Dalen Agnew, DVM, PhD, DACVP

Dalen Agnew was raised in the midwest on a horse farm. In 1990, he graduated from Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine and spent the next 9 years at the Detroit Zoological Institute. He left to pursue advanced training in comparative pathology, completing an anatomic pathology residency in 2002 and a PhD in 2006 from the University of California in Davis with Dr. Linda Munson. During this time, he spent one year at the San Diego Zoo and completed research on elephant reproductive diseases, koala retroviruses, and STDs of cattle among other topics. He came back to Michigan State University in 2006 and is now a professor. He divides his time between service at the Veterinary Diagnostic Center, teaching, administration, and continued research on reproductive diseases in beasts of all kinds. This research has taken him from rural Michigan farms to West Africa, Ethiopia, South America, and India and involved cattle, sheep, horses, elephants, rhinoceros, golden pheasants, waxy tree frogs, giant anteaters, hellbenders, and many other species.

Bruce Christensen, DVM, MS, DACT

Bruce Christensen graduated from Cornell University with his DVM in 2002. Dr. Christensen completed his theriogenology residency and Masters in Reproductive Physiology at University of Florida 2003-2006. He became a Diplomate of the American College of Theriogenologists in 2006. He was an Assistant Professor in Theriogenology at Iowa State University (2008-2012) and University of California, Davis (2012-2017). Dr. Christensen currently has own practice, Kokopelli Assisted Reproductive Services, in Northern California that he began in 2017. He is also a reproductive advisor to Mexican Gray Wolf and African Painted Dog SSPs.

Andres de la Concha, DVM, PhD

Dr. de la Concha is a pathologist at TVMDL’s College Station laboratory, where he provides macroscopic and microscopic pathology diagnostic services for livestock and companion animals. He has published more than 40 peer-reviewed articles and made more than 135 presentations to professional, industry and special interest groups.

 M. Scott Echols, DVM, DABVP (Avian Practice)

Dr. M Scott Echols is a board certified avian specialist veterinarian working primarily in the US. Dr. Echols graduated from Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine in 1995 and completed his residency in avian medicine and surgery at the Medical Center for Birds in 1999. He is an internationally recognized author, speaker, researcher, adjunct professor, visiting professor and practitioner. His artwork has been featured on several magazine covers and in numerous galleries in the US, Europe and other locations. Awards include Recipient of the TJ Lafeber Avian Practitioner of the Year Award, 2005; Recipient of the Texas Veterinary Medical Association 2007 Non-Traditional Species Practitioner of the Year Award; Wellcome Images Award 2017 Finalist and Texas A&M 2018 Distinguished Alumnus Award. Dr. Echols has numerous inventions in the field of imaging which are currently being used in animal and human medicine.

Carleigh Fedorka, PhD

Dr. Carleigh Fedorka is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Kentucky's Gluck Equine Research Center. A global expert in reproductive immunology, she has focused her research on understanding the relationship between the immune system and the reproductive tract, evaluating the efficacy of immunomodulators on various reproductive disorders, and discovering immune-related biomarkers for reproductive health.

Dr. Fedorka earned her Bachelors of Science degree at St. Lawrence University and her PhD at the University of Kentucky. In her free time, she is a professional equestrian and competes in three-day eventing with her many off the track thoroughbreds.

 Alain Fontbonne, DVM, PhD, DECAR

Alain Fontbonne graduated in 1985 and  first followed an internship in carnivore internal medicine during his two years at the Alfort National School of Veterinary Medicine (Paris). After working between 1988 and 1993 for the French Kennel Club and developing the first canine semen bank in France, he was appointed as a senior lecturer in the veterinary faculty of Lyon. In 2000, he was appointed back in Alfort (Paris) where he is currently the head of the Dog and Cat Reproduction and Breeding department and the small animal reproduction clinic. He is also doing research about assisted reproduction in wild felids.

He is a diplomata of the European College of Animal Reproduction (ECAR) and has trained 8 residents who all successfully passed the European College examination.

Alain Fontbonne has also been former President of the EVSSAR (European Veterinary Society for Small Animal Reproduction) and elected as an Honorary Member of this scientific society. He has written several articles, books and chapters of books for veterinarians, and has been invited to lecture for veterinarians in several countries in Europe, North and South America, Asia, South Africa and Australia.

Robert A. Foster, BVSc, PhD, MANZCVS, DACVP

Rob is primarily an educator and student of Veterinary Pathology. He is a Professor in the Department of Pathobiology at the Ontario Veterinary College of the University of Guelph.

