Past Wildlife Veterinary Medicine Externs
Claire Butkus
Where are they now?
Wildlife & Restricted Species Veterinarian for the California Department of Fish Wildlife. She previously completed a small animal and exotics internship at Conejo Valley Veterinary Hospital, followed by her veterinary residency in free-ranging wildlife health through CDFW-UC Davis.
Highlight of your externship?
I had a lot of great experiences during my UCD-CDFW Veterinary Externship but my favorites were probably trapping fishers in the Sierras and assisting with radio-collaring a mountain lion cub in Soma, CA. I also really enjoyed the pathology work at the WIL and the marine center.
Andrew Di Salvo
Where are they now?
Since 2019, Dr. Di Salvo has served as the wildlife veterinarian for the Pennsylvania Game Commission, overseeing the agency’s wildlife health program. In addition to directing wildlife health surveillance and database activities, Dr. Di Salvo spearheads the development of plans, protocols, and regulations related to wildlife health. He also trains agency personnel on wildlife health, chemical immobilization, handling, and pathology, as well as provides support for field and research activities. Dr. Di Salvo frequently collaborates with other state and federal agencies on wildlife health issues that can often cross wildlife-domestic-human boundaries, and partners with academic institutions to conduct applied wildlife health and management research.
Highlight of your externship?
One of the memorable highlights from the externship was managing care for a visually impaired mountain lion cub. Associated publication can be found here.
Mary Thurber
Where are they now?
Clinical Instructor in Zoological Medicine at University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine as well as the Primary veterinarian at Henry Vilas Zoo in Madison. She previously completed a zoological medicine residency through UC Davis and San Diego Zoo Global, as well as a 1-year internship in small animal medicine and surgery at the University of Tennessee
Highlight of your externship?
I really enjoyed experiencing so many different aspects of wildlife medicine and getting a thorough understanding of what it means to be a wildlife veterinarian. Getting to spend several days in the Sierra Nevada Mountains collaring black-tailed deer was the highlight of my externship!
Megan Moriarty
Where are they now?
Campus Veterinarian at UC Santa Cruz. She previously served as the state wildlife veterinarian in Michigan after her veterinary residency in free-ranging wildlife health through CDFW-UC Davis. She also completed a PhD in epidemiology and MPVM at UC Davis, working in small animal veterinarian in private practice until 2014 and serving as staff research associate at the UC Davis Marine Wildlife Veterinary Care & Research Center until 2015.
Highlight of your externship?
Talking with wildlife professionals about their career paths and spending time outdoors/in the field/with wildlife
Kathleen (Kate) Carey
Where are they now?
Associate companion animal veterinarian in private practice in New England
Highlight of your externship?
Darting, tagging mule deer for population study in Sequoia National Forest
Jaime George
Where are they now?
Staff veterinarian with Animal Welfare Society since 2021. She previously completed a wildlife and conservation internship at Tufts Wildlife Clinic 2015-2016 and served as veterinarian at Peninsula Humane Society (open door shelter with exotics and wildlife departments) from 2016-2021.
Highlight of your externship?
Being a part of meetings and research projects to get the spectrum of what is required to be a conservation veterinarian, even if it's data entry or project development. The field research was very exciting but getting to collaborate with so many different projects and teams was very enlightening. Every project requires different skills and groups of people.
Karen Alroy
Where are they now?
Medical epidemiologist at the New York City Department of Health & Mental Hygiene. After earning her DVM/MPH from Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine 2012, she completed a small animal rotating internship at Friendship Hospital for Animals 2012-2013, AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellowship at National Science Foundation Division of Environmental Biology 2013-2015, Science Associate at NSF 2015-2016, Epidemiologist at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2016-2018, Epidemic Intelligence Service with CDC placement in NYC Department of Health 2018-2020 (starting in July 2018).
Highlight of your externship?
There were honestly so many highlights, including lead testing California condors in Pinnacles National Park, doing sea otter necropsies in Santa Cruz, and small mammal trapping in the Desolation Wilderness. From my work with Melissa Miller I became familiar with harmful algal blooms, co-authored a paper with her on the subject, and now serve as a member of the AVMA harmful algal bloom committee. I think it was my favorite externship (and I did some pretty excellent ones).
Mandy Larson
Where are they now?
Policy, evaluation, and licensing reviewer at the USDA Center for Veterinary Biologics in Ames, IA.
Highlight of your externship?
I have multiple highlights of my UCD wildlife externship including hiking to California condor nests to check on the health of the chicks, camping in the foothills to trap rodents to monitor impacts of climate change, and spending time at the marine mammal center. It was a great opportunity and I learned so much from all the great people at the wildlife health center and their collaborators!