AVMA expands student outreach

With new student liaisons, AVMA will strengthen student and faculty ties
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In March, the AVMA announced an expansion of its student outreach with the hiring of two additional student liaisons.

Drs. Caroline Cantner and Anna Reddish join Dr. Derrick Hall on the student initiatives team as the Association works to further support veterinary students and the Student AVMA and to strengthen ties with veterinary faculty, interns, residents, and preveterinary students.

“This means a more personalized connection, and more frequent interactions with students,” explained Dr. Hall, AVMA’s lead assistant director for student initiatives and student initiatives team manager. “We’re focused on building the relationships that will help students during their education and beyond.”

Dr. Cantner
Dr. Caroline Cantner
Dr. Reddish
Dr. Anna Reddish

Each student liaison has been assigned a U.S. region as well as foreign veterinary schools with student chapters of the AVMA. The liaisons are the primary point of contact for the schools and students in their regions. “The regional distribution will make it easier for each of the liaisons to establish stronger connections with the schools and students and facilitate more frequent visits to each school,” Dr. Hall explained.

Dr. Hall is responsible for veterinary programs in the Central region (Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan State, Iowa State, Illinois, Purdue, Ohio State, and Missouri as well as St. Matthew’s). Dr. Cantner will cover veterinary programs in the Western region (Washington State, Oregon State, California-Davis, Western, Colorado State, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M, Midwestern, and Louisiana State along with the Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Glasgow, and the Royal Veterinary College). Dr. Reddish will liaise with programs in the Eastern region (Tufts, Cornell, Pennsylvania, Virginia-Maryland, North Carolina State, Georgia, Florida, Auburn, Tuskegee, Tennessee, Lincoln Memorial, and Mississippi State as well as Ross and St. George’s).

Additionally, Dr. Reddish is serving as the liaison for preveterinary students and the American Pre-Veterinary Medical Association. And Dr. Cantner will be exploring opportunities to increase AVMA’s outreach to faculty, interns, and residents.

Dr. Cantner is the daughter of two veterinarians and grew up at her family’s small animal practice in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. She enrolled at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, served as a SAVMA delegate, and was a leader with the Veterinary Business Management Association, a student group, before receiving her VMD degree in 2011. Since graduation, Dr. Cantner had been working in small animal general practice and has continued to be involved in organized veterinary medicine through the Pennsylvania VMA.

Dr. Reddish grew up on a small farm in Jackson, Georgia, and was named to the 2009 All American Livestock Judging Team as an undergraduate at the University of Georgia. While attending the Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine, she was the AVMA student chapter president, an AVMA Governmental Relations Division extern, and an AVMA Veterinary Leadership Experience participant. She received her DVM degree in 2013. Prior to joining the AVMA Dr. Reddish was a mixed animal practitioner in central Georgia.