Visiting Extern: Sarah

For the past month, The Verocai Lab has been hosting fourth year veterinary student Sarah Myers! Sarah is originally from Olathe, KS (suburb of Kansas City), and got her B.S in Veterinary Medicine from Kansas State in 2020. She is now a 4th year veterinary student at Kansas State, with a primary interest in pursuing a PhD after graduating to become a boarded veterinary parasitologist with a job that combines research, diagnostics, and teaching. Sarah’s interest in parasitology started with a human parasitology class in undergrad that she had signed up for randomly to get a last elective credit, and it ended up being her favorite course and this research area has captivated her interest since! Sarah has been a wonderful addition to the lab and we are so excited for her future career in veterinary parasitology. Sarah submitted the following blurb below of her experience in the lab and we hope her experience leads to more passionate veterinary students to visit/join the Verocai Lab.

“I loved getting to spend three weeks in the Verocai lab getting to know everyone and help out with various parts of projects. You have an amazing team full of passionate and hardworking people making great contributions to the field. I can almost consider myself a professional mini-FLOATAC reader and aspiring copepod colony parent and have greatly appreciated feeling valued and included during my externship here.”

Welcome Kaylee Kipp!

The Verocai Lab would like to welcome new incoming PhD graduate student Kaylee Kipp! Born and raised in Texas, Kaylee earned her BS in Animal Science in 2018 and a MS in Agricultural Sciences in 2020 at Texas A&M University–Commerce. During her Masters, Kaylee found her passion for ruminant parasites and decided to do her Master’s thesis on the effectiveness of anthelmintics in weaned beef calves. Kaylee is eager to learn more about all types of parasites in the Verocai Lab and hopes to continue educating farmers and producers on the importance of controlling parasite populations. Kaylee is an active member of the American Society of Animal Science and the American Association of Veterinary Parasitology. In her spare time, Kaylee enjoys spending time with her husband Matthew and their dog Luna and cat Abby. Kaylee also enjoys doing outdoor activities like kayaking, hiking, and playing tennis. 

Congratulations Meriam!

We like to congratulate Dr. Meriam Saleh on starting her new position as a Clinical Assistant Professor of Veterinary Parasitology at Texas A&M University! For nearly a year, Meriam has been a integral part of the Verocai Lab, and while she will still be important of the lab (and only down the hall), we want to wish her the best of luck in her new academic adventure.

Joe wins prestigious award!

We like to acknowledge Joe Luksovsky on winning the VMBS Staff Recognition Award for his tireless efforts in the Parasitology Diagnostic Lab. This is a well-deserved award and we hope that you join us in congratulating Joe for this major accomplishment!