Skip to main content

Residents Embark on First-Year Studies at PVM

Clinical residents and cardiology intern pictured

New PVM clinical residents and cardiology specialty intern in the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences and the Veterinary Teaching Hospital: (front row, left-right) Drs. Tara Boozer, Gianninne Bedoya Nader, Whitney Vickery, and Jaya Mehra; (middle row, left-right) Drs. Fallon Segarra, Sarah Ostenkamp (intern), Ana Aghili, and Adrienne Cheney; (back row, left-right) Drs. Dillon Devathasan, Victoria Lyons, Beatriz Belda Lopez, Rothman Reyes, and Orion Stollar. (Not pictured: Dr. José Goñi)

The Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine welcomed new and familiar faces to the College last week as first-year residents began their orientation in the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences and the Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory. A total of 13 residents representing 11 different specialties will soon begin work in the Veterinary Teaching Hospital while also completing graduate studies through the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences. Joining the ADDL are three new anatomic pathology residents as well as an avian pathology resident. The Veterinary Teaching Hospital also welcomed Cardiology Specialty Intern Sarah Ostenkamp who joined the residents in the orientation. Please extend a warm welcome to these veterinarians as they begin their advanced training programs:

Dr. Ana Aghili (Emergency and Critical Care) earned her DVM from Louisiana State University in 2015. She then completed a rotating internship at Blue Pearl Veterinary Partners in Kentucky before completing an emergency and critical care internship at Washington State University this year.

Dr. Beatriz Belda Lopez (Small Animal Surgery) comes to Purdue from North Carolina State University where she recently completed a small animal surgery internship and worked in the Comparative Pain Research Laboratory. She earned her DVM degree in 2012 from the University of Murcia before completing a small animal rotating internship and small animal surgery internship at the Hospital Veterinario in Valencia Sur, Spain.

Dr. Tara Boozer (Diagnostic Imaging) earned her DVM degree in 2010 from Tuskegee University.  She worked as an associate veterinarian at practices in Georgia and Florida before completing a small animal rotating internship and diagnostic imaging internship at the Veterinary Specialty Center of Tucson.

Dr. Caitlin Brown (Anatomic Pathology) earned her DVM degree from Kansas State University.  She gained additional clinical medicine/surgery training and anatomic pathology training from the University of Tennessee, the University of California, Davis, and The Marine Mammal Center.  She also completed additional research training at the University of Cambridge, U.K., Kansas State University, as well as The Marine Mammal Center.

residents pictured at welcome reception

New small animal surgery resident Beatriz Belda Lopez (right), visits with (left-right) current small animal surgery residents Anastsia Olsen and Ken Brand and diagnostic imaging resident Emily Donaldson at a welcome reception hosted by the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences Wednesday, July 18, for the residents and faculty.

Dr. Adrienne Cheney (Small Animal Medicine) most recently completed a small animal rotating internship at Iowa State University. She earned her DVM degree from Oregon State University in 2017.

Dr. Dillon Devathasan (Neurology) earned his DVM degree in 2015 from the University of Adelaide in Australia.  He completed a small animal rotating internship at Queensland Veterinary Specialists, as well as a neurology and surgery internship at the Centre for Animal Referral and Emergency before coming to Purdue.

Dr. José Goñi (Large Animal Medicine) comes to Purdue from the University of Georgia where he most recently completed a rotating internship.  He earned his DVM degree in 2015 from Rio Cuarto National University before completing a rotating internship at the Kawell Equine Hospital and Rehabilitation Center in Argentina. He then completed an internship in 2016 at Park Equine Hospital followed by a fellowship with Hagyard Equine Medical Institute, both in Kentucky.

Dr. Victoria Lyons (Ophthalmology) earned her DVM degree from Western University of Health Sciences in 2016.  She completed a small animal rotating internship in 2017 at the Encina Veterinary Hospital in California.  Before coming to Purdue, Dr. Lyons finished an ophthalmology internship with Animal Eye Specialists, also located in California.

Dr. Jaya Mehra (Neurology) earned a DVM degree in 2016 from the University of California, Davis, followed by a rotating internship at the VCA Northwest in Oregon and a neurology internship at the Veterinary Specialty Hospital in California.

Dr. Laura Morman (Avian Pathology) earned her DVM degree in 2016 at Purdue University. She then served as a feedlot veterinarian at Alberta Beef Health Solutions before returning to Purdue to complete her poultry diagnostic medicine residency.

Dr. Gianninne Bedoya Nader (Cardiology) comes to Purdue from Michigan where she completed a cardiology internship at Blue Pearl Veterinary Partners.  Dr. Nader previously finished a small animal rotating internship at Blue Pearl Veterinary Partners in Illinois.  She earned her DVM degree in 2016 from St. George’s University.

