Western University of Health Sciences College of Veterinary Medicine Western University of Health Sciences
College of Veterinary Medicine

CVM Faculty

The College of Veterinary Medicine is currently under the leadership of Dean Phillip Nelson, DVM, PhD. Other members of the College’s faculty and administrative staff are listed here with their contact information. For additional background information on selected faculty and staff, click on the name.

FACULTY

   

DVM, Universidad Nacional Autonoma De Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico 1987
Residency in Veterinary Pathology, Cornell University 1991
PhD, Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca NY 1998
aalcaraz@westernu.edu  

DVM, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 1984
PhD, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 1992
pbarr@westernu.edu  

DVM, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 1983
MS, Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 1987 jbertone@westernu.edu    

BS in Architecture, University of Virginia, 1988
DVM, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, 2001
fbossong@westernu.edu  

DVM, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 1980
bboynton@westernu.edu    

DVM, University of Wisconsin – Madison, WI 1999
Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Clinical Pharmacology, 2006
PhD, Comparative Biomedical Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 2007
jbuur@westernu.edu  

Chandru Charavaryamath
BVSc, University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, India, 1997
MVSc (Veterinary Microbiology), University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, India, 1999
PhD (Veterinary Biomedical Sciences), University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada, 2008
Post-Doctoral Training, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada, 2008-2012
ccharavaryamath@westernu.edu    

DVM, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 2003
MA, Biola University, La Mirada, CA 2009
echarles@westernu.edu    

MS, University of Alabama, Birmingham, AL 1978
PhD, University of Alabama, Birmingham, AL 1980
Professor Emeriti, Texas A&M University, 2007
ecollisson@westernu.edu  

PhD, Pathobiology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 2006
DVM, Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, AL 1999
mdawes@westernu.edu    

DVM, São Paulo State University, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine (Unesp – FCAV), Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil, 1999
Internship certificate, Veterinary Cardiology, École Nationale Vétérinaire d’Alfort, Paris, France, 1999
Residency certificate, Small Animal Internal Medicine, São Paulo State University, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine (Unesp – FCAV), Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil, 2002
PhD, Clinical Sciences, São Paulo State Univertsity, College of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences (Unesp – FMVZ), Botucatu, SP, Brazil, 2006
Postdoctoral research, Microbiology, North Carolina State University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Raleigh, NC, 2009
pdiniz@westernu.edu  

Lilia Enciso Casas, BS, DVM, Instructor
 BS, University of California, Los Angeles, 2005
DVM, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, 2011
lenciso@westernu.edu    

BVSc, University of Liverpool, United Kingdom 1990
MPVM, University of California, Davis, CA 1994
Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, 2011
hengelke@westernu.edu  

David Forster, Bvet Med, Ma ICS – Assistant Professor
Royal Veterinary College (RVC) London University, 1988
dforster@westernu.edu    

Paul Gordon-Ross, MS, DVM – Associate Professor, Director of Clinical Relations
MS, University of California, Davis, CA 1995
DVM, University of California, Davis, CA 1999
pgordon@westernu.edu    

Christine Tindal Green, BVSc, MRCVS – Associate Professor, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery
BVSc, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia 1992
Certificate of Veterinary Opthamology, Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, UK 2000
cgreen@westernu.edu    

Dominique Griffon, DMV, MS, PhD, DECVS, DACVS – Associate Dean for Research, Professor Small Animal Surgery
DMV, Ecole National Veterinaire Alfort, France 1989
MS, University of Minnesota, USA 1992
DECVS, European College of Veterinary Surgeons 1996
DACVS, American College of Veterinary Surgeons 1997
PhD, University of Helsinki, Finland 2002
dgriffon@westernu.edu

Spring Halland DVM, CVA, DACVIM – Assistant Professor, Large Animal Internal Medicine, Veterinary Acupuncture
DVM, University of Minnesota 1997
Intership certificate, Rotating LA med & sx, University of Tennessee, 1998
Residency certificate, Large Animal Internal Medicine, UC-Davis 2001
Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist, Chi Institue of TCVM, Florida, 2008
shalland@westernu.edu  

Janet Han, DVM, MS, DACVIM, Instructor
 DVM, Cornell University 2004
Residency, Large Animal Internal Medicine, Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center, Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine 2008
MS, Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences, Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine 2008
jhan1@westernu.edu    