After completing his BVSc from the University of Queensland and 3 years in mixed practice in Mackay, he completed a PhD at the James Cook University in male reproductive pathology under the tutelage of Professor Philip Ladds, renowned expert in male reproductive pathology. He moved to Guelph, Ontario Canada to work with noted female reproductive pathologist Professor Rick Miller and to become a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists. While a generalist, one of his areas of interest is the reproductive systems. He has authored papers and chapters on male and female reproductive pathology, and developed and maintains the Veterinary Reproductive Pathology Website (VetReproPath.com).

 Jason Herrick, PhD

Jason Herrick is the Director of Reproductive Sciences at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium. He earned his B.S. in Zoology from Michigan State University, his M.S. from The Ohio State University, and his Ph.D. from Purdue University studying in vitro oocyte maturation in pigs and goats. In 2004, Jason joined the Center for Conservation and Research of
Endangered Wildlife at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden as a post-doctoral fellow, where he conducted research on the reproductive biology of small, endangered cats. Jason has worked in a large public university (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) and a private fertility clinic (Colorado Center for Reproductive Medicine) before coming to Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium. Jason has extensive experience in reproductive biology including studies on 16 different species, ranging from the laboratory mouse to tigers, that have resulted in39 peer-reviewed publications and contributions to  3 book chapters.

John P. Kastelic, DVM, PhD, DACT

Raised on a dairy farm near Edmonton, AB, Canada, Dr. Kastelic received his DVM (with distinction) from the U. of Saskatchewan (1982). After 2 years in private veterinary practice and 1 year in a theriogenology residency, he received his MS (1988) and PhD (1990) under the supervision of O.J. Ginther at the U. of Wisconsin-Madison. After 22 years as a Research Scientist at the Lethbridge Research Centre (Lethbridge, AB), he joined the U. of Calgary, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (Calgary, AB) where he is Professor of Theriogenology and Head of the Department of Production Animal Health. He was Co-Editor-in-Chief of Theriogenology (2003-2013), is currently Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Canadian Veterinary Journal, and is author/co-author of >250 scientific papers. A Diplomate of the American College of Theriogenologists (1994), he served on the Exam Committee (2001-2008), was President (2017/18), and Theriogenologist of the Year (2009).

Jessi Krebs, Curator of Amphibians and Reptiles

As an expert in reptile and amphibian care, Jessi has been active in the industry for over twenty-five years. Prior to that he served in the United States Marine Corp. He currently manages a large reptile and amphibian collection consisting of 145 reptile and 46 amphibian species, totaling more than 3,000 individual animals at a prominent mid-western zoo. Jessi has served on several national advisory committees that focus on the care and management of Crocodilians, Lizards, and Amphibians, as well as serving on the Board of Directors for the North American Society of Toxicology. He currently sits on the Board of Directors for the Honduras Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Center and is retained as one of the core faculty for an Association of Zoos and Aquariums Professional Development Program: Crocodilian Biology and Professional Management.

Charles Love, DVM, PhD, DACT

Dr. Charles Love is a professor in the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences (VLCS) and directs the Flow Cytometer Laboratory at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (CVMBS). He received his DVM from the University of Missouri, his PhD in Comparative Medical Sciences from the University of Pennsylvania, and is a diplomate of the American College of Theriogenologists.

With numerous manuscripts, book chapters, and invited presentations to his credit, he is an internationally recognized authority on stallion reproduction. Dr. Love’s research focuses on the relationship of sperm laboratory measures to fertility, improving techniques for collection, analysis, and storage of semen, and development of record-analysis systems for critically studying the fertility of stallions.

Kristina Lu, VMD, DACT

Dr. Lu has been in Lexington, Kentucky for 15 years practicing equine reproduction, approximately 75% ambulatory and 25% in the clinic. She volunteers at a therapeutic riding facility where she enjoys using acupuncture to help horses help people.

Justin McNaughten, BVMS, DACT

Dr. Justin McNaughten received his veterinary degree from the University of Glasgow, School of Veterinary Medicine in Glasgow, UK. Following veterinary school, he completed a fellowship in the Large Animal NICU at the University of Pennsylvania and a residency in Animal Reproduction at the University of Florida. He became a board certified Theriogenologist (DACT) in 2014. Justin has spent the last six years shuttling between the Northern and Southern Hemispheres specializing in general equine reproduction and assisted reproductive techniques. Justin’s clinical interests include early embryonic loss, mare infertility, and stallion behavior.

