Fall Conference
One Health Speakers
Jared Taylor, DVM, MPH, PhD, DACVIM(LA), DACVPMProfessor
Dr. Taylor received his DVM from Virginia Tech in 2002 and his Masters in Public Health degree from University of Iowa in 2004. From 2005 through 2008 he completed a PhD and a residency in food animal medicine and surgery. He joined the OSU faculty in 2009, with an appointment focusing on teaching and research. Throughout his time at OSU he has taught epidemiology, public health and food safety, as well as beef production. He has served as a core faculty member for the interdisciplinary OSU MPH degree program since its inception, and continues to serve as instructor and advisor in that program, in addition to helping in development of a One Health degree program. Dr. Taylor served as the State Epidemiologist for the Oklahoma State Department of Health from August 2020 to April 2021 and then held a joint appointment between OSU and OSDH from April 2021 through September 2022, serving as the Health Department’s Chief Science Officer. He has recently been named the OSU Faculty Fellow in One Health.
Dr. Taylor has been married to Wendy Taylor for 25 years, and they have three children- Alex (18), Elisabeth (18), and Adam (14). Their family operates a small cow-calf ranch in Morrison.
Dr. Taylor is presenting "Understanding (& Leading) a One Health Charge" on Thursday, November 9 at 8 a.m.
Dr. Taylor's presentation is supported by the Class of 1963.
Jennifer Rudd, DVM, PhD, DACVM
Dr. Rudd is a passionate educator, veterinarian, and researcher at the OSU College of Veterinary Medicine. An OSU CVM class of 2011 graduate, she initially got her start in companion animal practice before returning to academia for her doctorate in infectious diseases. Now, as a faculty member, Rudd enjoys spending time teaching and mentoring our next generation of veterinarians and has developed an active research program working in immune responses to infectious diseases - including COVID-19, influenza, Johne’s Disease, and Bovine Respiratory Disease Complex. When she’s not wearing her veterinarian hat, she enjoys running, all things nature, and chasing her three young kids around Stillwater.
Dr. Rudd is presenting "Go Go Gadget Arms! OSU CVM’s Inspiring Research Reach Around the Globe" on Thursday, November 9 at 9 a.m.
Todd Driggers, DVM
Dr. Driggers is a 1994 graduate of Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine. After graduating, he began interning at the Avian and Exotic Animal Clinic in Indianapolis. After moving to Arizona in 1995 he started Arizona’s first exclusive exotic animal practice serving clients and small zoos with ambulatory medicine and surgery. Currently, he has both a mobile and stationary four doctor practice named The Avian and Exotic Animal Clinic of Arizona. He was a 2016 finalist for the Ted Lafeber Practitioner of the Year. He has spoken at the Association of Avian Veterinary Conferences and the Association of Exotic Mammal Veterinarian Veterinary Conferences and written several chapters in various peer-reviewed journals and books. Driggers travels doing wildlife service in Ecuador, Galapagos, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Madagascar, Australia, and all over Arizona.
Driggers is involved in many extracurricular activities. He is the medical director for mission trips to the Dominican Republic through Food for the Hungry and is a child sponsorship advocate. He is president of the board of the Association of Exotic Mammal Veterinarians and of the Oasis Sanctuary as well as an avid herper in Arizona.
Driggers is a busy father of three (one of which is a Poke) and husband to Heather, his high school girlfriend (29 years and counting).
Dr. Driggers is presenting "Australian Wildfires and Love for Our Profession" on Thursday, November 9 at 10:15 a.m.
Companion Animal Speakers
Todd Driggers, DVM
Dr. Driggers is a 1994 graduate of Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine.
After graduating, he began interning at the Avian and Exotic Animal Clinic in Indianapolis.
After moving to Arizona in 1995 he started Arizona’s first exclusive exotic animal
practice serving clients and small zoos with ambulatory medicine and surgery. Currently,
he has both a mobile and stationary four doctor practice named The Avian and Exotic
Animal Clinic of Arizona. He was a 2016 finalist for the Ted Lafeber Practitioner
of the Year. He has spoken at the Association of Avian Veterinary Conferences and
the Association of Exotic Mammal Veterinarian Veterinary Conferences and written several
chapters in various peer-reviewed journals and books. Driggers travels doing wildlife
service in Ecuador, Galapagos, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Madagascar, Australia,
and all over Arizona.
