Dr. Kelsey Ryan further expands aquarium’s capacity to provide expert care and welfare for aquatic life
Lots of water and sea life are key elements of a dream that has come true for Purdue alumna Kelsey (Trumpp) Ryan (PU DVM 2019), who recently joined the decorated team of animal care professionals at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. Dr. Ryan, Dipl. ACZM, will serve as an associate veterinarian at the aquarium’s A. Watson Armour III Center for Animal Health and Welfare, where she will help oversee preventative exams and veterinary care for some 32,000 animals that call Shedd home, from majestic, cold-water belugas to colorful, reef-dwelling butterflyfish.
Dr. Ryan brings to Shedd her extensive experience treating and caring for fish, mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians at institutions across the country. Most recently, she completed her residency with Georgia Aquarium, Zoo Atlanta and the University of Georgia, working across different specialties including emergency and critical care, anesthesia, radiology and pathology.
“Shedd Aquarium is an iconic Chicago landmark and I’m excited to honor its legacy of top-quality animal care, while also continuing to push the boundaries of innovation in animal medicine,” said Dr. Ryan. “I also look forward to passing my knowledge on to the next generation of veterinary specialists by mentoring residents and students.”
Becoming a veterinarian in a specialized field like aquatic medicine requires education, externships, training, volunteer experience and more. Dr. Ryan earned her DVM degree at Purdue University in 2019 and, as part of her residency program in zoological medicine, earned a Master of Science degree in Comparative Biomedical Sciences at the University of Georgia. Throughout her career path, Dr. Ryan has acquired experience at both veterinary hospitals and zoological institutions, including two internships at the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital and externships at Tiergarten Schönbrunn (Vienna Zoo) and Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium. She is board certified by the American College of Zoological Medicine (ACZM).
Additionally, Dr. Ryan advances veterinary knowledge through her breadth of published research, including a study that reviewed ten years of data on over 1,000 African penguins across accredited zoos and aquariums to inform caretakers and veterinarians, allowing for enhanced levels of care and resources by targeting conditions with the highest impact on that population.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Dr. Ryan to our team to help us further the aquarium’s first priority of providing top-quality animal care and advancing our understanding of animal health and welfare,” said Dr. Karisa Tang, vice president of animal health at Shedd Aquarium. “Every day, our team of veterinarians not only provide medical care to the patients who need it, but we also conduct routine exams to ensure that all animals are as healthy as they can be.”
Veterinarians and veterinary technicians at Shedd work in a state-of-the-art, full-service hospital onsite, while also making “house calls” to habitats around the aquarium. The animal health team collaborates with Shedd’s caretakers to carefully monitor the health and behavior of the animals, alerting them to even the slightest changes. Shedd experts share their knowledge through scientific publications and veterinary conferences, reaching an international community of veterinarians and biologists.
