2016 was an exciting year for ACZM. We gained 17 new Diplomates and peers. Make sure to welcome them to our community online and in person!

Priya Bapodra

Dr. Priya Bapodra graduated from the Royal Veterinary College, University of London in 2006 with a bachelors in Veterinary Medicine with Honours. She obtained a Masters in Wild Animal Health in 2008 from the Zoological Society of London and Royal Veterinary College. She started her residency in Conservation Medicine at the Wilds in 2009, and started as Staff Veterinarian at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in 2012.

Elsburgh "Tres" Octavius Clarke III

Dr. Elsburgh “Tres” Octavius Clarke III is the Sr. Staff Veterinarian at SeaWorld San Diego. He earned his veterinary degree from Ross University and completed his fourth year at University of Tennessee. After school, he worked alongside Dr. Robert George in small animal medicine at Gloucester Veterinary Hospital Gloucester, Virginia and also the Virginia Beach Aquarium and Marine Science Center. He completed a residency in zoological medicine (Aquatics focus) from North Carolina State University. After completion of his residency, Tres was hired on at Audubon Nature Institute in New Orleans, Louisiana and worked there for four years. He enjoys working on all creatures, especially sharks, reptiles and occasional dinosaurs.

Katie Delk

Dr Katie Delk graduated from Davidson College in North Carolina in 2006 and worked as a keeper intern at Zoo Atlanta before obtaining her veterinary degree from the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine in 2011. She completed a small animal rotating internship at the University of Tennessee followed by a zoo/exotics internship at Kansas State University. Most = recently, she completed the UC Davis Zoological Medicine Residency and is currently the Senior Veterinarian at the North Carolina Zoo.

Genevieve Dumonceaux

Dr. Genevieve Dumonceaux graduated from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine. She completed a residency in Zoological Medicine at the University of California - Davis. She has had a varied zoological career including positions at El Paso Zoo, Busch Gardens, Tampa Bay, and the Florida Aquarium. She is now Director of Animal Health at the Palm Beach Zoo. She has also earned her black belt in Tae Kwon Do, certification in HAZWOPER, certification in NAHERC and certification in rifle safety and qualification as lethal force team member with professional firearms training. In addition to all of the above she has participated directly in research concerning Tuberculosis diagnostics for privately owned and government owned elephants in Nepal and later as a veterinarian performing health care evaluations for some of these same elephants a few years later.

Jessica Emerson

Dr. Jessica Emerson is currently Staff Veterinarian in the Companion Exotic Animal Medicine and Surgery Service at the University of California, Davis. Dr. Emerson received her Bachelor of Science in Zoology and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degrees from Michigan State University in 2001 and 2005, respectively. She completed a Small Animal Rotating Internship at the University of Illinois and was in private practice in Michigan for three years after which time, she completed a Zoological Medicine Internship at the University of Illinois and Residency in Zoological Medicine at the University of Florida and White Oak Conservation Center. She subsequently worked for a year as a Clinical Instructor at Disney's Animal Kingdom prior to accepting her current position.

Jen Flower

Dr. Jen Flower is a graduate of The Ohio State University. After veterinary school she completed a 2 year internship in Aquatic Animal Medicine and Research at Mystic Aquarium. After her internship, Jen completed the Illinois Zoological and Aquatic Animal Residency Program (IZAAR) in Chicago, IL (John G. Shedd Aquarium, University of Illinois, and Chicago Zoological Society's Brookfield Zoo) where she also obtained a Masters of Science degree focused on sea turtle conservation medicine. Immediately following her residency she worked as an Associate Veterinarian at Brookfield Zoo and is currently the Chief Clinical Veterinarian at Mystic Aquarium.

Jenessa Gjeltema

Dr. Jenessa Gjeltema is currently an Assistant Professor of Zoological Medicine at the University of California, Davis and provides veterinary services to the animal collection at the Sacramento Zoo. After receiving degrees in Business Administration, International Business, and Philosophy from the College of Charleston in South Carolina, she began volunteering at the Valerie H. Schindler Wildlife Rehabilitation Center and the Hanes Veterinary Medical Center at the North Carolina Zoo prior to obtaining her DVM from North Carolina State in 2011. She then completed a small animal rotating internship at Coral Springs Animal Hospital (FL) before returning to NC State to complete a residency in Zoological Medicine. In addition to her research endeavors, she currently provides didactic and clinical instruction to students through the veterinary curriculum at UC Davis and also serves as veterinary research advisor to the Puerto Rican Crested Toad SSP.