Driggers is involved in many extracurricular activities. He is the medical director
for mission trips to the Dominican Republic through Food for the Hungry and is a child
sponsorship advocate. He is president of the board of the Association of Exotic Mammal
Veterinarians and of the Oasis Sanctuary as well as an avid herper in Arizona.
Driggers is a busy father of three (one of which is a Poke) and husband to Heather,
his high school girlfriend (29 years and counting).
Dr. Driggers is presenting "Exotic Animal Potpourri - Tips and Tricks" on Thursday, November 9 at 3:45 p.m.
Danielle Dugat, DVM, MS, DACVS-SA
Dr. Dugat was born and raised in southern California. She moved to Oklahoma in 2003 to attend veterinary school and has been sucked into the tornado of Oklahoma State, never leaving. Upon obtaining her DVM in 2007, she stayed at OSU to complete her internship, surgical residency, and Masters in Biomedical Sciences. She has been working at OSU's Veterinary Teaching Hospital as a faculty member since 2011, obtaining Tenure in 2019. Dugat shows Boer goats in her free time with her daughter and husband and spends every other waking moment watching her daughter play soccer, ride horses, and compete in gymnastics.
Dr. Dugat is presenting "Gall Bladder Disease - A Surgeon's Perspective" and "Intervertebral Disk Herniation and Laser Disk Ablation" on Friday, November 10 at 2:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.
Leandro Fadel, DVM, MSc
Dr. Fadel is an Assistant Professor of Small Animal Emergency Medicine in the Department of Clinical Sciences at Oklahoma State University. He obtained his degree from the Federal University of Lavras and completed his master’s degree in Science at São Paulo University, both in Brazil. With a special interest in cardiopulmonary diseases, feline emergencies, and point-of-care ultrasound, he has been actively involved in these areas since 2010. Fadel has also contributed to the field as a speaker at congresses and courses throughout Brazil.
Dr. Fadel is presenting "Pulmonary Contusion" on Thursday, November 9 at 2:30 p.m.
Leticia Fanucchi, DVM, PhD
Dr. Fanucchi is a veterinarian from Brazil. She came to the US in 2005 and worked with small animal medicine in Florida, with a special interest in behavioral medicine. In 2010, she went to WSU to pursue a PhD. Fanucchi joined OSU in April 2022 a clinical assistant professor to start the behavior service. She uses evidence-based behavior modification techniques to manage and prevent behavior disorders in pets, serving as a co-advisor for the shelter club. Her research focuses on attachment system and effects of separation, as well as applied research in animal behavior.
Dr. Fanucchi is presenting "Canine Aggression- Don’t Shoot the Dog Yet" on Friday, November 10 at 9 a.m.
Kathy Graf, DVM, DACVIM
Dr. Graf received her Bachelor’s degree in Animal Science from Iowa State University in 1997. She was accepted into the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine and received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree in 2000. Following graduation, she completed an Internship in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery at Alameda East Veterinary Hospital in Denver, Colorado. While there, she saw an incredible variety of cases and developed a strong interest in Internal Medicine. Graf was selected for a Small Animal Internal Medicine Residency position at Oklahoma State University and moved to Stillwater in 2001. While in Oklahoma, she quickly learned to love OSU and it was there that she met her husband, Dr. Tristan Graf. After completing her residency in 2004, she practiced in Boise, Idaho and then Cedar Rapids, Iowa, before moving back to Oklahoma in 2011, where she and her husband purchased an existing small animal clinic. They currently work together at Osage Animal Hospital in Duncan, OK, where they have worked diligently to provide the best possible, most advanced care for pets in Southern Oklahoma. When she is not working, she loves being outdoors and has a passion for exercise, particularly weight-lifting and running marathons.
