM. She is passionate about animals but also about helping people, often hosting students in the clinic ranging from elementary school to veterinary school. Noftsinger has a farm with 23 goats, 5 sheep, 15 chickens, 5 dogs, and a cat.
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VMCVM Alumni Spotlight: Estelle Ward , articleMeet Estelle Ward DVM '88, owner and medical director of West Friendship Animal Hospital in Maryland. Estelle says that "mentorship is one of the greatest joys of the profession" and that small animal veterinary medicine is a people business, first and foremost. Estelle's 20 critters at Starward Farm include seven tarantulas, three snakes and a gecko. She also has a cat named after Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam.
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VMCVM Alumni Spotlight: Stacey Cordivano , articleMeet Stacey (Ward) Cordivano DVM '08, founder of Clay Creek Equine Veterinary Services in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania. Passionate about helping to create a more sustainable career path for other equine veterinarians, Stacey says she is lucky to have had so many mentors to impart wisdom and inspiration, and she encourages students to get as many experiences as possible because any of them could lead to an amazing path.
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VMCVM Alumni Spotlight: Carolyn Askew , articleMeet Carolyn Askew '91, DVM '96. An associate veterinarian at a clinic in Chardon, Ohio, she says VMCVM helped her learn how to be calm and professional in an emergency. Carolyn says she has friends all over the world thanks to the veterinary college, and has learned there are Hokies everywhere — "If you have a VT sticker or a t-shirt people will stop you!"
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VMCVM Alumni Spotlight: Katherine Broaddus , articleMeet Katherine Broaddus '83, DVM '86, a veterinarian with Broad Run Veterinary Service in Bluemont, Virginia. One of only a few women to finish the Vermont 100 both on horse and foot, she is passionate about exposing people to foxhunting and carriage driving to preserve those sports for the future. Broaddus said being an alum has allowed her unlimited access over the years to top doctors and advice without judgement. She encourages current veterinary students to do a complete history and physical examination to diagnose patients before implementing the help of modern technology.
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VMCVM Alumni Spotlight: Aimee Dalrymple , articleAimee Dalrymple, DVM ’95, is a shelter medicine specialist at Shelter Veterinary Care Consulting LLC in Natick, Massachusetts. After beginning her career in small animal general practice, she transitioned to shelter medicine and later earned a Master’s in Shelter Medicine through the University of Florida’s online program. She credits VMCVM with providing the strong clinical foundation that has supported her more than 30-year career, which now includes consulting with shelters, teaching at veterinary schools, and collaborating on research. Passionate about advancing evidence-based shelter medicine and dispelling misconceptions about the field, Dalrymple says all the hard work is worth it because veterinary medicine is “inspiring, challenging, and wonderful”—and even decades later, she can still ear-tag a sow or operate a cattle chute when needed.
PETS
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VMCVM Pet Spotlight: Alba , articleMeet Alba, the 3-year-old torti cat of Madison Brown, the veterinary college photographer. Found under a frat house, Alba is "a snugglebug with a touch of wild child." Alba has two canine siblings, one she is playful with, another she mostly tolerates but sometimes bullies. Alba can leave her humans speechless with a loud meow that sounds "otherworldly."
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VMCVM Pet Spotlight: Venus , articleMeet Venus, soon-to-be 6-year-old French bulldog-Jack Russell terrier mix whose mom, Bre Payne, is the administrative assistant in the Advancement office at the veterinary college. Venus is a couch potato most of the day and a wild child for the rest, with an uncanny ability to convince her mom into giving her chicken-flavored treats — or just plain chicken that her mom cooks. Venus' best friend is a cat named Otis, — "partners in crime, nap pals, and sometimes frenemies" — and she wishes her mom would quit doing human stuff more often and just cuddle on the couch.
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VMCVM Pet Spotlight: Luke Fleawalker , articleMeet Luke Fleawalker, the 6-year-old tuxedo cat of Robyn Fox, LVT and clinical research director at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital. Luke says he is too dignified for that name and doesn't need to be reminded of the time he was found covered in fleas and nursed back to health at the VTH. But that did lead him to his family, which also includes a best-friend cat, a couple of dogs he doesn't particularly care for, and some chickens outside he might like to chase.
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VMCVM Pet Spotlight: Nuggs , articleMeet Nuggs, the 8-year-old "coconut retriever" whose mom, Alley LaPlante, is an intern at and 2025 graduate of the veterinary college. Nuggs was rescued from a hurricane-ravaged island, arriving on a plane to bring "island joy" to all. Nuggs loves cows, once got stuck in the snow under a deck, and claims to be cute from every possible camera angle. Nuggs has learned that "if you never beg for an extra cookie, the answer will always be no."
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VMCVM Pet Spotlight: Hollow , articleMeet Hollow, the 2-year-old "picked-up-off-the-side-of-the-road barn cat" turned pampered vet school cat of second-year student Lily Stenning. A healthy mix of snugglebug and wild child, Hollow and his canine pal Isla recently accompanied Lily on a hike to the Cascades. Hollow loves to scratch on furniture but spends a lot of time napping — something he hopes all veterinary students can find time to do also. Hollow was the "goodest boy" donating blood to help other pets in need.
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VMCVM Pet Spotlight: Willie , articleMeet Willie, a one-year-old Labrador retriever in training with the Guide Dog Foundation, raised by third-year vet student Shannen Auffarth. From exploring the Capitol Building to snoozing under lecture hall desks, this future assistance dog is already living his best life while preparing to change someone's world.