Anneke Moresco, MSc, DVM, PhD

Dr. Moresco obtained her Masters in Reproductive Endocrinology and Primate Behavior from the Rijkuniversiteit te Utrecht, The Netherlands and her DVM from Colorado State University. She completed her Internship in Farm Animal Medicine at North Carolina State University under Dr. Peter Farin and her PhD from UC Davis. Dr. Moresco completed her Post-doc in small felid reproduction at the Cincinnati Zoo. She has managed the Reproductive Health Surveillance Program since 2002 and is on the Advisory Board of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Reproductive Management Center (formerly the Wildlife Contraception Center). She has worked and consulted with various zoos, and sanctuaries in the US, Europe, Africa and Latin America.

Jon Oatley, PhD

Jon M. Oatley, Ph.D. is the Director of the Center for Reproductive Biology and a full Professor in the School of Molecular Biosciences at Washington State University. Dr. Oatley received a Bachelor of Sciences degree in Animal Sciences from the University of Nevada-Reno, Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees from Washington State University, and was a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Ralph Brinster at the University of Pennsylvania. Over the course of two decades, Dr. Oatley’s research has focused on understanding the biology of germ cells which are the eternal cellular link between generations. Dr. Oatley’s research also focuses on engineering the genetics of farm animals to develop more efficient avenues for feeding the expanding global human population. Dr. Oatley has authored more than 80 scientific research papers, book chapters, and news articles on the areas of germ cell biology and animal genetic engineering. As an independent investigator, his research program has been funded by multiple grants from the National Institutes of Health, the United States Department of Agriculture, and industry contracts. 

Jeff Ondrak, DVM, PhD

Dr. Jeff Ondrak is a Nebraska native who earned a B .S. in Animal Science from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a D.V.M. from Kansas State University. After working 15 years as a mixed animal practitioner in Nebraska he returned to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where he received a M.S. in Veterinary Science with an emphasis in epidemiology and served as a Beef Cattle Clinical Veterinarian at the UNL Great Plains Veterinary Educational Center. His responsibilities included teaching veterinary students through GPVEC's clinical rotations and research with a general interest in bovine reproduction and a specific emphasis on bovine trichomoniasis. He recently took a job with the federal government. Jeff has been a career-long member of SFT and MBP and currently sits on the MBP Board of Directors. He and his family operate a commercial cow-calf operation in southeastern Nebraska.

Sean Perry, DVM, PhD

Sean Perry completed his undergraduate degree at the University of California, Santa Cruz, earning a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience and Behavior. He then attended veterinary school at Western University of Health Sciences, graduating in 2013. Following graduating he completed internships in both emergency and critical care and small animal medicine and surgery at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine and practiced at Marathon Veterinary Hospital in the Florida Keys. In 2020, he completed his PhD at Louisiana State University focusing on the development of artificial reproductive technologies in captive reptiles for endangered species while practicing both emergency and zoological medicine between LSU, private practice, and Audubon Nature Institute. He is currently the Associate Veterinarian at the Mississippi Aquarium.  

Christopher Premanandan, DVM, PhD, DACVP, DACT

Christopher Premanandan, DVM, PhD, DACVP, DACT is an associate professor at The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine in the Department of Veterinary Biosciences. Dr. Premanandan graduated with a DVM from OSU in 2001. After a brief period in mixed animal practice, he returned to OSU to pursue a combined pathology residency/PhD program that he completed in 2007 and was hired as assistant professor in the same department. While in this position, he pursued training in theriogenology by the alternative route. Dr. Premanandan is the director of the reproductive pathology and comparative theriogenology service at OSU, a specialized service that focuses on diagnostic pathology of the male and female reproductive tract and the mammary gland. He is a primary author or co-author on 42 peer reviewed publications and is a contributor to the male and female reproductive pathology sections in the upcoming 7th edition of Pathologic Basis of Veterinary Disease.

Juan Romano, DVM, MS, PhD, DACT

Dr. Romano is Professor and Chief of Food Animal Field Services in the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences at the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences at Texas A&M University. Dr. Romano received his DVM from the University of Uruguay in 1985, MS in Theriogenology from the University of Minnesota, Residency Certificate in Food Animal Theriogenology and PhD from Texas A&M University. He is Diplomate of the American College of Theriogenologists. Dr. Romano worked for 10 years in freelance activity mostly in ruminant reproduction. In 1986-1987 worked in the Laboratoire pour le Contrôle des Reproducteurs (Paris-France) and in 1991 studied five months on in vitro production of cattle embryos at the National Livestock Breeding Center in Fukushima (Japan). Dr. Romano is also a rancher in Burleson County, TX in which raise registered Polled Hereford. He is member of Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association.