Dr. Graf is presenting on "Tips and Tricks to Practice Like an Internist Part 1" and "Tips and Tricks to Practice Like an Internist Part 2" on Friday, November 10 at 10 a.m. and 11 a.m.
Wendy Hauser, DVM
Dr. Hauser is the founder of Peak Veterinary Consulting and has practiced for 30+ years as an associate, practice owner and relief veterinarian. She has worked in the animal health industry as a pet health insurance executive and as a technical services veterinarian. She is a member of the AVMA Veterinary Economics Strategy Committee. Dr. Hauser, passionate about education and innovation, partners with both industry partners (established and emerging) and individual veterinary hospitals. She is a regular presenter at veterinary conferences, facilitating workshops on hospital culture, communication and leadership. Frequently published, she is the co-author of “The Veterinarian’s Guide to Healthy Pet Plans. Dr. Hauser lives in the Denver Metro area with her husband Edmond and their black Lab Oliver. She has two grown children; her son is a consultant in the energy field and lives in the Denver Metro area. Her daughter graduated from Tulane School of Medicine and is in the first year of an OB-GYN residency.
Dr. Hauser is presenting "Out of Bounds: The Role of Self in Establishing Personal and Professional Limits" on Friday, November 10 at 12:30 p.m.
Fanciele Panato Back, DVM
Dr. Back graduated in 2013 from UFRGS (Brazil). She then completed a post graduate degree in Emergency and Critical Care from 2015 to 2017 and a post graduate in Hematology from 2022 to 2024. She has been a Small Animal Emergency Assistant Professor at OSU since May 2023.
Dr. Panto Back is presenting "Blood Parasites in Cats" on Thursday, November 9 at 1:30 p.m.
Melissa Raymond, DVM
Dr. Raymond graduated from Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2014. She spent 9 years in private practice in Arkansas City, Kansas before joining the Primary Care team at OSU-CVM earlier this year. She has a special interest in the management of chronic pain in dogs and cats. She currently lives in Ponca City, Oklahoma with her husband and 3 daughters. Outside of veterinary medicine, she enjoys spending time with her family and pets, reading, hiking, and sewing.
Dr. Raymond is presenting "Feline Osteoarthritis" on Friday, November 10 at 1:30 p.m.
Lara Sypniewski, DVM, ABVP (Canine/Feline), CCRP, CVA
Dr. Sypniewski is the Henthorne Clinical Professor of Small Animal Medicine at Oklahoma State University. She is a 1998 graduate of Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine, Board Certified in Canine and Feline Practice by the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners, a Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist (Eastern and Western Styles), and a Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner.
Dr. Sypneiwski is presenting "The Pesky Iliopsoas Muscle" on Thursday, November 9 at 11:15 a.m.
Brianne Taylor, DVM, MS, DACVP
Dr. Taylor is a board-certified veterinary pathologist in the Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine. She earned her bachelor's degree in microbiology, master's degree in toxicology, and DVM from Colorado State University. She then completed an anatomic pathology residency and second master's degree at Texas A&M University before joining OSU. Taylor's passion lies in academia where she enjoys teaching and diagnostic service. When not sitting at the microscope or lecturing to students, she can be found spending time with her husband and their several animals, hiking, horseback riding, and traveling.
Dr. Taylor is presenting "Pathology" on Thursday, November 9 at 4:45 p.m.
The Companion Animal track is brought to you by:
Equine
Daniel Burba, DVM, DACVS
Dr. Burba grew up in west central Pennsylvania and eastern Kentucky. He completed an undergraduate study in Biology at Morehead State University, Morehead, Kentucky. He attended the College of Veterinary Medicine at Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama and graduated in 1986. He then accepted an internship program in Large Animal Medicine and Surgery at Oklahoma State University and subsequently completed a residency in equine surgery. Later, he joined Louisiana State University-School of Veterinary Medicine as an assistant professor of equine surgery. After 25 years at LSU SVM, Burba joined the College of Veterinary Medicine at Oklahoma State University in 2015 as a professor of equine surgeon. He had taught in over 20 courses in veterinary professional curriculum, several graduate level courses; conducted numerous skills laboratories to veterinary students and equine surgery residents-in-training. Burba has contributed 15 book chapters; 38 manuscripts; over 100 proceedings; 10 scientific posters; and numerous presentations at local, regional, and national veterinary meetings. He is a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons, and received such rewards as the Carl J. Norden distinguished teaching award, teaching merit honor roll of Gamma Sigma Delta Honor Society of Agriculture. He is a member of Phi Zeta Veterinary Medicine Honor Society, Gamma Sigma Delta Agriculture Honor Society, Veterinary Wound Management Society, American Association of Equine Practitioners, and American Association of Veterinary Clinicians. He currently holds the McCasland Professorship in Biomedical Laser Surgery. His research and clinical interest include equine orthopedics and laser surgeries.
