Photos courtesy of Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.

William Murphy, PhD, BS, was named the 2025 Southeastern Conference Professor of the Year

An animal genetics investigator at Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (VMBS) in College Station has earned the highest award for faculty in US college athletics’ Southeastern Conference (SEC). William Murphy, PhD, BS, has been named the 2025 SEC Professor of the Year, in recognition of his teaching record, research and service in higher education.

“What an incredible honor to represent my institution and the SEC in this way,” Murphy said in a news release.

 “I am deeply grateful for the support of Texas A&M throughout my career and to the SEC for this recognition of my academic efforts.”

Winners are selected by the SEC provosts from among the 16 SEC Faculty Achievement Award recipients announced in February 2025. “The SEC Faculty Achievement Awards allow us to celebrate and highlight the remarkable contributions of outstanding faculty members on our campuses,” Greg Sankey, SEC commissioner, said in a news release.

 “While we recognize 16 exceptional individuals each year, they stand as representative of the excellence and dedication demonstrated by all SEC faculty.”

Murphy is the Professor of the Year award’s third Texas A&M recipient, since it was first presented in 2012. He joins Karen L. Wooley, PhD, BS, a polymer chemist; and Marcetta Y. Darensbourg, PhD, BS, an inorganic chemist, who are both nationally recognized experts in the field of chemistry. All 3 of these Texas A&M honorees are members of the National Academy of Sciences.

William Murphy, PhD, BS, is a research of animal genetics. 

At Texas A&M, Murphy is the James E. Womack University Professor of Genetics in the VMBS’ Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences and a University System Regents Professor, who was recently appointed to lead a new Center for Comparative Genomics in animal genetics at Texas A&M. Through his work as a genomicist, Murphy studies the structure, function and evolution of an organism’s entire genome, or its entire DNA complement, according to Texas A&M. This work aims to improve understanding of the genetic basis of a species’ traits and diseases.

Murphy’s research using comparative genomics to describe and understand evolutionary processes in mammals that result in different species, adaptations and overall biological diversity, contributed to his selection as the SEC Professor of the Year. This work has helped redefine the mammalian tree of life and transform scientists’ understanding of biology, especially through his research on the domestic cat genome, according to Texas A&M.

"Dr Murphy is one of the most influential scholars in his field worldwide. His groundbreaking work in comparative genomics has not only redefined our understanding of mammalian evolution but also illuminated the complexities of feline genetics, paving the way for advancements in both science and medicine,” John R. August, BVSc, MS, the Carl B. King Dean of Veterinary Medicine, said in the release.

 “His dedication to unraveling the mysteries of the genome is matched by his dedication to educating and mentoring the next generation of genomicists; we could not be prouder to see his remarkable contributions recognized by the SEC.”

According to Texas A&M, Murphy earned his PhD in biological sciences at The University of Tulsa in Oklahoma before becoming a postdoctoral researcher and senior scientist studying genomic diversity at the National Institutes of Health’s National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland. The author of more than 170 articles published in peer-reviewed journals, Murphy also serves as the editor-in-chief of the 

Throughout his career, Murphy’s work as included participation in the Zoonomia Project, an international consortium of scientists that studies mammalian genomic data to answer questions about human evolution. One Zoonomia Project study led by Murphy used the genomes of 241 species to find an answer to the question of when mammals diversified in their evolutionary timeline over the past 100 million years. This finding—that mammals were experiencing species diversification before the mass extinction that wiped out nonavian dinosaurs—supports animal and human health outcomes, according to Texas A&M.

Additionally, Murphy is regarded as an expert in feline evolution and genomics. His work includes research that has helped scientists better understand what makes different cat species unique, including how they have adapted to their environments.

Sankey expressed that the SEC was proud to have Murphy and other distinguished faculty represent it. "Dr Murphy's commitment to innovative scholarship, excellence in teaching and dedicated service embodies what it means to be the SEC Professor of the Year," he said in a news release.