Jessica Gull

Dr. Jessica Gull graduated from University of Zurich, Switzerland in 2007. After a 2-year training position in exotic animal medicine with a doctoral thesis at the University of Zurich she worked as temporary replacement of the veterinarian of the Parc Zoologique d’Ivoloina, Madagaskar. After this she completed a residency in zoological medicine at the University of Zurich. Upon a short stay at Walter Zoo Gossau, Jessica is now working as a veterinarian at Knie’s Children’s Zoo, Switzerland.

Katharine Hope

Dr. Katharine Hope is an associate veterinarian at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo. She graduated from Tufts in 2005. After completing a small animal rotating internship at Oradell Animal Hospital in Paramus, NJ, Dr. Hope practiced small animal emergency for 1 year. She started the National Zoo’s residency program in 2007, was hired as an associate vet in 2008. In 2014 and 2015, Dr. Hope lived in Tasmania, Australia where she was a clinical veterinarian with the Save the (Tasmanian) Devil program. When not working on zoo medicine, Dr. Hope is busy with three sons at home.

Priscilla Joyner

Dr. Priscilla Joyner graduated from the University of Glasgow School of Veterinary Medicine in 1999. She completed an internship in Zoological Medicine at Oklahoma State University and a residency in Zoological and Wildlife Medicine at the Wildlife Center of Virginia. Priscilla has worked at the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium and for Wildlife Conservation Society as a field veterinarian in Cambodia. In 2013, she joined the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute as a Veterinary Medical Officer. She is particularly interested in addressing wildlife trade threats.

Emi Knafo

Dr. S. Emi Knafo is originally from New York City and received her BS in biology from Cornell University followed by a DVM degree from the Tufts University (V'08). After veterinary school, she completed an internship in large animal surgery and critical care at the University of Pennsylvania (2009) and an internship in zoological medicine at the University of Georgia (2010). In 2013 she completed a residency in zoological medicine at Cornell University and briefly ran a house call practice for exotic pets. In 2014 she became a Clinical Assistant Professor of Zoological Medicine at Tufts University. Her main interest is surgery of all exotic and zoological species, and is proud to have become a Diplomate of the ACZM in 2016!

Jenny Meegan

Dr. Jenny Meegan is a clinical veterinarian with the National Marine Mammal Foundation providing veterinary care for the Navy's Marine Mammal Program and has been with the program for over 6 years. Previously Dr. Meegan completed an Aquatic Animal Medicine Residency at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine. Prior to the residency she worked at Mystic Aquarium as both a clinical veterinary intern and as a post doctoral fellow researching marine mammal brucellosis.

Christine Molter

Dr. Christine Molter earned her undergraduate degree in Zoology, Conservation, and Environmental Studies from the University of Wisconsin. She also earned her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine. Following a small animal rotating internship, she completed a residency in Zoological Medicine at the University of California - Davis, Sacramento Zoo, and San Diego Zoo Global. Currently, she is a staff veterinarian at the Houston Zoo.

Lisa Naples

Dr. Lisa Naples earned her doctorate degree in veterinary medicine from Tufts University. She completed internships in small animal medicine & surgery at Oradell Animal Hospital and zoological medicine at Wildlife Safari. She completed a residency in zoological medicine through the University of Illinois and the Chicago Zoological and Aquatic Animal Residency Program. She followed her residency as the Section Chief of Conservation Medicine at the John G. Shedd Aquarium. She is currently the Chief Veterinarian and Director of the Goettlieb Animal Health and Conservation Center at the Los Angeles Zoo & Botanical Gardens

Miranda Sadar

sanderDr. Miranda Sadar completed her veterinary medical school training at Colorado State University in 2009. After graduation, she completed a one year internship in the Zoological, Exotic, and Wildlife Medicine and Surgery Service at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatchewan, Canada. From there she moved to Waynesboro, Virginia for a two year fellowship in wildlife medicine at the Wildlife Center of Virginia. She completed a Zoological Companion Animals residency at the University of California, Davis in 2015. Miranda is currently an Assistant Professor in the Zoological, Exotics, and Wildlife Medicine and Surgery Service at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine.

Sam Sander

Dr. Sam Sander is an associate veterinarian at the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore. She completed her zoological medicine residency at the Smithsonian's National Zoological Park in 2015. Prior to her residency, she completed a private practice small animal rotating internship followed by a zoological medicine internship at the University of Illinois. She graduated from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine in 2010.

Rodney Schnellbacher

Dr. Rodney Schnellbacher is currently Staff Veterinarian at the Dickerson Park Zoo. He obtained his DVM from University of Missouri and after veterinary school completed internships in Anesthesia (LSU), Zoological Medicine (LSU) and Zoological Medicine (KSU). His residency training was at the University of Georgia