Heather Hodges  joins RUSVM as a Veterinary Technician with more than a decade in the animal care field. She has experience in anesthetic induction and patient monitoring and diagnostic blood work.        

Damian Madenborough joins the Safety and Security Department as a Campus Patrol Officer. Madenborough worked with the St. Kitts Defense Force for twelve years. He received distinguished graduate honors in his training.   

Chester Marshall joins the Safety and Security Department as Mobile Patrol Specialist brining twenty-seven years of police experience. Marshall has completed training in various security-related areas, including patrol, surveillance and basic military skills.


Eartha Williams was hired as a Mobile Patrol Specialist in the Safety and Security Department. Williams brings twenty-four years of work experience, fifteen of those years as a trained police officer. She has specialized training both in the US and St. Kitts in domestic violence, juvenile and sexual offenses and has experience in criminal investigations.

*Recently won an award, placed in a residency, or just simply have great news to share? Send us your information at news@rossvet.edu.kn 

Congrats to the newly elected Faculty Association Officers, John Dascanio, President, Shari Lanning, Vice President, Jane Rose, Secretary.  President Dascanio is looking forward to developing the association. He brings experience from his role as president of the Faculty Association at Virginia Tech's Veterinary College. "I am looking forward to developing the association from the ground up. Through positive collaboration and communication the association will be a success." The team is in the process of developing a full set of bylaws. The RUSVM Faculty Association is a forum for all non-administrative academic Professors and serves to facilitate discussion of matters relating to their working environment and professional development.  

Roy J. Harris, Gym Attendant, RUSVM Fitness Center, was featured in the July 2011 issue of Flex Magazine, one of the top bodybuilding magazines in the United States. Way to go, RJ.   

The tri-annual Professor Cook-off to help raise funds for the Josh and Friends Project was held at Bobsy's in July.  The cook-off was the most successful to date with all of the professors attending the event to serve their own dishes!  Students were excited to have the opportunity to critique the special dishes in front of the faculty cooks! The event provided an opportunity for students and faculty to socialize and several impromptu submission were welcomed and delicious. Grizzly, a golden retriever, owned by one of the students, served as the mascot for the event and provided "doggie kisses" to anyone EC$5.  Grizzly wagged his tail and greeted people with joy, showing the benefits of the human-animal bond.  Dr. Shari Lanning of the "Anatomy Team" won the appetizer category with her Jalapeno Wontons.  Dr. Carmen Fuentealba, for the second time in a row, won the entree category with "Shrimps in Love."  All of the dishes were delicious and showed the true variation of ethnicity and talents within the RUSVM faculty.  The Josh and Friends Committee hopes to see you at next semester's Professor Cook-off!  

Have you seen the new RUSVM VIDA web site? Did you know that VIDA (Volunteers for Intercultural & Definitive Adventures) was a new organization at RUSVM? The new campus club provides free basic veterinary care to the pets of St. Kitts whose owners cannot afford care. The club hosted its first clinic in St. Kitts on July 2 and it was a great success. Thanks to the volunteers and sponsors, VIDA was able to provide veterinary care to 69 patients in the month of July! Way to go, VIDA!

Best Wishes to Floyd Revan, Diagnostic Laboratory Technician, who married Tabia Powell-Revan on July 17 2011. The couple are members of the Seventh Day Adventist Church and the ceremony was held at he Marriott. Tabia is studying Music Education and Spanish at Oakwood University in Huntsville, Alabama. 

*RUSVM would like to thank the following individuals for their service to the University and wish them well in their future endeavors.

Crystal Adams, Veterinary Technician at the Teaching Hospital, will be departing RUSVM in September to pursue her education at the Guyana School of Agriculture to major in Veterinary Public Health. Adams has been employed with RUSVM for four years and brought with her a passion for animal care. Her future plans include pursuing a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree. RUSVM wishes Crystal Adams well as she continues her education.    

Rolf Berg, DMV, Professor of Anatomy, will be leaving RUSVM in September. Berg has been a long serving member of the veterinary community and the time he spent at RUSVM was valued by many. Berg said he would like to extend heartfelt thanks to what he phrased "The RUSVM team" with special thanks to Dr. Briedi Gillespie for all of her support to him. He explained that he will never be far from the field of Anatomy, but will simply interact with it at a much more infrequent rate. He went on to say that he looks forward to catching up on his reading, particularly books on ancient Greek Mythology which he is particularly fond of. Everyone here at RUSVM would like to extend deepest best wishes to Dr. Rolf Berg and his family as they move forward in the next phase of their lives.

Mark Freeman, DVM, Assistant Professor of Small Animal Surgery, has resigned from RUSVM. The university is working to fill his teaching roles and responsibilities to the Teaching Hospital as quickly as possible.  RUSVM would like to thank Freeman for his service to the university.