Price C. Texas A&M researcher Wiliam Murphy named 2025 SEC Professor of the Year. News release. Texas A&M University. March 24, 2025. Accessed March 24, 2025. 

https://stories.tamu.edu/stories/tamu-researcher-william-murphy-named-2025-sec-professor-of-the-year/

SEC honors outstanding educators with faculty achievement awards. News release. Southeastern Conference. February 24, 2025. Accessed March 24, 2025. 

https://www.secsports.com/news/2025/02/sec-honors-outstanding-educators-with-faculty-achievement-awards-2025

Texas A&M research redefines mammalian tree of life. News release. Texas A&M University. April 27, 2023. Accessed March 24, 2025. 

https://vetmed.tamu.edu/news/press-releases/zoonomia/?highlight=zoonomia

Articles

William Murphy, PhD, BS, was selected by SEC provosts for the recognition, from among 16 previous achievement award recipients

Animal geneticist is awarded Southeastern Conference faculty honor

From March 14-16, 2025, veterinary professionals, dvm360 staff, and other industry leaders headed to Fetch Charlotte for a weekend full of learning, networking, and fun! Even though the conference has come to a close, the dvm360 coverage of the event has not. Dvm360 had created this list of videos, articles, and other conference events here to provide an inside look at what was going on at Fetch Charlotte, including a 

Dvm360’s full Fetch Charlotte coverage is available 

Attendees listening to a keynote address during Fetch Charlotte (Image courtesy of Walter L Brown Jr, BS, RVTg, VTS (ECC))

Critical thinking and anesthetic monitoring

During an interview with dvm360, Amanda Shelby, RVT, VTS (Anesthesia; Analgesia), shared the importance of considering a patient’s history, comorbidities, and anticipated complications along with monitoring equipment readings to achieve patient safety and optimal anesthetic management.

“Yeah, so in a clinical situation under anesthesia, or in a patient that's sedated, or one I'm getting prepared to put under anesthesia, as soon as we induce a patient, or even when we give a medication, the three key things that, you know, we don't need to make this super complicated, the three key things: does it have a pulse? Is it breathing?” Shelby said during the interview.

“What is its level of anesthetic depth? And that probably relates more to already being unconscious. But is it going to jump up and leave the table, or are we on a pathway towards undesirable outcomes from there? It's attaching monitoring equipment and learning about what that monitoring equipment tells you and perhaps what it doesn't tell you, and then always being able to reach under there and look at your patient,” she continued.

Understanding pharmacodynamics in amphibians

Jb Minter, DVM, MS, DACZM, director of animal health and chief veterinarian at the North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro, North Carolina, explained Pharmacodynamics and its relation to amphibians, which was part of this lecture at the conference.

“Pharmacodynamics in amphibians, again, very, very evolving field of study. So pharmacodynamics refers to the study of how drugs affect the body, including the mechanism of action, and the relationship... between the drug concentration and the effect of that drugs. So it's enhanced by a lot of different factors. So metabolism: amphibians have a low metabolic rate, and this is going to affect how the drugs are processed and eliminated, so got to take that into consideration,” Minter explained during the interview.

A surgeon's approach to owner communication

Brian Sutherland, DVM, DACVS-SA, in a preconference interview, explained that when talking to clients about their pet that needs surgery, it can be a scary process for them, so transparency is crucial. Throughout the interview, Sutherland explained that the risk benefit he does for himself in regards to the patient, he shares with them to help them be fully educated and informed on the procedures their pet may be getting.

“I think my general approach is to be as open and honest as possible with owners. These are often challenging and sometimes high-risk procedures, and I think owners need to be very, very well educated on that. And a lot of times these procedures are things that aren't performed very often. And so despite someone being, you know, the most experienced, like my mentor in Colorado, one of the most experienced heart surgeons in the world for veterinary patients, still there are things that he has not done hundreds of, you know. So there are definitely certain procedures where we don't do that often and have less experience with and I think it's very important that we're...open and honest with owners about that,” Sutherland expressed.

