Sixth-Term Students Get Proper Sendoff in SVM Virtual Awards Ceremony

On Saturday, May 16, the School of Veterinary Medicine held its semiannual awards ceremony, welcoming students across all terms to a virtual event celebrating the highest-achieving veterinary students and faculty members.

The ceremony has long been a customary sendoff of sorts for Term 6 students, a final farewell before they advance to their fourth-year clinical studies. However, with students participating in distance education curriculum as a result of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, the SVM held the ceremony online.

“We are so proud of the strides that these students have made toward their careers and the way they have responded to challenges that have arisen,” said Dr. Neil Olson, dean of the SVM. “It was only right that we came together to acknowledge their achievements and wish them the best of luck as they enter their clinical year.”

To honor the exiting class, Dr. Olson, Dr. Anne Marie Corrigan, associate dean of academics and professor; Dr. Tara Paterson, associate professor and president of the school’s alumni association; and Dr. Inga Karasek, assistant professor, addressed the online crowd, which averaged about 150 attendees. In addition to a wide range of traditional awards acknowledging the best students in all classes, student organizations were welcome to nominate one outstanding sixth-term student for an award.

“Term 6 is really an important time for faculty and students,” said Dr. Paterson, a 2003 SGU graduate herself. “It’s always a little sad because we form these strong connections with our students, but at the same time, it’s exciting to see them move on. They’re one step closer to becoming a veterinarian.”

In addition, the SVM acknowledged two retiring faculty members—Drs. Diana Stone and Ulrike Zieger—with SVM Recognition of Service Awards. Dr. Stone has been a professor in the Department of Pathobiology since 2006, with a stint as its chair from 2014-2017, while Dr. Zieger has served the Department of Anatomy, Physiology, and Pharmacology in several capacities since 2000, including most recently as a professor of veterinary physiology and coordinator of the DVM/MSc Wildlife Conservation Medicine program.

They, like all SVM faculty members, have formed a strong bond with each class of students who calls Grenada home for the first three years of study, a bond that lasts into their time as practicing veterinarians.

“One of the advantages of being at SGU that we have a relatively small faculty, and it’s a very family-oriented type of feel when you’re a member of the vet school,” Dr. Paterson said. “It’s a tight-knit community. The students obviously make very close connections with each other, and they also make connections with the faculty.

“Term 6 is exciting and terrifying at the same time,” she continued. “They’ve finally finished their three years of studies in Grenada and are moving on to their clinical year. For a faculty member, it’s almost like a mama bird watching a baby bird fly away from the nest.”

  • 180 students graduated from the School of Veterinary Medicine on Saturday, June 6.

  • The Class of 2020 joins a network of more than 1,800 veterinarians who have earned their degree at St. George’s University

  • The PAWS Team

  • Outstanding Colleague Awards: Term 1 – Perry Jacob

  • Outstanding Colleague Awards: Term 2 – Ireny Barsoum

  • Outstanding Colleague Awards: Term 4 – Maria Coppola

  • Outstanding Colleague Awards: Term 5 – Jennifer Kirk

  • Zoetis Revolution Awards: Small Animal Surgery – Kelsey Atamanchuk

  • Zoetis Revolution Awards: Small Animal Internal Medicine – Teresa Monroe

  • Zoetis Revolution Awards: Student Research – Arielle Bierman

  • Women’s Veterinary Leadership Development Initiative: WVLDI Warrior – Kaylene Passione

  • Feral Cat Project: Most Valuable Trapper – Erin Pedone

  • SGA: SGU SVM Outstanding Staff – Liz Peach

  • SGU SVM Outstanding Faculty: Dr. Arno Werners (Terms 1-3) and Dr. Talia Guttin (Terms 4-6)

 

SCHOOL OF VETERINARY MEDICINE SPRING 2020 AWARDS

Outstanding Colleague Awards

Term 1: Perry Jacobs

Term 2: Ireny Barsoum

Term 3: Adriana Kalaska

Term 4: Maria Coppola

Term 5: Jennifer Kirk

Term 6: Carley Jones, Jaclyn Gremley

 

Adrienne Lotton Memorial Award: Carley Jones

 

Zoetis Revolution Awards

Small Animal Internal Medicine: Teresa Munro

Small Animal Surgery: Kelsey Atamanchuk

Equine Medicine: Kari Schultz

Large Animal Internal Medicine: Tiffany McElroy

Scholarship of Service: Carley Jones

Student Research: Arielle Bierman

 

SVM Alumni Scholarship award: Brittnee Frizzol

SVM Alumni Award: Michael Gonzales

GPGH Hercules Award: Marissa Turner

 

PAWS Recognition – 6th Term Facilitators

Kailah Buchanan, Collin Hummel, Sibel Catto, Amanda James, AJ Fruges, Cate Wadman, Maria Barandica, Carley Jones, Kelly Larabee

 

SCAVMA: Student Chapter of the AVMA

SAVMA Award: Carley Jones, Sloane Hoffman, Ashley Schimshock

 

Feral Cat Project                                                    

Most Valuable Trapper: Erin Pedone

 

Veterinary Public Health Committee                   

One Health One Medicine Community Leader Award: Mariana Reyes

 

SGUSVM Large Animal Society                             

Most Valuable LAS Member: Katie Murray

 

IVSA: International Veterinary Student Association             

Officer Extraordinaire: Kayla Mochizuki

 

SVM Wellness Committee                                    

Wellness MVP Award: Rebekah DesMarteau, Alexis Garbarino

 

SCACVIM: Student Chapter of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine      

Internal Medicine MVP Award: Jaclyn Turturro

 

SVECCS: Student Chapter of the Emergency and Critical Care Society         

Outstanding 6th Termer: Marissa Turner

 

SCASV: Student Chapter of the Association of Shelter Veterinarians          

Shelter Scholar: Lauren Kiebler

 

SCACVP: Student Chapter of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists      

The MVP (Most Valuable Pathologist): Maria Barahona

 

EWS: Exotics and Wildlife Society                        

Most Valuable Primate Award: Kaitlynn Samborsky

 

WVLDI: Women’s Veterinary Leadership Development Initiative   

WVLDI Warrior: Kaylene Passione

 

VBMA: Veterinary Business Management Association        

Impact Award: Rachel Painter

 

Green Consortium                                                 

Green Medal Award: Deborah Murphy

 

SGA: Student Government Association                

George B. Daniel Award: Jaclyn Gremley

SGU SVM Outstanding Faculty Term 1-3: Dr. Arno Werners

SGU SVM Outstanding Faculty Term 4-6: Dr. Talia Guttin

SGU SVM Outstanding Staff: Elizabeth Peach

Diana Stone Public Health Award: May Yu Wang

 

SGUSVM Recognition of Service
Diana Stone, Ulrike Zieger