Dr. Burba is presenting "Managing Limb Wounds in Horses" and "Diagnosing Difficult Lameness in Horses" on Friday, November 10 at 9 a.m. and 10 a.m.
AJ Manship, DVM, DACVIM (LAIM)
Dr. Manship grew up in Tahlequah, OK. He completed his undergraduate training in ecology at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville prior to returning to Oklahoma for veterinary school. He graduated OSU CVM in 2015 before completing and internship in Equine Medicine and Surgery, as well as an Equine Internal Medicine residency at NC State CVM in 2019. He then practiced at Desert Pines Equine Medical and Surgical Center in Las Vegas, NV for 3 years prior to returning to the CVM, as an Assistant Clinical Professor of Equine Internal Medicine in 2022.
Dr. Manship is presenting "Equine Muscle Disease as a Cause of Poor Performance" and "Equine Endocrine Disease: A Refresher" on Friday, November 10 at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
Megan Williams, DACVS-LA
Dr. Williams graduated from Kansas State University Veterinary Medicine. She completed an equine internship at Ocala Equine Hospital in Florida before going on to an Equine Surgery Residency at Michigan State University. After her residency she worked as an equine surgeon in private practice in Michigan before coming to Oklahoma State in 2017.
Dr. Williams is presenting "Case Presentations of Lameness and Musculoskeletal Abnormalities in Foals" and "Surgical Management of Interesting Equine Upper Respiratory Cases" on Friday, November 10 at 2:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.
The Equine Track is brought to you by:
Food Animal Speakers
Rosslyn Biggs, DVM
Dr. Biggs was raised in Oklahoma as part of a farming and ranching family. She attended Oklahoma State University where she completed a bachelor’s of science degree in Agricultural Economics in 2001. Biggs graduated from Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2004 becoming a second generation veterinarian. Upon graduation she spent three years as a mixed animal practitioner in Chickasha, Oklahoma. She joined USDA APHIS Veterinary Services in 2007 as a Field Veterinary Medical Officer. In 2015, Biggs joined the APHIS VS Veterinary Export Trade Services as Assistant Veterinarian In Charge managing international exports of live animals and animal products in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas and Missouri. Biggs made the move to Oklahoma State University as an assistant clinical professor in summer of 2019. She currently serves as Director of Continuing Education for the College of Veterinary Medicine and Beef Cattle Specialist for Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service. She and her husband have two girls and are actively involved in the family farming and ranching operations.
Dr. Biggs is presenting "Rural Veterinary Assistance Programs" and "Biosecurity Knowledge and Implementation Among Beef Cattle Producers" on Friday, November 10 at 2:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.
Alexis Jennings, DVM
Dr. Jennings graduated from Missouri state for undergrad, and Oklahoma State for vet school. She completed a large animal rotating internship followed by a large animal internal medicine (food animal emphasis) residency at TAMU. Her special interests include alternative approaches to food animal medicine including acupuncture and chiropractic; especially in bovine sports medicine and pain management.
Dr. Jennings is presenting "Alternative Medicine and the Food Animal Practitioner" on Friday, November 9 at 1:30 p.m.
