Noberto "Speedy" Espitia
VET Education Staff
Veterinary Emergency Team
Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences
Research and Scholarly Interests
Primary Responsibilities:
- Vet Emergency Team (VET)
- Property disposal (managing surplus inventory)
- Inventory management and compliance
- Coordination of renovation projects
- Coordination of equipment maintenance and repair
- Management of supplies and inventory for teaching labs
Biography
Noberto "Speedy" F. Espitia is the Manager of Academic Programs Support for the Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences (VSCS) at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (VMBS). He has maintained continuous employment in the department since January 1977. His professional areas of interest include academic program assessment and program development.
He is a founding member of the Veterinary Emergency Team (VET) and serves as the Safety and Plans Officer. He has participated in multiple deployments with the VET since the inception of the unit, including the responses to the Bastrop Complex Wildfire in 2011, the West, TX fertilizer plant explosion in 2013, the Blanco River Flood in 2015, the Brazos River Floods in 2016, Hurricane Harvey in 2017, and, most recently, to North Carolina in response to Hurricane Helene in 2024.
Dr. Espitia is a military veteran. He entered active military service in the U.S. Air Force (1969–1973) with initial assignment to the Veterinary Medical Corps. Afterward, he transitioned to the U.S. Army Reserve Medical Corps (1974–2004) and was finally transferred to the Engineer Corps (2004–2007). He served overseas in Turkey and Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom II in 2004–2005. During his service, he held numerous senior non-commissioned officer leadership positions. He retired in 2007 with the rank of Command Sergeant Major.
Education
- PhD, Agricultural Education, Texas A&M University, 2008
- MS, Epidemiology, Texas A&M University, 1985
- BS, Biomedical Science, Texas A&M University, 1976