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Congratulations 2014 New ACZM Diplomates

Published on 11/10/2014
 

ACZM 2014 New diplomates biographies

 

Dr. Joerg Mayer

Joerg grew up in Germany where he received his primary education. He went to Budapest (Hungary) to study veterinary medicine shortly after the “iron curtain” fell. During his studies, he was fortunate to be able to work with veterinarians in South Africa and Namibia for 6 months. He always had a strong interest in exotic animal medicine. After he received his doctoral degree from the University of Budapest, he went to the USA for an internship in Zoological Medicine and Surgery at the Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence, RI. At the end of the internship, he was part of a research team to study wild tree kangaroos in the rainforest of Papua New Guinea for 3 months.  After this exciting experience, he went to the Royal veterinary College in London (England) to study for his Masters of Science degree in wild animal health. The Masters project, which focused on lead toxicity in the common loon, brought him to the Tufts Wildlife Clinic (USA). There he was hired to serve as a clinical assistant professor of the clinical service for exotic animals. After 10 years at Tufts University, he moved to Athens, Georgia in 2010 to take the job of Associate Professor in Zoological Medicine at UGA.

 

Dr. Hugues Beaufrère

Hugues received his veterinary degree from the University of Lyon (France) in 2006. He then completed a small animal internship in a private practice in Belgium in 2007, followed by an avian and exotic medicine internship at the Ontario Veterinary College (Canada) the following year. Following his internships, Hugues enrolled into a combined PhD and Zoological Medicine Residency program in the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences at the School of Veterinary Medicine – Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge (USA) and the Audubon Nature Institute, New Orleans (USA). In 2012, he became a board-certified veterinary specialist in avian medicine both in Europe through the European College of Zoological Medicine (Avian) and in North America through the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners – Avian Practice. Hugues also obtained his PhD degree in 2013 working on avian atherosclerosis. He is currently heading the Avian and Exotics Service at the Ontario Veterinary College - University of Guelph.

 

Dr. Claire Grosset

Claire received her veterinary degree from the Veterinary School of Alfort (France) in 2008. She completed an internship in Zoological Medicine in the Veterinary School of Saint-Hyacinthe, Canada. She worked in private practice and at the Veterinary School of Alfort as a clinical instructor for 2 years. She then completed a residency in the Companion Avian and Exotic Pet Medicine Program at the University of California, Davis. She is currently working as an Associate Veterinarian in the Aquatic Animal Health Service of the University of California, Davis. She has a special interest in chameleon medicine and conservation, rodent oncology and all aspects of reptile medicine, especially nutrition, parasitology and reproductive disorders. 

 

Dr. Christoph Mans

Christoph received his veterinary degree from the University of Leipzig (Germany). He completed an internship in Avian and Exotic Animal Medicine at the Ontario Veterinary College (Canada), and a residency in Zoological Medicine, which was a collaborative program between the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the Milwaukee County Zoo, and the International Crane Foundation. He is currently a clinical assistant professor of zoological medicine at the School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison.

 

Dr. Krista Keller

Krista graduated from Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine in 2010 and spent her clinical year at Tufts University. After graduation, she completed an internship in Companion Animal Medicine and Surgery at Louisiana State University in 2011 and the Zoological Companion Animal Residency at UC Davis in 2014. She is currently living in Denver, Colorado and is currently seeking out the perfect hospital to practice world domination, oops, I mean zoological companion animal medicine!

 

Dr. Alicia Hahn

Alicia obtained her DVM from Kansas State University, College of Veterinary Medicine. She then completed a rotating small animal internship at VCA Aurora and Berwyn in Chicago, IL, followed by the Zoo, Exotics, and Wildlife internship at Oklahoma State University. She recently completed the Oklahoma City Zoological Medicine Residency. Alicia is currently an Associate veterinarian at the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium.

 

Dr. Amanda Guthrie

Amanda grew up on a farm in North Carolina.  She went to North Carolina State University for undergrad and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign for veterinary school, graduated in 2006.  She has been a veterinarian at the Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville, TX and Zoo Boise in Boise, ID.  And now she is currently the veterinarian at the Virginia Zoo in Norfolk, VA and has been there for the past three years.  Her favorite animals are two toed sloths, tree kangaroos, pygmy hippos, African bullfrogs and Meller's chameleons!

 

Dr. Matt Kinney

Matt received his doctorate of veterinary medicine from the University of Wisconsin in 2010. He then completed a small animal rotating internship in South Florida. Matt recently completed a zoological medicine residency at the University of California-Davis, Sacramento Zoo, and San Diego Zoo Global. He is currently an associate veterinarian at the St. Louis Zoo. 

 

Dr. Claire Erlacher-Reid

Claire Erlacher-Reid graduated from the University of Georgia’s College of Veterinary Medicine in 2008.  Following graduation, she completed a small animal veterinary internship at Hollywood Animal Hospital in Florida, the aquatic animal medicine and research internship at Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut, and the aquatic animal medicine residency program at the University of Florida.  Since completing her residency in July of 2013, Claire has been working as a lecturer in aquatic animal heath at the University of Florida and working as a relief veterinarian at several public aquariums. She has recently accepted a full-time veterinary position at SeaWorld in San Diego, California.

 

Dr. Peter Black

Peter did his undergraduate at the University of Northwestern Saint Paul and his vet school at the University of Minnesota.  After graduation, he did an internship at the Wildlife Center of Virginia.  After that, he did his residency at the Saint Louis Zoo.  He then started at Busch Gardens, FL, where he has been since 2010.  Besides working there, he is also involved with the Saharan Conservation Fund and the Struthioforme TAG ostrich vet advisor.

 

Dr. Dominique Keller

Dominique has a PhD in veterinary physiology with a focus on assisted reproduction in endangered species from Texas A&M University. She also received her DVM degree at Texas A&M, followed by a small animal internship in private practice at VCA VetCare in Albuquerque, NM. She then did her zoological medicine residency at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, rotating between the Milwaukee County Zoo, International Crane Foundation, and the veterinary school.  She stayed on as clinical instructor in special species medicine at UW-Madison prior to taking her current position as veterinarian at Busch Gardens, Tampa. Dominique is also an adjunct clinical instructor at UW-Madison, and hopes to continue being active in clinical research and educational outreach.

  

Dr. Elizabeth Hammond

Elizabeth graduated with a BS in biology from Yale University and received her DVM from Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine in 2000.  After graduating from Tufts, she worked at the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center in Texas.  In 2002, she worked at the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans for 4 years.  As part of the Hurricane Team, Beth provided care to the animals at the Audubon Zoo for 1.5 weeks after Hurricane Katrina.  She is the Senior Veterinarian at Lion Country Safari in South Florida, where she has worked since November 2006. At this wildlife park, a large part of her duties include performing chemical immobilization of semi-free ranging hoof stock, in addition to caring for other mammalian, avian and reptile species.  Beth is also the Veterinary Advisor to the Maned Wolf SSP.

 

Dr. Ann Burgdorf

Ann graduated from vet school KSU in 2007, did a small animal internship at Oradell animal hospital, an exotics and wildlife internship at university of Illinois and a residency with the UC Davis/ San Diego Zoo. She is now working at the Great Plains Zoo and Delbridge museum.