LSU School of Veterinary Medicine conferred four advanced degrees in Summer 2026
August 14, 2026
The LSU School of Veterinary Medicine conferred four advanced degrees on August 14, 2026. Two of the graduates are part of our DVM/Ph.D. program.
Our Summer 2026 MS and Ph.D. graduates with mentors and faculty: from left, Abigail Fish, Ph.D. (LSU 2018), assistant director of research safety for the LSU Office of Environmental Health; Samantha Clark, Ph.D. (LSU 2026); Stephen Costin, Ph.D., research and graduate education manager; Colin Mitchell, BVM&S, DACVS, MRCVS, interim dean; Mariano Carossino, DVM, Ph.D., DACVM, DACVP, associate professor of veterinary pathology; Wellesley Dittmar, Ph.D. (LSU 2026); and Tammy Dugas, Ph.D., associate dean for research and graduate education.
– Optional: A photo credit.
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
Samm Clark, from Monroe, La., received her Ph.D. from the Department of Pathobiological Sciences. Her dissertation was entitled “Orthobunyavirus Characterization to Support Emergence Preparedness,” and her major advisor was Rebecca Christofferson, MApStat, Ph.D., associate professor. Dr. Clark will remain at LSU Vet Med as she completes her DVM degree.
Wellesley Dittmar, from Baton Rouge, La., received her Ph.D. from the Department of Pathobiological Sciences. Her dissertation was entitled “Host-Associated Evolution of SARS-CoV-2: Molecular and Virological Effects of Spike Protein Mutations Arising in North American White-Tailed Deer,” and her major advisor was Mariano Carossino, DVM, Ph.D., DACVM, DACVP, associate professor of diagnostic pathology. Dr. Dittmar will remain at LSU Vet Med as she completes her DVM degree.
Demetrius McAtee, from Bossier City, La., received his Ph.D. from the Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences. His dissertation is entitled “Uncovering Arsenic-Mediated Stress Behavioral Alterations and the Role of Glucocorticoid Signaling,” and his major advisor was Ahmed Abdelmoneim, Ph.D., associate professor. Dr. McAtee has accepted a post-doctoral research position at Oregon State University.
MASTER OF SCIENCE
Hugo Gonzalez Jassi, MVZ (DVM equivalent), from Puebla, Mexico, received his MS degree from the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences. His thesis was entitled “The Effects of Anesthesia Circuits and Buprenorphine on Body Temperature of Hispaniolan Amazon Parrots (Amazona Ventralis),” and his major advisor was Thomas Tully, DVM (LSU 1986), DABVP (Avian), DECZM, professor of zoological medicine. Dr. Gonzalez is currently interviewing for positions in academia.
About LSU Vet Med: Bettering lives through education, public service, and discovery
The LSU School of Veterinary Medicine is one of only 33 veterinary schools in the U.S. and the only one in Louisiana. LSU Vet Med is dedicated to improving and protecting the lives of animals and people through superior education, transformational research, and compassionate care. We teach. We heal. We discover. We protect.