When to perform a crown amputation vs a full true tooth extraction

In an on site interview with Heather Duncan, DVM, DAVDC, founder and CEO of Crown Veterinary Dental Specialists in Charlotte, North Carolina, provide insight into when a crown amputation is needed instead of a full true tooth extraction as well as an overview of the procedure and how it should be done.

“So a time that you could do a crown amputation, versus true extraction of a tooth is when you see that there is no root structure left. So we don't have anything that looks like a root. There's no periodontal ligament traceable around that root. There's no root canal, you know, chamber, anything, left in that root. That's when you can do a crown amputation for a tooth. You're still going to lay your mucogingival flap like you would normally. You're going to remove as much as of a root that there is, even if there's a little one up at the top, and then do your crown amputation. And then you're going to release a tension-free flap, suture that back into place, just like you would a regular extraction,” Duncan explained to dvm360.

Adam Christman, DVM, MBA, chief veterinary officer, dvm360, taking selfies with attendees during the 2025 Fetch Charlotte conference.

Advances in veterinary oncology: From a melanoma vaccine to genetic testing

To kick off Fetch Charlotte, Phil Bergman, DVM, MS, DACVIM (Oncology), shared some of the recent and relevant advances in veterinary oncology to the attendees, including a new, highly effective drug for nausea and vomiting; a vaccine for melanoma; and a pharmacogenetic test related to ‘white feet don’t treat.’

“...it’s easy for clients to know what overt vomiting is, but if you ask them, ‘Did Fluffy have any nausea over the last 3 weeks?’ invariably, they'll say ‘no.’ But if you actually arm them with what nausea looks like in the dog, then all of a sudden they say, ‘Yes, oh yeah, I do remember Fluffy walked up to the food bowl, kind of licked their lips, walked away—kind of like the waterfalls we have when we're nauseous,” said Bergman during his session.

Chronic kidney disease in cats: Hypokalemia, signs, the exam, and staging

In older cats, one of the most common diseases they face is chronic kidney disease, making it an important thing for veterinary professionals to understand. During his lecture at Fetch Charlotte, Christopher G. Byers, DVM, DACVECC, DACVIM (SAIM), CVJ, provided attendees with a comprehensive lecture on these diseases in feline patients, which included understanding signs of hypokalemia in patients with CKD, the clinical presentation of the disease, and more.

Understanding phobia and anxiety in patients

Christopher Pachel, DVM, DACVB, CABC, owner and lead clinician at the Animal Behavior Clinic in Portland, Oregon, took the stage at Fetch Charlotte to educate attendees with an overview of noise phobia and anxiety in canine patients. Through the article, dvm360 highlighted Pachel’s points on intervention strategies that professionals can use to help mitigate emotional and physical stress of these patients.

“Individual differences in learning history and experiences, socialization, and stimulus exposure context can significantly influence the development of these and other coping strategy variations,” Pachel said to attendees during his lecture. . In helping an animal manage their fear, phobia or anxiety, he noted that “there isn't a one-size-fits-all [solution] here.”

Veterinarian follows a call to dermatology

On day 2 of Fetch Charlotte, Joya Griffin, DVM, DACVD, star of television’s Nat Geo Wild unscripted show 

, shared how one of her first patients and their need for an “extreme makeover” led her down the path of veterinary dermatology. Throughout the lecture, Griffin took attendees on the same journey she went on during her career, begining as a child growing up in Ohio and living across the street from her science teacher, who was also a veterinarian.

“He was really an integral in my life and my development as a young student,” Griffin said. “And then I also had the example of a Black veterinarian in Dayton, Ohio, who we would take our pets to, and they would do our vaccines for us. And that was really kind of a great experience too…Seeing that really allowed me to see the possibility for myself in veterinary medicine, and so my parents supported me, and they pushed me forward.”

Did you miss Fetch Charlotte, or were you there and missed sessions you really wanted to attend? Do not worry, Fetch Charlotte will soon be available on Fetch on Demand! Fetch On-Demand delivers expert-led veterinary continuing education on your schedule. With CE on your own terms, you can access top-tier sessions anytime, anywhere—whether at home, in the clinic, or on the go. 

