AVMA announces new Congressional Science and Executive Branch Fellows

Published on
information-circle This article is more than 3 years old
 

The AVMA has selected Ellen Carlin and Drs. Ashley N. Shelton and Whitney M. Eure as the 2007-2008 AVMA Congressional Science and Executive Branch Fellows.

Carlin and Dr. Shelton and will serve as congressional staff in either a representative or senator's office or in a committee office. (Carlin will receive her DVM degree from Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine on May 27, 2007.) Dr. Eure will serve as an AVMA Executive Fellow in the Department of Homeland Security.

The AVMA fellowship offers members a wide variety of opportunities to learn how federal public policy is made and to influence outcomes. Fellows provide science-based knowledge and information to the public policy-making process.

Fellows help develop national policy and write legislation and regulations that affect the veterinary profession. Fellows spend one year in Washington, D.C., beginning at the end of August, and receive a stipend, plus other reimbursable expenses.

Carlin of Ithaca, N.Y., was a former 2006-2007 extern with the AVMA Governmental Relations Division in Washington, D.C. She has served externships and internships with such agencies as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health, and was a biology editor for Cambridge University Press in New York.

"Many issues at the fore of the country's needs and the government's agenda are scientific in nature. Congress really needs staff with training outside of political science. I very much hope to continue and enhance the dialogue between policymakers and veterinarians about science, medicine, and animal welfare that previous fellows have facilitated," Carlin said.

Dr. Shelton is an equine practitioner from Chatham, Va., and a member of the American Association of Equine Practitioners. After graduating from the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2004, she gained experience in equine medicine through her many assistantships and professional positions at various clinics along the East Coast.

Additionally, Dr. Shelton was a part of a Community Wildlife Management research project in Kenya where she devised the management plan for the Kimana Sanctuary.

"While I found fieldwork immensely rewarding, I am excited about the new challenges the fellowship program will provide," she said. "This opportunity will ultimately create a way for me to have a greater impact on the veterinary profession."

Dr. Eure of Asheville, N.C., has been a small animal practitioner in the public and corporate arenas. He also worked with endangered species within the United States and abroad. He is a member of the International Sea Turtle Society and the North Carolina VMA. Dr. Eure is a 1995 University of Georgia graduate.

"I am grateful for the opportunity to serve in Washington through the AVMA science fellowship program," Dr. Eure stated. "My travels and volunteer work in Latin America taught me that veterinarians have the ability to have a profound impact on communities and on the world stage by sharing their expertise and experiences."

For more information about the fellowship and the specific criteria requirements, or to apply, contact John Sullivan, legislative policy and program coordinator, at (800) 321-1473, Ext. 3208, or at fellowshipatavma [dot] org (fellowship[at]avma[dot]org). The application deadline for the 2008-2009 AVMA fellowship is Jan. 11, 2008.