ADDL anatomic pathology residents pictured

New anatomic pathology residents in the ADDL pictured: (left-right) Drs. Caitlin Brown, Stacey Piotrowski, and Melissa Swan.

Dr. Stacey Piotrowski (Anatomic Pathology) earned her DVM degree in 2015 from the University of Illinois. She then completed a laboratory animal medicine residency through the Gulf Coast Consortium Training Program in Houston, Texas. As a participant in the NIH Comparative Biomedical Scientist Training Program, Dr. Piotrowski will complete two years of anatomic pathology training at Purdue University and will then go on to perform PhD research at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

Dr. Rothman Reyes (Oncology) earned his DVM degree in 2016 at Michigan State University.  He completed a small animal rotating internship in 2017 at Purdue University before serving as an oncology specialty intern at Blue Pearl Georgia Veterinary Specialists.

Dr. Fallon Segarra (Large Animal Surgery) earned her DVM degree at Auburn University in 2016. She completed internships at both Peninsula Equine Medical Center and Missouri University before coming to Purdue.

Dr. Orion Stollar (Animal Behavior) earned his MSc and DVM degrees from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.  He worked as a veterinary general practitioner at practices in Israel before owning and serving as behavioral consultant at the Veterinary Behavior Consultation Service.  He also served as general practitioner and clinic manager at the Bet Hayot Leholim Clinic in Israel before coming to Purdue.

Dr. Melissa Swan (Anatomic Pathology) earned her DVM degree from Purdue University in 2018 before beginning her residency program in the Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory.

Dr. Whitney Vickery (Small Animal Medicine) earned her DVM degree at the University of Tennessee before completing an internship with the US Army Veterinary Corps – First Year Graduate Veterinary Education Program in Colorado. She then served as branch chief of veterinary services in Japan and, most recently, in Kentucky.

Writer(s): Allison Carey | pvmnews@purdue.edu

Recent Stories

Purdue Equine Hospital Team Comes to Aid of Horse Injured in Severe Storm in Michigan

For a horse named Sassy, Purdue Veterinary Medicine’s Brunner Equine Hospital proved to be the right place at the right time to recover from a scary accident that happened during a severe storm in Michigan two weeks ago. According to Dr. Danielle Cucuzella, Purdue visiting assistant professor of large animal surgery, the Quarter Horse named Sassy was seriously hurt during near 100 mile-per-hour winds where she lived in Saint Louis, Michigan.

“Paws Up!” for 4th-year DVM students Colton and Kendall – brought to you by the PVM Wellness Committee

This week, we celebrate the caring and competence of two members of the new senior class of DVM students for their noteworthy service in the Purdue University Veterinary Hospital.

College of Veterinary Medicine Graduates Honored at Two Ceremonies During Purdue’s 2026 Commencement Weekend

A change in Purdue University’s traditional commencement weekend schedule resulted in two ceremonies recognizing graduates of the College of Veterinary Medicine in May.  This year, veterinary technology graduates were honored at a ceremony that was separate from the commencement program for the DVM graduates.  That’s because the university recognized all doctoral degree candidates in a single ceremony on Saturday, May 16. As a result, the veterinary technology degree recipients were honored Thursday, May 14, at one of several ceremonies for undergraduate degree candidates. Following that ceremony, the college hosted its traditional oath ceremony for the 2026 graduates of the Purdue Veterinary Technology program in the Purdue Memorial Union North Ballroom.

White Coat Ceremony Celebrates Third-year Veterinary Students’ Transition to Clinical Year

The Purdue Memorial Union ballrooms provided a classic setting for an annual event that has become a cherished tradition of the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine. Members of the DVM Class of 2027 gathered with family, friends, faculty and staff on the evening of April 18 for the annual White Coat Ceremony that signals the transition of the third year veterinary students from the classroom to the clinics.

Popular Purdue Veterinary Medicine Bone Marrow Workshop Goes on the Road to Mexico

An annual program hosted by two bone marrow experts with Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine ties, once again attracted strong attendance but in a new international location. This year, Drs. Joanne B. Messick and Rose E. Raskin were invited to Mexico City to present the Annual Bone Marrow Workshop at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM).

“Paws Up” for Dr. Madeleine Swindell – brought to you by the PVM Wellness Committee

Today we share appreciation for Dr. Madeleine Swindell, who is a Purdue Veterinary Hospital Small Animal Rotating Intern.

Awards Ceremony Honors Outstanding Purdue Veterinary Medicine Staff

Applause and periodic shouts of “Bravo” punctuated the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine’s annual spring Outstanding Staff and Bravo Awards Ceremony. The program held in Lynn Hall on May 13 honored some two dozen staff members for meritorious accomplishments.