Now that Fetch Charlotte 2025 has ended, check out this exclusive collection of must see and read videos and interviews 

Fetch Charlotte 2025 wrap up 

Career advancements in the veterinary and animal care fields bring new opportunities for personal growth and the growth of the organizations these professionals serve. As individuals step into new roles, they have the opportunity to help shape the future of the industry with their leadership and expertise.

The following individuals are being spotlighted in this week’s “Paws and profits” column:

Alex Faynberg, FSA, MAAA, executive vice president and head of Healthy Paws

Alex Faynberg, FSA, MAAA. (Photo courtesy of Chubb INA Holdings)

Alex Faynberg, FSA, MAAA, recently assumed the position of executive vice president and head of Healthy Paws—a pet insurance company. With more than 20 years of experience in the insurance industry, Faynberg will be responsible for growing the company’s market presence. In his prior role, Faynberg was the division president of Chubb Workplace Benefits, the company who owns Healthy Paws.

"Alex's deep experience and knowledge in both benefits and insurance will enhance Healthy Paws' mission to help pet owners care for their pets' health," David Lupica, vice president of Chubb Group and president of Westchester, said in a company release.

"His track record and strategic vision makes him the ideal candidate to expand and grow Healthy Paws' business."

Brük Herbst, MBA, CEO, Ellie Diagnostics

Ellie Diagnostics, a veterinary reference laboratory, appointed Brük Herbst, MBA as its new CEO. Herbst has a history in global diagnostics, commercial strategy, and leadership. In his most recent role, herbst was the president of global diagnostics at Covetrus.

"I am honored to join Ellie at such an exciting time in its journey," said Herbst in a news release.

 "Ellie has already established itself as an innovator in the veterinary diagnostics space, and I look forward to working with this talented team to drive strategic growth, strengthen partnerships, and continue delivering exceptional value to our customers."

Sabrina Simmons, MBA, chief financial officer, Petco

Sabrina Simmons, MBA. (Photo courtesy of Petco, The Health + Wellness Co)

Three new leaders have joined Petco’s executive team. Among the new appointees is Sabrina Simmons, who is the company’s new chief financial officer. Simmons has more than 20 years of financial experience at the executive level. In her previous roles, she was the executive vice president and chief financial officer of Gap. Currently, Simmons is part of the Board of Directors of Columbia Sportswear Company and Coursera. Inc.

"I am honored to join Petco as chief financial officer and look forward to working closely with... the leadership team in creating long-term value for our shareholders," said Simmons in a company release.

 "I believe deeply in the company's mission to improve the lives of pets and pet parents and see significant opportunity to strengthen our leadership position in the category."

Michael Romanko. (Photo courtesy of Petco, The Health + Wellness Co)

Michael Romanko, chief customer and product officer, Petco

Petco’s second new appointee is Michael Romanko, who is assuming the role of chief customer and product officer after holding executive-level roles throughout the c-suite for consumer brands. In his new role, Romanko will oversee marketing, customer insights, product development, global sourcing and owned brands. In his previous role, Romanko was the chief merchandising and marketing officer at Five Below.

"Petco has long been an industry leader known for making a difference in its customers' lives," said Romanko.

 "I am excited about what this new role unlocks to elevate the Petco brand, including the opportunity to source new, unique and trendy products while delivering a completely new experience for our customers."

Jack Stout. (Photo courtesy of Petco, The Health + Wellness Co)

Jack Stout, chief merchandising officer, Petco

With more than 20 years of merchandising, planning, category management, and logistics experience in senior roles in the consumer goods industry, Jack Stout has been appointed Petco’s chief merchandising officer. In a previous role, Stout was the executive vice president and chief merchandising officer at 7-Eleven. 

“I am thrilled to be a part of Petco at such a pivotal time for the company as we work to strengthen retail fundamentals and improve our merchandising capabilities," said Stout.

 "There is so much opportunity to build on Petco's strong foundation and I look forward to even deeper partnership with the leadership team as we work to realize our full potential as a best-in-class retailer

Westchester, a Chubb Company, appoints Alex Faynberg head of Healthy Paws Pet Insurance. News release. Chubb INA Holdings. February 27, 2025. Accessed March 20, 2025. https://prnmedia.prnewswire.com/news-releases/westchester-a-chubb-company-appoints-alex-faynberg-head-of-healthy-paws-pet-insurance-302387638.html

Ellie Diagnostics appoints Brük Herbst as chief executive officer. News release. Ellie Diagnostics. February 25, 2025.

Petco strengthens leadership team with appointment of three proven executives. News release. Petco, The Health + Wellness Co. February 18, 2025. Accessed March 20, 2025. https://prnmedia.prnewswire.com/news-releases/petco-strengthens-leadership-team-with-appointment-of-three-proven-executives-302379444.html

New leadership moves at Petco, Ellie Diagnostics, and Healthy Paws

Paws and profits: New leadership in the animal care industry

Fetch Charlotte 2025

The 2025 Fetch dvm360 Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina, was held March 14-16, at the Charlotte Convention Center. Although this year's 'Fetch Charlotte' is over, it continues to be informative. 

Our ongoing news coverage provides continuing education (CE) session recaps, reporting on special events, and video interviews with industry thought leaders. Look for certain CE sessions that will be featured in upcoming Fetch On-Demand programming on the 

Relive or discover Fetch Charlotte in action by viewing the gallery of photos with images captured at the convention center including during CE sessions and labs, and in the exhibit hall. Additionally, 

 with news and information includes videos with insights from industry experts  and articles for information to put into practice. 

The 2025 Fetch dvm360 Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina, was held March 14-16, 2025. 

Photo gallery: Fetch Charlotte 2025

Kicking off her lecture, Natalie Marks, DVM, CVJ, CCFP, Elite FFC-V, shared the story of her "heart dog" Samantha. When her son Evan was young, he and the family dog both went to grab a toy, and the dog accidentally hurt him. Because of this incident, Evan developed a fear of dogs, leading him to therapy and desensitization. 

One day, the local shelter sent out an email about an adoption event and Marks invited her son to go along to meet one of the dogs in the email—Samantha. At the event, Samantha immediately walked right up to her Evan and put her paws on his legs. Evan picked her up and announced she was coming home with them, beginning Samantha’s journey in the Marks family. Evan and Samantha became joined at the hip; whatever one felt impacted the other. Marks shared that when Samantha was itchy, her son was upset, which inspired her to present this lecture and gave her a new perspective on clients with an itchy pet.

“I have, through this experience, created this very different viewpoint on what families go through with allergic dogs. I used to be like...give me a bleeding spleen, give me something exciting and sexy. Oh, it's an itchy dog? Great. I didn't realize the impact truly that it has on families until I had one this bad,” Marks expressed.

“I want to give you this story, so that if you are already an dermatology lover, you understand this burden. But if you're sort of like, 'Dermatology, I guess I could go and learn about this,' think about [how] every one of you have Evan in your practice, and every one of you has [a pet] close to Samantha at your practice...Everybody has a pet parent where this impacts them greatly,” she said.

The practical canine allergic patient workup: Who has time for everything else?—

Marks discusses ways to use your time in the exam room with patients to help get their pets the relief they need and help the clients regain some peace.

If you are lucky, you may be able to witness the itching firsthand in the exam room. If not, Marks told attendees to have their clients take videos and bring them in. She explained that this is not only to see the intensity of the itch but could help identify if the problem is something else, such as an itch that can be a seizure. Another example she provided is when Cavaliers comes into the clinic and their owner complains that the dog is itching its ears. They are doing syringomyelia movements to cervical pain, making it a neurology case, not dermatology.

Marks said: “[A] couple of things I want you to do in the exam room: First look for the dog to be itching. Where is the dog itching? What's the intensity? Because you're going to ask that client on a 1 to 10 scale...You'd be surprised at how many clients are going to be like, 'Oh my God, it's 27'...Or you ask one partner, they might say a 10, and the other partner says a 3.”

To make these appointments even more efficient, Marks encouraged the audience to get a shower caddy and fill them with things needed for the dermatology exam, including a laminated checklist. This can stop staff from running in and out of the room, which can cause stress and anxiety in patients.

For a first-time itchy dog, or one that presents only once or twice a year, Marks  suggested abbreviating the usual 5-step diagnostic approach in favor of 3 steps, to save time and help keep the patient comfortable.

“The first thing we always do is stop the itch. We need those dogs comfortable, not just for [them], but also so those pet parents keep going with us. Then the only 2 things we have to do are rule out parasites or yeast or bacteria, and treat them. That's it. So if we have...those chronic cases that are repeat offenders, then we need to move on to our food trial, and then we finally get atopy,” Marks explained.

Marks also warned that even though there are a lot of atopic dermatitis patients out there, veterinary professionals need to break the habit of going straight to atopy with these itchy patients. Infectious, parasite, food allergies, and other causes need to be ruled out prior to atopy diagnoses, so she said don’t start at atopy and work backward, work up to atopy.

An itchy pet is a burden for everyone, not just the animal. By being efficient and remembering the human-animal bond, clinicians can help treat their patients and alleviate the stress on pet parents—ultimately fostering trust, reducing anxiety, and improving the overall quality of life for both pets and their families.

Marks N. The practical canine allergic patient workup: Who has time for everything else? Presented at: Fetch dvm360 Conference; March 14-16, 2025. Charlotte, NC.

During her lecture at Fetch Charlotte, Natalie Marks, DVM, CVJ, CCFP, Elite FFC-V, shared how to utilize exam room time and a 3 step process to begin the path to itching relief

The itchy dog and the caregiver's burden 

Research indicates reptiles have a recognition pattern for their owners, says Jb Minter, DVM, MS, DACZMResearch indicates reptiles have a recognition pattern for their owners, says Jb Minter, DVM, MS, DACZM

Reptile medicine and the human-animal bond

In this interview, Jb Minter, DVM, MS, DACZM, talks about the emotional bond between reptiles and their owners, emphasizing that this bond is as real as the bond between a dog or cat and their caretaker. According to Minter, research indicates that reptiles may be capable of developing a bond with their owner. He also highlights the growing field of reptile medicine, encouraging veterinarians to develop a foundational understanding of reptile care to help them feel more confident when presented with these animals.

Below is the interview transcript, lightly edited for clarity:

The big thing for me is to make sure that small animal veterinarians understand that there is an emotional bond between the humans and the reptiles and what people are now expecting. It's an important aspect. We don't really delve into the emotional bond that people have with their pets, and obviously most people understand this with dogs and cats. But reptile owners, a lot of reptile owners feel the same way about their lizard or their snake that someone may feel about their Yorkie or their Pomeranian.

There's a lot of research out there that indicates that even reptiles have a recognition pattern for their owners and they may be developing a bond for a particular owner. So, understanding that bond is pretty critical. So, while diagnosing and treating some of these diseases may be challenging...a lot more people are up for the challenge than they may initially want to think about. So giving them some, just some basic understanding so they feel comfortable when somebody walks in with that pet lizard, they don't have an anxiety attack and start freaking out. It's like you can deal with this. It's not that complicated. And again, if you don't know, there's books out there, there's continuing education, there's people that likely do know that are willing to help them. The future of reptile medicine is growing. It's growing exponentially, almost logarithmic of how much information is coming in and out there about reptiles. So it's this ongoing research in reptile anesthesia, pain management, and surgery is going to be vital. It's making sure that people understand that by staying current with these they can see a lot more patients, they can provide optimal care for the people that want their reptile pets to be seen.

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Reptiles have a recognition pattern for their owners, says Jb Minter, DVM, MS, DACZM