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CORVALLIS, Ore. – The College of Veterinary Medicine at Oregon State University will hold its 27th annual commencement on Sunday, June 7, in OSU’s LaSells Stewart Center. The ceremony, which begins at 1:30 p.m., is free and open to the public.

The commencement speaker will be Baxter Black, a former veterinarian now better known as a poet, storyteller and humorist, whose work is featured regularly on National Public Radio. Black has been featured in numerous national outlets, including the New York Times, which called him the country’s “most successful living poet.”

Faculty speaker at the ceremony will be Bernard Séguin, an OSU professor of small animal surgery.

The college’s Class of 2009 includes 48 students who will receive their doctor of veterinary medicine (DVM) degrees – one of the largest classes in its history. Students in this graduating class have seen a remarkable growth in the college and are well-equipped to help communities throughout the region and nation with their small- and large-animal veterinary needs, said Cyril Clarke, dean of the college.

“This is an extraordinary class of students who because of the growing demands of the profession are among the best-educated, most experienced graduates we have turned out,” Clarke said. “I am confident that they will contribute significantly to the advancement of animal and public health.”

All of the graduates have gained experience at a variety of locations and facilities in the Northwest, including mandatory rotations at the Oregon Humane Society in Portland in what has become a model partnership between veterinary schools and shelters in the United States.

Some of the 2009 Oregon State DVM graduates have chosen careers in large animal medicine, helping to address a critical shortage of veterinarians treating cattle, sheep, horses and other animals. Others are versed in traditional small animal medicine – primarily cats and dogs – that incorporates new treatments, from oncology to rehabilitative techniques.

The College of Veterinary Medicine has undergone a vigorous expansion over the past five years, adding the new Lois Bates Acheson Teaching Hospital, as well as other diagnostic facilities and research capabilities – giving students more opportunities than ever before.

OSU students who will receive their doctor of veterinary medicine (DVM) degrees from Oregon State University are listed below by their hometowns (with their previous undergraduate degrees also listed):

Albany

• Kristin Lee Peterson, a 1998 graduate of Willamette University; Melissa Jennifer Wood, a 2001 graduate of Oregon State University;

 

Astoria

• Kristin Elizabeth Zedwick, a 2005 graduate of Oregon State University;

 

Bandon

• Krista Denise Cook, a 2005 graduate of Oregon State University; Megan K. Halliburton, a 2005 graduate of Oregon State University;

 

Beaverton

• Vanessa L. Davis, a 2005 graduate of Brigham Young University;

 

Bend

• Elizabeth Rose Burns, a 2005 graduate of Oregon State University;

 

Corvallis

• Megan C. Christie, a 2005 graduate of Oregon State University; Jennifer Jane Jackson, a 2006 graduate of Oregon State University;

 

Creswell

• Lisa Beth Tinker, a 2005 graduate of Oregon State University.

 

Eugene

• Jaime Jewel Paeschke, a 2005 graduate of Oregon State University; Amy Elizabeth Poisel, a 2000 graduate of the University of Oregon; Keelan Richard Rogers, a 2003 graduate of Oregon State University;

 

Klamath Falls

• Marcie Lea Keener, a 1991 graduate of Portland Community College.

 

Lebanon

• Jessica Nicole Brubaker, a 2006 graduate of Oregon State University;

 

Lorane

• Sharleen Lennae Henery, a 1997 graduate of the University of Oregon;

 

Milwaukee

• Crystal Robin Ebert, a 2005 graduate of Oregon State University;

 

Oregon City

• Maegan Cassandra Weekly, a 2005 graduate of Oregon State University;

 

Pendleton

• Katie Cambier, a 2003 graduate of Santa Clara University;

 

Pleasant Hill

• Jessica Ruth Thompson, a 2006 graduate of the University of Oregon;

 

Portland

• Jamie Freyer, a 2002 graduate of the University of Portland; Daniel Taylor Graham, a 2005 graduate of Oregon State University; Jeanne Smith, a 2005 graduate of Pacific University; Lauren Marie Stayer, a 2005 graduate of Oregon State University;

 

Roseburg

• Elizabeth James, a 2005 graduate of Oregon State University;

 

Salem

• Kristin Elizabeth Halleck, a 2005 graduate of Willamette University; Jaye L. Hartman, a 2003 graduate of Lewis and Clark College; Kasey James Joynt, a 2005 graduate of Oregon State University; Janis C. Theophanes, a 2005 graduate of Oregon State University;

 

Springfield

• Jamie Marie Sullivan, a 2005 graduate of Eastern Oregon University;

 

The Dalles

• Heather M. Peters, a 2004 graduate of Eastern Oregon University;

 

Tigard

• Melinda Michelle Woolley, a 2005 graduate of Oregon State University;

 

Trail

• Adrian Nicole Lass, a 2005 graduate of Oregon State University

 

Yamill

• Jaclyn Deanna Yeo Aschim, a 2005 graduate of George Fox University.

 

 

[Out of state graduates listed below in alphabetical order by state]

 

 

Eagle River, Alaska

• Amanda Jo Taylor, a 2005 graduate of the Oregon Institute of Technology;

 

Casa Grande, Ariz.

• Tracy Lauren Connolly, a 2005 graduate of the University of Arizona.

 

Tucson, Ariz.

• Brad Kenneth Barnett, a 2005 graduate of the University of Arizona; Christina Dawn Crouthers, a 2005 graduate of the University of Arizona;

 

Sonoma, Calif.

• Christie L. Stone, a 1989 graduate of the University of Oregon;

 

Yerington, Nev.

• Daniel James Richardson, a 2005 graduate of the University of Idaho;

 

Roselle Park, N.J.

• Christopher Levine, a 2004 graduate of Rutgers University-Cook College.

 

Greenwood Lake, N.Y.

• Rachel Jane Luksic, a 2000 graduate of Smith College.

 

Perrysburg, N.Y.

• Kristen Jeanine Simmons, a 2004 graduate of SUNY-Fredonia.

 

Houston, Texas

• Staci E. Brigham, a 1996 graduate of Indiana University;

 

Salt Lake City, Utah

• Sara Marie Neilson, a 2005 graduate of the University of Utah;

 

Vancouver, Wash.

• Jonathan Miller, a 1998 graduate of the University of Montana;

 

Jackson, Wyo.

• Erin Anne Ryan, a 2003 graduate of the University of Wyoming.

 

Toronto, Canada

• Yi-Shan Chou, a 2004 graduate of the University of Waterloo;