(February 1, 2011 Stillwater, OK) – Heather Rhoden, a first-year veterinary student at Oklahoma State University's Center for Veterinary Health Sciences, has been accepted into Cornell University's Leadership Program for Veterinary Students. Rhoden is one of 27 veterinary students, from a pool of 58 applicants, who will attend the 10-week program.

The summer program focuses on veterinary students who seek to broadly influence the veterinary profession through a science-based career. An intensive, research-oriented initiative, the program combines faculty-guided research with vocational counseling, student-directed learning and other professional enrichment activities.

"I applied to Cornell University's Leadership Program because I want to explore opportunities for research in the field of veterinary medicine. After talking with OSU faculty members Drs. Susan Little and Tamara Gull, who are both familiar with the program, I felt like it would be a great way to jump-start a career in veterinary medical research," says Rhoden.

Rhoden will be working the Dr. Julia Felippe, who studies horse immunology at Cornell. Felippe, DVM, MS, Ph.D., is an associate professor in equine health, associate professor of large animal medicine and a Diplomate in the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.

"I am excited to meet my mentor as well as the other students and faculty members that are part of the program. I'm also looking forward to the field visits, such as visiting the National Institutes of Health headquarters," she adds.

Rhoden is originally from Bradshaw, Neb. She is the daughter of Mary Kempf of Bradshaw and Lloyd Tracy also of Bradshaw and the wife of Gene Rhoden of Norman, Okla. Heather earned a BS degree in Biology from the University of Nebraska at Kearney and a MS degree in Zoology from Oklahoma State University.

The Oklahoma State University Center for Veterinary Health Sciences is one of 28 veterinary colleges in the United States and is fully accredited by the Council on Education of the American Veterinary Medical Association. The center's Boren Veterinary Medial Teaching Hospital is open to the public and provides routine and specialized care for small and large animals. It also offers 24 hour emergency care and is certified by the American Animal Hospital Association. For more information, visit www.cvhs.okstate.edu or call (405) 744-7000.

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