Jijun Hao, PhD, Assistant Professor, Stem Cell Biology
BS, Biochemical Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China, 1996
PhD, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK, 2003
jhao@westernu.edu    

Martina Haupt, DVM – Instructor, Clinical Field Liason
DVM, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany 1989
mbeecher@westernu.edu    

Yiling Hong, PhD, – Associate Professor, Stem Cell Biology and Nanotoxicity
B. Sci. Biology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China, 1984
M. Sci. Molecular Biology & Genetics, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China, 1987
PhD, Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Kentucky, Kentucky, USA, 1997
yhong@westernu.edu  

Kristopher Irizarry, PhD – Associate Professor, Bioinformatics, Genetics, Genomics
PhD, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 2002
kirizarry@westernu.edu    

Richard A. Jaffe, VMD – Assistant Professor, Small Animal Medicine
VMD, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 1972
rjaffe@westernu.edu    

Gary R. Johnston, DVM, MS, DACVR – Professor Emeritus
DVM, Washington State University 1974
Internship certificate, Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, University of Minnesota 1975
MS, Veterinary Surgery and Radiology, University of Minnesota 1979
Residency certificate, Veterinary Radiology, University of Minnesota 1979
Diplomate American College of Veterinary Radiology 1980
gjohnston@westernu.edu  

Janis Joslin, DVM – Professor, Primate, Zoo and Wildlife Medicine
DVM, The Ohio State College of Veterinary Medicine 1975
Residency, Primate Medicine, UC Davis 1978
jjoslin@westernu.edu    

Malika Kachani, PhD, DVM – Professor, Parasitology
PhD, Parasitology, Brunel University, London, UK 1990
DVM, Institut Agronomique et Veterinaire Hassan II, Rabat, Morocco 1992
mkachani@westernu.edu    

Gagandeep Kaur, DVM, PhD – Assistant Professor, Physiology
B.V.Sc & A.H, Punjab Agricultural University, India, 2005 DVM,
ECFVG, 2009 Ph.D, Kent State University, Kent, 2009
gkaur@westernu.edu  

David C. Kersey, PhD – Assistant Professor, Physiology
Ph.D. George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 2009
dkersey@westernu.edu    

Wael A. Khamas, BVM&S, MS, PhD – Professor, Director Year One, Anatomy & Histology
BVM&S, University of Baghdad 1973
MS Veterinary Anatomy, Iowa State University 1980
PhD, Veterinary Anatomy, Iowa State University 1983
wkhamas@westernu.edu  

Linda B. Kidd, DVM, PhD, DACVIM – Associate Professor, Small Animal Internal Medicine, Course Leader CORE Internal Medicine
DVM, University of Wisconsin 1991
Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, University of Wisconsin 2000
PhD North Carolina State University 2006
lkidd@westernu.edu  

Brenda Knowlton, DVM – Instructor
DVM, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 1978
bknowlton@westernu.edu    

Suzie J. Kovacs, MSc, PhD – Assistant Professor, Epidemiology
PhD in Education, Claremont Graduate University, Claremont CA 2014
MSc in Epidemiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada 2004
BSc Honours Biological Science, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada 1999
skovacs@westernu.edu    

Lyon Lee, DVM, PhD, DACVA – Associate Professor, Anesthesiology
DVM, Seoul National University, Korea 1989
PhD, Veterinary Anesthesia, Royal Veterinary College, University of London 1997
Residency, Veterinary Anesthesia, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL 2000
llyon@westernu.edu  

Ohad Levi, DVM – Associate Professor, Equine Surgery
DVM, Veterinary Medicine, University of Turin, Italy 1989
Equine medicine and surgery specialty certificate, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel 2001
Equine Surgery Residency Certificate, University of California, Davis, CA 2010
olevi@westernu.edu  

Diane McClure, DVM, PhD, DACLAM – Associate Professor, Laboratory Animal Medicine
PhD, Physiology, University of California, Davis, CA 1988
Residency Certificate in Clinical Laboratory Animal Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 1993
DVM, Zoological Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 1990
Diplomate, American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine 1995
dmcclure@westernu.edu  

Tracey McNamara, DVM, DACVP – Professor, Pathology
DVM, New York State College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca NY – 1982
Residency, Comparative Pathology, Animal Medical Center, Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx, NY 1988
tmcnamara@westernu.edu    

