2023 – 2024 Executive Board
Claire Song, President
Claire is a junior from Dallas, TX double majoring in biology and visual arts. She is interested in large exotic animal medicine in addition to medical illustration with a focus on veterinary medicine. Outside of class, Claire is a member of Duke PAWS and a volunteer at the Durham Animal Protection Society. She also shadows at Broadway Veterinary Hospital and has worked in animal care at the Carolina Tiger Rescue. Claire is currently in Dr. Warren Grill’s BME research lab studying the sacral plexus through rat dissections and doing medical illustrations for their publications.
Cat Gamard, Vice President
Cat is a junior from Fairhope, Alabama majoring in Biology and minoring in Marine Science and Conservation. She is interested in wildlife and exotic animal medicine and wildlife rehabilitation. At Duke she takes care of dogs with glycogen storage disease and works as a technician assistant at the Lemur Center. She is also super interested in marine science and is part of a research team that studies the genetics and population dynamics of bottlenose dolphins.
Angelica Deoleo Valentin, Treasurer
This is our treasurer Angie! She is a junior majoring in Psych, minoring in Bio & on the pre-veterinary track. She’s from Orange, New Jersey and is interested in emergency veterinary medicine. This summer she shadowed at Raritan Valley Veterinary Hospital in NJ and this will be her second year acting as Duke PAWS’ president! She participates in Women’s Club Volleyball, Mi Gente’s Wellness Committee, and is a GEO Study Away Ambassador. She has also been working as an Animal Behavior Assistant at the Duke Lemur Center since her freshman year and will continue to do so this year!
Shelby Carter, Social Chair
Shelby is a pre-veterinary sophomore from West Orange, NJ planning on majoring in Program II to study companion animals and the social psychology of the human-animal bond. She is interested in pursuing a career in small animal veterinary medicine. She is an Animal Behavior College certified Veterinary Assistant and Fear Free Certified Professional. She was a part of Banfield Pet Hospital’s 2023 Class of NextVet interns. Shelby is also involved in Duke’s Canine Cognition Center and volunteers regularly at Durham’s Independent Animal Rescue.
Kate Silver, Web Manager
Kate is a senior from Wilmington, NC majoring in environmental science with a minor in chemistry. On campus, Kate is involved in the Duke Canine Cognition Center and is currently conducting an independent research project on the effects of PFAS toxicity on C. elegans in the Baugh Lab. Outside of school, Kate has worked at a veterinary clinic in her hometown and volunteered at local animal shelters. She has also spent the past two summers working at the National Institutes of Health in a veterinary lab studying comparative oncology in pet dogs. She plans to return to the NIH after graduation for a post-baccalaureate fellowship before applying to vet schools.
Lizzy Glazer, Alumni Outreach
Lizzy Glazer is a Sophomore from Boston, MA double majoring in Neuroscience and Marine Science and Conservation on the Pre-Vet track. On the Pre-Vet Society Exec Board, Lizzy is Head of Alumni Relations. She is interested in marine animal veterinary medicine or companion animal veterinary medicine. Lizzy is involved in the Canine Cognition Lab as a research intern and a puppy raiser and loves to spend time caring for the dogs at the Animal Protection Society of Durham. On campus, Lizzy is heavily involved in various Marine Science programs: she is President of the Duke Sustainable Oceans Alliance and was awarded the Rachel Carson Marine Lab Scholarship for her interest in cetacean cognition and communication. This year, she is also on the Health and Environment Scholars Program Bass Connections team serving as a mentor for Durham Public High School students. Lizzy is thrilled to be a part of Duke Pre-Vet Society this year!
Dr. Bernie Fischer (bernie.fischer@duke.edu), Pre-Vet Society Faculty Advisor
Dr. Fischer graduated from Emory University in 1984 with a BS in Biology and then went on to veterinary school at NC State University, College of Veterinary Medicine. He graduated from NCSU-CVM in 1988 and then went into private practice in Henderson, NC for 2 years treating small animals, pet birds, and wildlife. He returned to NCSU-CVM in 1990 to pursue a PhD. He completed his PhD under the mentorship of Dr. Kenneth Adler in 1997. He then joined the Duke faculty in the Department of Pediatrics in the laboratory of Dr. Judith Voynow in Pediatric Pulmonary. In 2013, when Dr. Voynow left Duke, Dr. Fischer transitioned to Pediatric Allergy-Immunology working with Dr. John Sleasman on HIV-related research. Dr. Fischer spent 25 years in the School of Medicine in the Department of Pediatrics. During this time, he served for 16 years as one of the departmental representatives on the Institutional Animal Use and Care Committee (IACUC). In May 2023, Dr. Fischer changed positions and joined the Duke University Population Research Institute as their Director of Administration and Research Development. He is now an Adjunct Associate Professor of Pediatrics and is still involved with research and manuscript preparation with Dr. Sleasman’s group.
Dr. Fischer became the pre–veterinary advisor in 2012 and then also took on other pre-health advising in 2014. From 2016-2020, he served as the pre-health advisor for first and second-year students that live in or lived in Gilbert-Addoms dorm. From 2019-2021, he served as the NAAHP Liaison to AAVMC. Dr. Fischer enjoys helping students and serving as the pre-veterinary advisor and faculty advisor for the Pre-Vet Society.
