Contact: Anissa Riley, College of Veterinary Medicine
The Tuskegee University College of Veterinary Medicine (TUCVM) welcomed 51 new doctors of veterinary medicine into the profession on May 2 during the Graduate and Professional Schools commencement ceremony in the Daniel “Chappie” James Arena. Immediately following the commencement, graduates took the Veterinary Medicine Oath and received their Doctor of Veterinary Medicine hoods, formally joining the veterinary medicine profession – and the 81-year legacy the school holds as the first and oldest college of veterinary medicine at an HBCU. Since 1949, Tuskegee has awarded over 3,186 veterinary medicine degree.
"I am honored to now serve as dean to the first Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) graduating class under my deanship and proudly acknowledge the Class of 2026 as my new colleagues as you begin your new journeys in the veterinary profession,” said Dr. Ebony Gilbreath, herself a 2004 TUCVM alumna.
“You are embarking on a journey of lifelong learning beyond the DVM degree, and I believe you will play a significant role in advancing and charting the future of the veterinary profession as leaders, educators, and researchers,” said Dr. Gilbreath.
Delivering the veterinary medicine challenge in the keynote address was TUCVM alumna and faculty member Athema Etzioni, DVM, MS, DACVP. Dr. Etzioni ’01 gave an energized and inspiring oath charge to the newly named doctors of veterinary medicine center around their class motto, ‘All Gas No Breaks!’
“Continue with that same speed and make your mark!” she said, also emphasizing the value of time. “Time matters and time waits for no one so prioritize your time and don’t lose an opportunity or lose dependability. This is your time to shine,” she said.
Dr. Etzioni, a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists, currently serves as a tenured associate professor and section chief of Clinical Pathology, alternate attending veterinarian for the Comparative Medicine Resource Center in the Pathobiology Department, and an adjunct medicine clinician in the Small Animal Veterinary Teaching Hospital at TUCVM. Dr. Etzioni is noted as the first black woman board-certified in clinical pathology by the American College of Veterinary Pathologists.
After the hooding and the administration of the Veterinarian’s Oath by Dean Gilbreath, veterinary alumna Dr. Dana Fuller gave a welcome to the veterinary alumni association message and one-year free alumni membership to all the new veterinary graduates. Dr. Fuller is a 2003 TUCVM graduate and serves as president of the Tuskegee Veterinary Medical Alumni Association (TVMAA).
Use this link to view the ceremony: Tuskegee University YouTube channel
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