Brad White, DVM, MS
Dr. White received his D.V.M. from the University of Missouri-Columbia and worked for six years in a mixed animal practice in southeast Missouri. His emphasis in practice was beef cow-calf and stocker medicine and management. He then worked for two years in beef production medicine at Mississippi State concurrent with completion of his Masters degree. He is currently on faculty at the Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine and serves as director of the Beef Cattle Institute. White is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, Kansas Veterinary Medical Association, American Association of Bovine Practitioners, and Academy of Veterinary Consultants.
Dr. Brad White is presenting "Systemic Necropsy and Mortality Evaluation", "Bovine
Respiratory Disease and Acute Interstitial Pneumonia: Timing, Risk Factors, and Pathology",
and "Training, Recruitment, and Retention of Rural Mixed Animal Veterinarians" on
Friday, November 10 at 9 a.m., 10 a.m., and 11 a.m.
The Food Animal Track is sponsored by:
General Speakers
Becky Brewer, DVM AVIC
Dr. Brewer received her bachelor's and doctoral degree from Oklahoma State University. She then went to work as the owner, operator, and chief clinician of Cimarron Veterinary Services in Chickasha. She additionally worked as the staff and state veterinarian for the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry in Oklahoma City. Currently, she is the Supervisory Veterinary Medical Officer for the USDA.
Dr. Brewer is presenting "Preventing Disease Introduction and Spread" on Thursday, November 9 at 3:35 p.m.
Lauren Cline, PhD
Dr. Cline is an assistant professor in agricultural leadership at Oklahoma State University, where she has split teaching and Extension roles. Originally from central Florida, Cline's agricultural background is in produce trucking, commercial livestock, agribusiness and the 4-H and FFA youth organizations. After earning her bachelor’s in ag business from Auburn University and master’s in agricultural education from Texas A&M, she served as the Director of Agricultural Studies at a small private university in Florida where she taught agriculture courses, advised and recruited students. She also was the undergraduate program coordinator for the College of Agriculture at Auburn University where she led college advising efforts and taught agricultural leadership. It was these experiences that brought her to Oklahoma State University to study agricultural leadership, where she earned her Ph.D. Cline has been at Oklahoma State since 2017. She is married to a native Okie – her husband, Chad, is from Miami – and has two sons, Wilkinson and Carpenter.
Dr. Cline is presenting "Working Together to Solve Problems: Using Adaption-Innovation Theory in Veterinary Practice" on Thursday, November 9 at 11:15 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
Rebekah Hartfield, DVM
Dr. Hartfield has been around animals her entire life. It was not a huge surprise to anyone when she finally decided to take the leap and pursue veterinary medicine. She graduated from Texas A&M University with a Bachelor's degree in Animal Science in 2012 and then moved north to attend Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Upon graduation in 2016, she worked for a mixed animal clinic in Cushing, Oklahoma. Although she loved it there, after a few years she decided that becoming an owner was her next step. Holdenville, Oklahoma became her new home. Holdenville Veterinary Clinic is growing rapidly and she loves being able to serve the community.
Hartfield is also a children’s book author and has loved sharing her love for veterinary medicine with children all over the country for the past six years.
This year, she had the opportunity to be selected as a board member for the Oklahoma State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners. She looks forward to serving the great state of Oklahoma. Hartfield has been a member of the Veterinary Medical Examiners Board Since 2021
Dr. Hartfield is presenting "Review of the Oklahoma Veterinary Practice Act - Including Updates and Covering Opioids" on Thursday, November 9 at 11:15 a.m.
Mikka Larssen, DVM
Dr. Larssen is an Oklahoma native and a graduate of Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine, class of 2013. Her area of interest within veterinary medicine was small ruminant medicine and surgery. She was in mixed private practice prior to taking a field position with USDA Veterinary Services in 2015. She lives in Blanchard and covers the southwestern portion of Oklahoma. She enjoys spending time with her husband and two sons and showing her Black and Tan Coonhounds.
Dr. Larssen is presenting "High Impact Equine Diseases" on Thursday, November 9 at 4:45 p.m.
