National Academies of Practice adds new veterinary fellows, professional members
The National Academies of Practice (NAP), an interdisciplinary organization of health care practitioners and scholars, accepted the following eight new fellows of the Veterinary Medicine Academy.
Dr. Zach Mills (Kansas State ’99), Atlanta. Dr. Mills is chief operating officer for U.S. business with the Lincoln Institute of Veterinary Business. He previously served as vice president of medical performance for The Vets and headed veterinary professional services for Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health’s U.S. pet business. Dr. Mills is a lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserve, having recently served as the 352nd civil affairs command veterinarian in Fort Meade, Maryland, and currently as commander of the 306th Field Hospital at the Fort Gillem Enclave in Atlanta. As command veterinarian, he works with public health officials and human health care providers to develop and implement preventive veterinary medicine strategies, benefiting both animal and human health.
Dr. Thomas Edling (Colorado State ’95), Washington, D.C. Dr. Edling is chief veterinary officer and animal ethicist for the American Humane Society (AHS). He previously served as chief veterinary adviser for the society’s “No Animals Were Harmed” program, overseeing the protection of animal actors on film and television productions. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Edling worked with the AHS to prevent the relinquishment of pets via public education messaging. He also developed a program to improve the safety and welfare of animals during air transport. Since 2008, Dr. Edling has been an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Clinical Sciences at North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Early in his career, he served 15 years as vice president of veterinary medicine for Petco, developing programs in public health and working with several organizations, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Pet Advocacy Network, and the National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians.
Dr. Michael Podell (Tufts ’88), Columbus, Ohio. A diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine in neurology, Dr. Podell is senior vice president of health care for MedVet, also serving on its board of directors. He previously served as chief medical officer for MedVet. Earlier in his career, Dr. Podell was a professor in the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences and Department of Neuroscience at The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, later establishing a veterinary neurology and neurosurgery practice in Chicago. He also maintained appointments at the University of Chicago and the University of Illinois. Dr. Podell’s career has focused on the One Health approach in enhancing the human-animal bond, transitional medicine, and clinician wellbeing.
Dr. Erin Lashnits (Cornell ’12), Madison, Wisconsin. Dr. Lashnits is a clinical assistant professor in small animal internal medicine at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine. Earlier in her career, she spent a few years in general practice and emergency medicine before completing her internal medicine residency at North Carolina State University. Dr. Lashnits’s research interests are in infectious disease epidemiology using a One Health context—focusing on the study of zoonotic and vector borne diseases—and infectious diseases that impact underserved veterinary populations. Her current studies include characterization of the flea microbiome and fleaborne diseases in cats and dogs and investigating Bartonella species transmission and clinical manifestations in pets and people.
Dr. Brittany Watson (Pennsylvania ’10), Philadelphia. Following veterinary school, Dr. Watson earned her doctorate in educational leadership in 2013 from the University of South Carolina. She now serves as an associate professor of shelter medicine and community engagement and directs shelter medicine and community engagement at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. She also co-heads the veterinary school’s behavior, welfare, and human-animal interaction research division and is a faculty member of the Animal Welfare & Behavior Program. Dr. Watson previously served as veterinary director of continuing education initiatives at Charleston Animal Society. A diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine (ACVPM), she serves on the ACVPM Continuing Education Committee. Dr. Watson’s professional interests include the One Health approach to problem solving, interprofessional collaboration, and community engagement.
Dr. Tracy Webb (Ohio State ’98), Fort Collins, Colorado. Dr. Webb is an associate professor in the Department of Clinical Sciences at Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences. She also serves as the veterinary and translational regulatory affairs manager in the office of the vice president for research at the university. Dr. Webb’s research involves investigation and clinical application of mesenchymal stem cells and minimally invasive methods of improving cardiovascular disease. She is chair of the Clinical and Translational Science Award One Health Alliance (COHA) Communication and Collaboration subcommittee and is a member of the COHA Advocacy and Interprofessional Education working groups.
Dr. Kristin Chaney (Colorado State ’03), College Station, Texas. Dr. Chaney is a clinical associate professor and assistant dean for curriculum and assessment at Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences. Her research focuses on curriculum redesign, competency-based education, and novel educational modalities for veterinary education. A diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine and American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care, Dr. Chaney is chair of the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges’ Council on Outcomes-based Veterinary Education and chair of the International Council for Veterinary Assessment’s Academic Veterinary Assessment Committee.
Dr. William Sander (Wisconsin ’09), Savoy, Illinois. A diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, Dr. Sander is an assistant professor for preventive medicine and public health in the Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine and director of the DVM-MPH joint degree program at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine. He previously served two years as a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, working at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Water, and supported the Defense Threat Reduction Agency’s Biological Threat Reduction Program as a government contractor. Dr. Sander was also a staff veterinarian for City Wildlife, a rehabilitation center in Washington, D.C. He serves on the board of directors for the Illinois State VMA, American Association of Food Safety and Public Health Veterinarians, and Veterinary Sustainability Alliance. Dr. Sanders is Illinois’ alternate delegate to the AVMA House of Delegates, a past chair of the AVMA Council on Public Health, and a past member of the AVMA Food Safety Advisory Committee and AVMA Committee on Environmental Issues.
In addition, the following three individuals were added as professional members of the NAP in the veterinary medicine category:
- Dr. Ewan Wolff (Wisconsin ’11)), North Vancouver, British Columbia. Dr. Wolff, who uses the pronouns they/them, serves as an internal medicine specialist at Mountainside 24/7 Animal Emergency in North Vancouver. Dr. Wolff also serves as a research assistant professor at the University of New Mexico. Earlier in their career, they worked as a staff internist for Affiliated Veterinary Specialists (AVS) in Maitland, Florida; established an internal medicine service at Bridger Veterinary Specialists in Bozeman, Montana; worked at AVS-BluePearl Orlando in Orlando, Florida; and founded an internal medicine service for BluePearl in northeast Portland, Oregon. A diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM), Dr. Wolff has served on the ACVIM Membership and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committees and the ACVIM Diversity and Inclusion Task Force. They are the industry liaison board member at Pride Veterinary Medical Community and a co-author and editor of the Gender Diversity Guide and a co-author of the Gender Identity Bill of Rights.
- Dr. Kemba L. Marshall (Florida ’99), Gray Summit, Missouri. Dr. Marshall is chief executive officer of KLMDVM Consulting, providing veterinary information and expertise, particularly in avian and exotic animal medicine and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the profession. She is also the founder of Marshall Recruiting Consortium, addressing the lack of diversity in agriculture and health sciences. Earlier in her career, she was in private practice in Dallas and served as director of veterinary services for Purina Animal Nutrition. Dr. Marshall is a diplomate of the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners in avian practice and has served on the executive board of the Association of Avian Veterinarians. She has also served on the AVMA Veterinary Conference Planning Leadership Committee and was a member of the joint AVMA-American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges’ commission to coordinate DEI efforts.
- Dr. Michael Funk (Michigan State ’08), Westbury, New York. Dr. Funk owns Oath Animal Hospital in East Meadow, New York, where he also serves as medical director. He has a special interest in neurology and seizure management in addition to surgery involving wound repair. Dr. Funk previously owned Levittown Animal Hospital in Levittown, New York, and Farmingdale Dog and Cat Clinic in Farmingdale, New York. He has been active in several community outreach initiatives involving pets, children, adults, and seniors. In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, Dr. Funk organized a relief effort for the animals of Long Island, New York. He has also worked to boost employee mindfulness and wellbeing by adopting the principles of One Health.
A version of this story appears in the May 2025 print issue of JAVMA