CVMA Awards

Claire Graham is presently a fourth-year veterinary student at the Atlantic Veterinary College (AVC). Claire has been involved in executive committees since her first year of school at AVC. In addition, Claire has received the Dr. Lawrence E. Heider Leadership Award for which she was also nominated by her classmates. She is incredibly thankful to her classmates for selecting her for these awards and to the wonderful community at AVC who has elected her to lead in various positions the past four years. 

Claire was born in Toronto, but has called Nova Scotia home for the past 12 years. Claire has been a leader in the community working as the camp coordinator for Dr. Tim Oglivie Vet Camps, volunteering at many AVC events, and has spent 8 years volunteering with the Canadian Improv Games (CIG) Nova Scotia and National Tournaments.

Claire’s love for veterinary medicine was nurtured at the Metro Animal Emergency Clinic in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. It was here where her friends and colleagues pushed her to pursue her dreams of becoming a veterinarian. She is extremely grateful to be pursuing this dream as a member of the Class of 2025 at AVC, this is a class full of kind, compassionate and caring individuals who she believes will thrive in the years to come as veterinarians.

Claire has had the privilege to be extremely involved in the AVC community. She has been on the pathology club executive for three years most recently acting as the President in 2024. As well she has been involved in the Society of Atlantic Veterinary Students (SAVS) as the Vice President (2023), President (2024) and currently sits on her class executive as the SAVS Representative. 

After graduation, Claire will be practicing Small Animal Emergency Medicine at Maritime Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Hospital in Nova Scotia. In her free time, she looks forward to canoeing, reading, and going to the PEI beaches with her partner and two dogs.

Josianne Paquette is currently a fourth-year student at the Faculté de médecine Vétérinaire of the Université de Montréal in Saint-Hyacinthe.

She became involved not too long after starting her program in becoming class representative and in volunteering at the student run coffee shop “Café Beagel”. In her second year, she became manager of the student coffee shop and was also one of the people in charge in the adoption of the cats housed at the college and used for teaching purposes through the Student Animal Well-Being Committee.

It is important for her to be involved in student life because she likes to support people around her and help them make life more enjoyable. Josiane is extremely grateful to her fellow classmates for having chosen her for the CVMA Student Leadership Award and she thanks them for their involvement in the student life!

Laura Willis is a fourth-year student and Co-President of her class at the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC). She is deeply grateful to her classmates for selecting her for this award. Over the past four years, she has enjoyed advocating for her peers and organizing events to foster a strong sense of community.

Originally from Oakville, Ontario, Laura completed her Bachelor of Science in Animal Biology at the University of Guelph. During her undergraduate years, she was a co-captain of the IHSA Western Riding Team and served as a class and major representative on two executive committees. At OVC, she has been an active member of the OVC Curriculum Committee and the Student Equipment Fund Committee, using her voice to advocate for student needs. She has also volunteered with the Ontario Competitive Trail Riding Association and was a member of Global Vets 2023, where she worked at a wildlife rescue in Peru.

Laura is particularly passionate about equine medicine, but also has a keen interest in hoofstock and exotic species. After graduation, she is excited to head to California for a rotating equine internship. She hopes to build a career working with a diverse range of species and clients, from elite equine athletes to cherished hobby farm animals.

Outside of veterinary medicine, Laura enjoys horseback riding, hiking, and cross-country skiing. She is sincerely thankful to the CVMA and her classmates for this award and looks forward to contributing positively to the veterinary community in the years ahead.

Kamryn Henderson is a third-year student at the University of Calgary Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (UCVM). She has a passion for leadership, student engagement, and advancing the veterinary profession.

Kamryn is originally from Red Deer, Alberta, where her dedication to student advocacy began at a young age and has continued throughout her academic journey. She completed her Bachelor of Science at the University of Ottawa, where she was actively involved in student life and research. At UCVM, she was elected Vice-President of the student association (CAVS) in her first year and transitioned to President midway through her second year. She also plays an integral role in various student organizations, including the Behavior and Training Club and the Veterinary Business and Networking Club, and serves as a student ambassador.

Beyond academics, Kamryn is an avid athlete who enjoys playing volleyball and running on Calgary’s scenic trails. She is deeply committed to fostering a strong veterinary community and looks forward to contributing to the profession as a future veterinarian. Kamryn is incredibly grateful to her inspiring classmates, UCVM, and the CVMA for their support and is honored to receive this award.

Hayley Jenkins is a fourth-year student at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) in Saskatoon. Originally from Thompson, Manitoba, she completed three years of a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture with a major in Animal Systems at the University of Manitoba before pursuing veterinary medicine.

Hayley has been deeply committed to leadership and community service from a young age. Her dedication was recognized early when she received a Certificate of Appreciation from the City of Thompson for her extensive volunteer efforts. This passion has continued throughout her academic career at both the University of Manitoba and WCVM.

For the past four years, Hayley has served as Class President for the Class of 2025. In this role, she has represented her peers, fostered communication, and worked to ensure that every student feels supported. As Class President, she also led the fundraising and graduation committees and coordinated WCVM’s annual VIP Day.

Beyond her class leadership, Hayley has been an active member of the Western Canadian Veterinary Students’ Association, helping to plan and organize events that promote student well-being and a healthy work-life balance. She was also elected to the University of Saskatchewan Students’ Union (USSU), where she represented WCVM students at the university level for two years. Her advocacy efforts helped maintain rabies vaccine insurance coverage for students and ensured continued distribution of menstrual products in all WCVM bathrooms, recognizing the importance of accessible healthcare in a female-dominated field. As member of the USSU, she also served on several committees, including the Campus Groups Committee, which allocated funding to student organizations, and the Student and City of Saskatoon Connection Committee, which worked to enhance the student experience in collaboration with city officials.

For the past two years, Hayley has also served as the Student Representative for the Manitoba Veterinary Medical Association (MVMA). In this role, she has acted as a liaison between students and the MVMA, providing feedback and collaborating on initiatives to support veterinary students. Her efforts have focused on enhancing veterinarian retention and strengthening connections between the MVMA and WCVM.

Following graduation, Hayley will begin her career as a mixed animal veterinarian at the St. Claude Veterinary Clinic in Manitoba. She also plans to become an Animal Protection Officer for the Manitoba Government and provide essential veterinary care in Thompson, her hometown. Hayley is profoundly grateful for the support of her family, colleagues, and mentors throughout her academic journey and sincerely thanks her peers and the CVMA community for this recognition.

Dr. Cate Creighton is an associate professor at the Atlantic Veterinary College (AVC) of the University of Prince Edward Island. Along with her anesthesia service colleagues, she teaches preclinical lectures and labs, as well as clinical rotations.

Dr. Creighton graduated from AVC in 1995 and was a mixed animal clinician in Northeastern USA for nine years before returning to the Maritimes to practice small animal medicine. She completed her anesthesia and analgesia residency training program at AVC and became a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia in 2012. Following her residency, she taught at the University of Adelaide‘s DVM program before returning to AVC in 2013.

Dr. Dominique Gagnon obtained her DVM degree from the Faculté de médecine vétérinaire (FMV), Université de Montréal in 2010. Her interest in surgery lead her to pursue a general internship the same year at the University of Guelph, followed by a specialized internship in small animal surgery at the Veterinary Emergency Clinic (VEC), a private practice in Toronto.

She then completed a residency program in small animal surgery in combination with a research project leading to a DVSc from the University of Guelph. She is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS) since 2017. Following her residency, she worked for a few years at the 404 Veterinary Emergency and Referral Hospital in Newmarket, where she acquired a lot of experience.

Her interest in research and teaching led her towards academia. As a faculty member, she has worked at the FMV since 2017 where she teaches small animal surgery at the undergraduate and graduate levels. A woman of defiance and soul of profound convictions, she gives great importance to animal well-being while still maintaining a high standard of quality in her work. She also aspires to continue to evolve, both as a person and a professional.

By day, Dr. Janet Beeler-Marfisi, a Diplomate of the ACVP (Clinical Pathology), does research on lower airway disease in horses and leukemia in dogs. Janet participates in the diagnostic service for the OVC’s Large and Small Animal Hospitals, teaches, and mentors several graduate and undergraduate students.

By night, Janet thinks up novel ways to help students truly learn their way through this Mount Everest of knowledge that is a veterinary medical education. She also loves hearing from former students when they have questions on challenging cases. She especially likes helping them understand case data and to select tests that will help them achieve the best diagnostic yield!

Janet’s motto is, No Student Left Behind. She is truly grateful that she can be one of the little fires along the path to a career in veterinary medicine.

Dr. Cameron Knight graduated from Massey University Veterinary College (New Zealand) in 1992, did his residency training in anatomic pathology at Cornell University in New York, becoming a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists in 2008, and completed his PhD in New Zealand in 2016. For nearly 30 years, he has taught anatomy, histology, and pathology at four veterinary colleges in three countries and still loves teaching.

He is currently an Associate Professor of Pathology at the University of Calgary Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (UCVM).

Dr. Trisha Dowling is a veterinarian and professor of veterinary clinical pharmacology at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada and the founder and co-director of the Canadian global Food Animal Residue Avoidance Database (CgFARAD).

She graduated from Texas A&M in 1983 (BS Animal Science) and 1987 (DVM). After a residency and Master’s at Auburn University, she became board certified by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine and the American College of Veterinary Clinical Pharmacology. She is also a certified Mindfulness Teacher. She has been teaching veterinary pharmacology at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine since 1993 and the Mindful Veterinary Practice elective since 20120.

She has received numerous teaching awards including the Norden Distinguished Professor and the UofS Master Teaching Award and has twice won the CVMA Teacher of the Year. In addition to teaching, she consults with veterinarians regarding drug therapy and conducts drug research.