The General Track is brought to you by:
Large Animal Speakers
Meredyth Jones, DVM, MS, DACVIM
Dr. Jones received her DVM from Oklahoma State University in 2002. She entered private mixed-animal practice in Brandenburg, Kentucky, later completing a residency in Large Animal Internal Medicine-Emphasis Food Animal and received a MS degree in Veterinary Biomedical Sciences at Oklahoma State University. She then taught food animal field services at Kansas State and Texas A&M. She is the owner of Large Animal Consulting & Education. She joined the food animal faculty at Oklahoma State in the fall of 2018.
Dr. Jones is presenting "Small Ruminant Medicine for Cow Vets" and "Small Ruminant Surgeries You Need to Know" on Thursday, November 9 at 11:15 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
Brianne Taylor, DVM, MS, DACVP
Dr. Taylor is a board-certified veterinary pathologist in the Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine. She earned her bachelor's degree in microbiology, master's degree in toxicology, and DVM from Colorado State University. She then completed an anatomic pathology residency and second master's degree at Texas A&M University before joining OSU. Taylor's passion lies in academia where she enjoys teaching and diagnostic service. When not sitting at the microscope or lecturing to students, she can be found spending time with her husband and their several animals, hiking, horseback riding, and traveling.
Dr. Taylor is presenting "Equine Pathology" on Thursday, November 9 at 2:30 p.m.
Blake Wilson, PhD
Dr. Wilson grew up on his family’s ranch near Okemah, Oklahoma where his family has been involved in production agriculture for multiple generations. Wilson was an active 4-H and FFA member and raised commercial cattle and registered Southdown sheep. As a result of the success Wilson achieved with his cattle and sheep operations, he was a finalist for the Oklahoma Northeast District Star Farmer Award as a senior in FFA. After graduation, he decided to continue his education at Oklahoma State University. He enjoyed a successful undergraduate career where he earned a BS in Animal Science with a minor in Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness. While obtaining his BS in Animal Science, he served as an undergraduate research assistant at the OSU Poultry Center and as a student employee at the OSU Sheep Center. As an undergraduate, Wilson was active in multiple College and Departmental organizations. He graduated Summa Cum Laude and was honored as a top five senior in the College. After completion of his undergraduate degree, he was admitted to graduate school at OSU where he successfully completed his M.S. in Animal Science under Professor Clint Krehbiel. Following the completion of his M.S. degree, he began working towards his PhD in ruminant nutrition under Dr. Krehbiel and accepted a management position at the Willard Sparks Beef Research Center where he served as the Graduate Research Coordinator. In this position, he was responsible for the supervision, scheduling, and record keeping in regard to all research conducted at the 980 head CAFO licensed facility. In his time as Research Coordinator, he supervised the successful execution of 74 research trials that were conducted on excess of 9000 head of cattle. After earning his PhD, Wilson briefly served as a lecturer in the Department of Animal Science prior to being hired as an Assistant Professor in January of 2015. In this position, he has a split teaching and research appointment within the Department. He has been an instructor or co-instructor for 11 unique courses since joining the faculty. During this time, he has generated over 7700 credit hours and taught over 2600 students. He currently instructs the Applied Animal Nutrition and Stocker and Feedlot Cattle Management courses and serves on numerous teaching, advising, and graduate student committees. He has also taught Peer-Led Team Learning in Animal Science, Animal Management Techniques, and Introduction to the Animal Sciences. His research primarily focuses on applied beef cattle nutrition and management and the health, immune function, and management of high-risk calves during the receiving/backgrounding period. The research from his program has been published in 26 peer-reviewed manuscripts, presented in over 75 abstracts at scientific meetings, and been cited in over 370 other publications. He was promoted to the rank of Associate Professor with tenure in June of 2021 and currently holds the Hitch Family Professorship in Ruminant Feedlot Nutrition at OSU. Wilson is very proud of his 5-year-old daughter Emerson. They currently reside on a small farm near Coyle, OK. In addition to his position at OSU, he runs commercial cattle in Noble, Payne, and Logan counties.
Dr. Wilson is presenting "Nutritional Management of High-Risk Calves" and "Vitamin and Mineral Nutrition for the Cow Herd" on Thursday, November 9 at 3:45 p.m. and 4:45 p.m.
The Large Animal Track is sponsored by: