Kansas State University CVM Graduate Student Association

📣 The GSA Sweatshirt Sale is HERE!

Stay warm and rep the K-State College of Veterinary Medicine with our limited-edition sweatshirts! All proceeds from this sale will go toward supporting future student events and activities organized by the Graduate Student Association. We appreciate your support in fostering learning, mentoring, and community-building opportunities for graduate students in the CVM!

🤩 Don’t miss your chance to grab one!!
💰Price: $45
🧵Hanes Unis*x Ultimate Cotton Crewneck (90% U.S. cotton / 10% polyester)
🗓️ Order by: February 6th
💬 Comment “sweatshirt” for ordering information
📍Local pickup preferable (Manhattan, KS)

Support the GSA, look great doing it, and stay cozy all semester long! ❄️🎓

💼 Big thanks to everyone who joined our Lunch and Learn today! The Vet Med Liaison from the Career Center shared some great tips on resumes, job searches, and resources available to the graduate students to help us succeed. 🙌

The GSA has some extra handouts such as the Resume and Interview Guide, as well as the other pamphlets pictured. Feel free to comment, message or send us an email if you would like your own copy!

👀 Stay tuned — we’ve got some exciting fundraisers coming up soon!

🌟 Meet your GSA Executive Team! 🌟

Last but certainly not least, meet our GSA Executive Advisor, Taylor McAtee! 📋 With her guidance and support, our team is better equipped to serve and advocate for the graduate student community throughout the year.

Taylor is currently working on a Ph.D. with Dr. David Renter in collaboration with industry in CORE’s Applied Beef Research and Management Training Program. She is originally from La Cygne, Kansas and has animal science degrees from K-State (B.S.) and West Texas A&M universities (M.S.). Her previous research was related to high-risk feedlot cattle and respiratory vaccinations (BRD). Taylor’s ongoing projects range from quantifying the influence of cattle health on greenhouse gas emissions to evaluating different BRD treatment protocols and novel feed additives in feedlot trials. This work underscores her commitment to fostering science-based management decisions in commercial beef production.

🎉 That’s a wrap on our Executive Team introductions! We’re excited to work together — and with all of you — to make the 2025–2026 year a great one. Stay tuned here for events, resources, and ways to get involved with your Graduate Student Association.

🌟 Meet your GSA Executive Team! 🌟

Say hello to Rebecca Bigelow, our second Social Media/Community Engagement Co-Chair! 🌟 From event reminders to student spotlights, Rebecca will help keep you connected and informed throughout the year.

Rebecca is originally from the Texas panhandle. She graduated with her Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences from Texas A&M University in 2021 then earned her Master of Science in Animal Science from West Texas A&M in 2023. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology through the Beef Cattle Institute within Kansas State's College of Veterinary Medicine. Her research focuses on calf health and management within commercial calf ranches.

🤝 And finally, next we’ll introduce our Executive Advisor, who helps guide and support the entire GSA team.

🌟 Meet your GSA Executive Team! 🌟

Meet Thitikan Jirakittisonthon one of our GSA Social Media/Community Engagement Co-Chairs! 📲✨ Thitikan will be helping share events, updates, and highlights from our grad community all year long.

Originally from Bangkok, Thailand, Thitikan, also known as "Thiti," decided to return to work for the Thai government after completing her MS at CVM KSU. She had not thought she would have another chance to study abroad again, especially in the same place. For the last three years, she has had the opportunity to rejoin the Anatomy and Physiology lab, working on Extracellular Vesicles as potential pain therapeutics. This project can be applied not only to animal health but is also essential for clinical translation to human health.

✨ Stay tuned to meet our second Social Media/Community Engagement Co-Chair, who’ll be sharing the spotlight next!

🍕📚 Big thanks to everyone who joined us for our Lunch and Learn this week! We loved hearing from our librarian about how AI can support research and the many resources the library offers to help grad students succeed.

👀 Keep an eye on your email for details about our next event — we can’t wait to see you there!

🌟 Meet your GSA Executive Team! 🌟

Meet our GSA Treasurer, Joana Magoga — the one keeping our numbers balanced and our events possible! 💵📊

Joana is originally from Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Swine Nutrition at Kansas State University in the Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology department. She earned her Agriculture and Livestock Technician degree in 2015 and her Veterinary Medicine degree from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul in 2022. Following graduation, she worked as a veterinarian in Brazil, providing technical assistance to nursery and finishing farms. Her research interests focus on swine nutrition and swine production systems.

📲 Next, meet one of our Social Media/Community Engagement Co-Chairs who helps keep our community connected.

🌟 Meet your GSA Executive Team! 🌟
Say hello to our GSA Secretary, Saurav Pantha! 📝📚

Saurav was born and raised in Nepal. He received his DVM in 2020 and worked as a veterinary clinician for 2.5 years before joining K-State in the fall of 2023. He is currently doing his PhD in the Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology with Dr. Santosh Dhakal. His research focuses on immunology, virology, and metabolomics, investigating how the interaction of obesity and biological s*x influences influenza virus pathogenesis and vaccine response.

📊 Coming soon — get to know the GSA Treasurer who keeps everything balanced.

🌟 Meet your GSA Executive Team! 🌟
Continuing with introductions, meet our Vice President — Jordana Zimmerman! 🎓✨

Jordana grew up on a small farm in southern Brazil. She earned her veterinary degree from the Federal University of Pampa in 2017 and her master's degree from the Instituto de Pesquisas Veterinárias Desidério Finamor in 2023. During this time, she worked first as an undergraduate researcher and later as a professor, where she discovered her passion for both teaching and research. In 2024, she proudly joined the Department of Anatomy and Physiology at K-State to pursue a Ph.D. under Dr. Eduarda Bortoluzzi, in collaboration with the Beef Cattle Institute. Her research focuses on Animal Welfare, Pain Assessment and Management, and Predictive Models for Animal Health.

👀 Up next: meet the GSA secretary who helps keep us organized and moving forward.

🌟 Meet Your GSA Executive Team! 🌟
We’re excited to kick off the year by introducing the leaders who will be representing and supporting our graduate student community throughout 2025–2026.

First up, our GSA President — Maddie Mancke! 🎓✨

Maddie is originally from Washington State, where she completed two associate degrees in animal science and agri-business. She then transferred to Kansas State University to complete her Bachelor of Science in Animal Sciences and Industry (Bioscience option). She has been working towards a Ph.D. in Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, starting in January 2023, through the Beef Cattle Institute at Kansas State’s College of Veterinary Medicine. Her research focuses include beef cattle production and welfare, primarily in the feedlot sector.

Stay tuned as we continue to highlight the rest of the executive team in the coming weeks. 🤝