Teresa Y. Morishita, DVM, MPVM, MS, PhD, DACPV – Professor, Poultry Medicine & Food Safety
MS, Animal Science, University of Hawaii-Manoa, Honolulu, HI 1985
DVM, Master of Preventative Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 1989
Residency Certificate in Clinical Avian/Poultry Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 1991
PhD, Veterinary Pathology, University of California, Davis, CA 1995
tmorishita@westernu.edu  

Phillip D. Nelson, DVM, BS, PhD – Dean, Professor of Immunology
DVM, Tuskegee Institute, Tuskegee, AL 1979
B.S. Biology; Jackson State University, Jackson, Mississippi 1980
PhD, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 1993
pnelson@westernu.edu  

Ken C. Noriega, BA, MS – Instructor, Veterinary Anatomy
BA, Biology, Pitzer College, Claremont, CA 2000
knoriega@westernu.edu    

Carmelina Panza, BS, DVM – Instructor, Feline Medicine/Imaging
BS, California State University, Pomona DVM, Western University of Health Sciences cpanza@westernu.edu    

Jose Peralta, DVM, MSc, PhD – Associate Professor, Veterinary Ethics, Animal Welfare
DVM, University of Zaragoza, Spain, 1988 MSc, Animal Science, Cornell University, 1994
PhD, Animal Science, Cornell University, 1997
jperalta@westernu.edu  

Tom R. Phillips, DVM, PhD – Professor, Virology & Immunology
DVM Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 1978
MS, Immunology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 1985
PhD, Immunology-Virology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 1989
tphillips@westernu.edu  

Josep Rutllant-Labeaga, DVM, PhD – Professor, Director Year Two, Anatomy
DVM, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain 1990
PhD, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain 1997
jrutllant@westernu.edu    

Miguel D. Saggese, DVM, MSc, PhD – Associate Professor, Veterinary Microbiology/Avian, Exotic, and Wildlife Medicine
DVM, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1995
MSc University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota
PhD, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, 2007
msaggese@westernu.edu  

Peggy L. Schmidt, DVM, MS, DACVPM – Associate Professor, Director College Outcomes Assessment, Population Medicine
DVM, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 1997
MS, Veterinary Preventive Medicine & Defense, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 2004
DACVPM 2006 pschmidt@westernu.edu  

Eric Slessinger, DVM – Instructor, Small Animal Medicine
BS, University of California, Davis, CA
DVM, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, CA 2010
eslessinger@westernu.edu    

Wayne W. Smith, VMD – Instructor, Surgery
VMD, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 1981
wsmith@westernu.edu    

Hrvoje Smodlaka, DVM, PhD – Associate Professor, Anatomy
DVM, University of Zagreb 1998
PhD, University of Tennessee 2004
hsmodlaka@westernu.edu    

John H. Tegzes, MA, VMD, DABVT – Professor, Veterinary Toxicology
MA, Applied Psychology, University of Santa Monica, Santa Monica, CA 1989
VMD, Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 1995 Residency Certificate, University of California, Davis, CA 2003
Diplomate, American Board of Veterinary Toxicology 2003
jtegzes@westernu.edu  

Ronald L. Terra, DVM, MBA, MS – Professor, Director Year Four, Food Animal Medicine
MS, Animal Science, University of California, Davis, CA 1982
DVM, University of California, Davis, CA 1982
MBA, Agriculture, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada 2002
rterra@westernu.edu  

MS, Veterinary Pathology, University of Georgia
PhD, Veterinary Pathology, University of Georgia 2001
stkalcic@westernu.edu  

John W. Tyler, DVM, DACVIM – Associate Professor, Small Animal Medicine
DVM, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 1982
DACVIM 1990
jtyler@westernu.edu    

Victoria L. Voith, DVM, DACVB, PhD – Professor, Behavior
DVM, College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University 1968
MSc, Veterinary Clinical Sciences, The Ohio State University 1970
MA, Department of Psychology, Experimental and Comparative Psychology 1975
PhD, Neuroanatomy/Animal Behavior, University of California, Davis, CA 1982
vvoith@westernu.edu  

Katherine Wade, DVM – Instructor, Small Animal Medicine
BS, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 2003
DVM, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona CA 2010
kwade@westernu.edu  

Stephen J. Waldhalm, PhD, DVM – Professor Emeritus
PhD, Physiology, Washington State University 1974
DVM, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University 1977
swaldhalm@westernu.edu