Dennis Schmitt, DVM, PhD, DACT

Dennis Schmitt, DVM, PHD, DIPL. ACT is Professor Emeritus in the William H. Darr College of Agriculture at Missouri State University. He served as the Ringling Bros. Chair of Veterinary Care and Director of Research & Conservation (2004-2020 and is currently the Senior Elephant Veterinarian for the White Oak Center for Elephant Conservation, providing care for 34 Asian elephants. Dr. Schmitt is a founding board member of the International Elephant Foundation formed in 1999. Dr. Schmitt has been active in providing veterinary care to elephants in Asia, Europe, and North America. As an author and coauthor, he has published over 80 papers on elephant reproduction and physiology. Dr. Schmitt is a member of the Asian Elephant Specialist Group of IUCN. He was the veterinarian for the team that produced the first elephant born from artificial insemination, as well as the first survivor of Elephant Endothelial Herpesvirus (EEHV) in the world.

David Scofield, DVM, MS, DACT

Dr. Scofield was trained to have a strong background in general equine practice, embryo transfer, mare management, and infertility of the mare and stallion. Dr. Scofield grew up in Delaware and received his DVM from Oklahoma State University in 2009. Following graduation, Dr. Scofield completed an internship at Weatherford Equine Medical Center in Weatherford, Texas and later joined Colorado State University’s Equine Reproduction Laboratory for a residency in Equine Reproduction.

Since 2013, Dr. Scofield has developed a reproductive specialty and referral practice in Maryland for equines and canines.  His main interests are embryo transfer and breeding mares with cooled and frozen semen.  He has a large clientele of TB breeding clients and is the staff veterinarian for some of the large TB Stallion Stations on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.  As the practice has grown, Dr. Scofield’s interests have likewise grown to include practice management and young DVM mentorship. 

Nucharin Songsasen, DVM, PhD

Nucharin Songsasen is the Center Head of the Center for Species Survival, one of the five centers within the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institutes. Since 2002, she built the Global Canid Conservation Program and expanded this conservation and research initiative from a laboratory setting to field conservation in range countries, including Brazil and Thailand. Nucharin is a leading expert in the field of canid reproductive biology. Research conducted in her laboratory focuses on developing innovative technologies to rescuing valuable genetics from wild canids and felids, while improving human reproductive health. Nucharin has adjunct appointments at the University of Maryland, Cornell University and George Mason University. She is also a member of the IUCN’s Canid Specialist Group (CSG) the coordinator of CSG’s Dhole Working Group and the Maned wolf Species Survival Plan as well as Reproductive Advisor to the Canid Taxon Advisory Group.

Monica Stoops, MS, PhD

Monica has over 20 years experience conducting zoo/wildlife reproductive research. One of her specific research focus has been in the field of rhino reproduction for which she has received multiple government grants. Through her research she has gained extensive experience with hormone monitoring of reproductive and adrenal steroids, ultrasonography, artificial insemination, semen collection/cryopreservation, pregnancy detection and exogenous hormone therapy. She currently serves as the Reproductive Advisor for the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Rhinoceros Taxon Advisory Group (TAG) and Rhinoceros Research Council. She maintins strong, positive relationships with institutions nationwide that maintain rhinos. This relationship is critical to the inter-institutional collaboration that is needed to advance reproductive efforts for rhinos in managed care.

Robyn Wilborn, DVM, DACT

After receiving her DVM degree from Auburn University in 2002, Dr. Wilborn relocated to Wichita, Kansas where she entered private practice. In 2005, she returned to Auburn to begin a residency in Theriogenology. Dr. Wilborn became a Diplomate in the American College of Theriogenologists in 2007 and has been a member of the Society for Theriogenology since 2005.  Currently an Associate Professor of Theriogenology at Auburn University, Dr. Wilborn’s passion is teaching equine and canine theriogenology and she was awarded SGA Teacher of the Year in 2017. After eight years of service on the SFT Board, she was elected to serve as President of SFT from 2018-2019. Dr. Wilborn is married and her husband Barney directs the Meat Science Laboratory at Auburn University. They have three daughters ages 10, 9 and 5.  In their spare time (which is pretty limited) they both enjoy water skiing and following Auburn football.