Ms. Robin Alexander joins RUSVM as Executive Assistant in the Dean's Office. In her new role, Alexander will primarily be responsible for providing administrative support to the Dean and Vice Dean, including scheduling of meetings, travel and correspondence. 

 

 

 

 

 

Ms. Julienne Rawlins joins RUSVM full-time as Senior Lab Services Technician.

 

  

Mr. Dave Charles joins RUSVM as Animal Caretaker. In his new role, Charles will assist with the care of RUSVM animals on campus. Charles brings much experience and knowledge in the handling and monitoring of animals. Before joining RUSVM, Charles worked for more than eight years at the St. Kitts Biomedical Research Foundation caring for monkeys.   

 

 

 

  

Mr. Jermaine Huggins has been promoted to Systems Administrator II. In his new role, Huggins will primarily be responsible for administering and managing all RUSVM network system administration to include implementation, execution, security and troubleshooting.  He will also deploy the release of new technologies as well as design, install, configure, maintain and perform system integration testing of PC/server operating systems, related utilities and hardware.

 

  

 

Ms. Trellor Gillard Fraites has been promoted to Director of Lab Services. In her new role, Fraites will oversee all diagnostic and research laboratory functions and personnel. Fraites is a Certified Medical Technologist who is qualified in Clinical Laboratory Sciences and has been with RUSVM since October 2010, serving first as Senior Diagnostics Laboratory Technician, then as Diagnostics Laboratory Director as of June 2012.

 

 

  

 

Mr. Jaime McCall has been promoted to Lab Services Technician Trainee. 

In his new role, McCall will primarily be responsible for carrying out diagnostic and research testing and providing assistance in the set up and breakdown of student labs. McCall first joined RUSVM in October 2011 as administrative assistant in the Diagnostics Laboratory.

 

 

 

   

 

Mr. Charles Pemberton has been promoted to Senior Lab Services Technician. 

In addition to providing continued support in diagnostic testing, research and the parasitology student lab, Pemberton will now be the lead technician for the parasitology and urinalysis section of the laboratory. Pemberton first joined RUSVM in December 2004 as a Diagnostics Services Technician in the Diagnostics Laboratory.

  

 

   

Ms. Alexandra Leibner joins RUSVM as a Teacher in the RUSVM Preparatory School. Leibner graduated from McGill University with a degree in Kindergarten & Elementary Education. In her new role, Leibner will teach third and fourth grade students and plans to complete her masters in special education while in St. Kitts.

Every year, veterinary students at accredited universities throughout the United States and the Caribbean compete for $2,000 scholarships from Zoetis and the American Veterinary Medical Foundation (AVMF). Mr. Christopher Barry, 3rd semester, Ms. Brandi Cox and Ms. Theo Nelson, both of 6th semester are RUSVM's 2013 winners. Congratulations!

 

  

Over the past number of years the RUSVM Preparatory School has donated thousands of dollars to the St. Kitts Turtle Monitoring Project and 100% of the proceeds from the school's calendar sales go to the turtle project. The students take the photos for the calendar themselves and are delighted to have another successful year of raising money for the turtle project. Dr. Jane Sandquist, Superintendent for the RUSVM Preparatory School handed over a check for EC$7,021.55  to the Dr. Kimberly Stewart, Director of the project in March.



This year, the Josh Project Cook Off included not only faculty and staff but for the first time also included students and VIPs. There were 13 dish entries. Ms. Elpida Artemiou, instructor of Communications, won first prize for her corn chowder appetizer; Ms. Isha Webster, assistant director of Campus Living won for her delicious Oreo truffles dessert; and Dr. Carmen Fuentealba, senior associate dean for Programs Assessment and professor of Pathology walked away with first prize for her main course, which she affectionately called, Shrimps in Love. The event raised EC $3,463 setting a new record!

  


The 2013 Cross Channel Swim from Oualie Beach on Nevis to Cockleshell Bay on St Kitts, covering a distance of 2.5 miles (4 km) was a great success. Participants from RUSVM, including faculty, students and employees came out in their numbers to take part. Great job everyone!

 

 

 

 

Congratulations to Dr. Kimberly Stewart, assistant professor of Special Species, who received the Community Outreach Excellence Award  (COE) at this year's national SAVMA Student Symposium. The nomination was made by 4th semester student, Ms. Tia Chambers. Stewart's win lauded the progress that has been made with the sea turtles and the community of St. Kitts. The award was presented at the farewell gala on March 23. 

 

  

  

RUSVM Health Services recently held a training course in collaboration with the Live Well program to teach cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) Automated External Defibrillator (AED) to volunteers. The campus now boasts three additional employees, Ms. Sharita Carter, Ms. Sheridan Hendrickson, and Ms. Donie Daniel, who are qualified to be the first responders in any resuscitation emergency on or off campus.  During the training, the participants were provided with hands-on demonstrations of CPR techniques on adult and child size models. 

  

  

RUSVM welcomed a research group from the UK in March. The group, consisting of Professor Steve Rushton and Dr. Eileen Mill from Newcastle University and Dr. Peter Robertson from the Food and Environment Research Agency presented on diseases and invasive species who pose significant threats to human and animal health, biodiversity and UK economy. RUSVM is exploring possible research links with Newcastle and this visit gave the group the opportunity to meet faculty and develop collaboration plans further.

 

 

 



 

In September 2012, House Hunters International visited St. Kitts and our campus to film segments on two different students moving to St. Kitts to attend veterinary school. The second episode, which featured Ms. Kelli Bogard, third semester student, was titled "Different Desires in St. Kitts." The RUSVM Communications Office hosted a viewing in collaboration with SCAVMA in March.