Meet the Exec board!
President: Gretel Wurdack
I’m Gretel Wurdack, and I’m a senior in Animal Sciences on the pre-veterinary track. I’ve worked in equine theriogenology, small animal GP, and birds of prey veterinary work. I also have a great interest in welfare guidelines and behavior for training. I have 1 dog, 2 rabbits, 1 cat, 2 horses, and 1 miniature donkey. I plan to expand the opportunities for the pre-veterinary club to give back to the community and better prepare our students for a well-rounded career.
Email me with any questions!
Vice President: Bella Wilton
Year: Junior
Major: Animal Sciences, minoring in Psychology.
Over this past summer, I spent much of my time working for my second summer at a companion animal practice near my hometown. I also spent time with family visiting from Poland and friends. Aside from PVC, I am mainly involved in Dr. Rhodes' Clownfish Lab for behavioral neuroscience, the UIUC Dairy Cattle Research Unit, and the REACT program. I am hoping to pursue a specialty in small animal orthopedics or internal medicine, but I am still exploring my interests! My favorite PVC memories are the study abroad trips I attended to Thailand and South Africa over the past two years. I can't wait to make more wonderful memories with PVC this year!
Email me questions about general meetings!
Secretary: Ava Swenson
Hi! I'm a Junior in Integrative Biology with a minor in Chemistry. This past summer, I visited the University of Vienna vet school in Austria (fun fact: I speak German). At home, I'm a medical intern for a shelter veterinarian and volunteer at my local forest preserve working to raise and protect monarch butterflies. During this school year, I will be shadowing in the cardiology unit at Vet Med. My current interests in vet med include shelter medicine and laboratory animal medicine and welfare. My favorite PVC memory would be the suture lab from last semester.
Email me for any questions about weekly emails and vet school resources!
Treasurer: Adrian Pelaez
I’m a Junior in animal sciences! I spent this past summer volunteering at our vet schools Wildlife Medical Clinic. Helping to assist with the feeding of patients. I’ve also recently started a new job as a grooming assistant. During the school year I’ll continue volunteering at the Wildlife Medical Clinic and work part time. My current interest in veterinary medicine are emergency medicine and surgery. My favorite pvc memory has to be last year’s sea lion necropsy lab.
Email me any questions about payments!
Programs: Aadhya Ganesh
Hi everyone, my name is Aadhya! I'm a junior in Integrative Biology, hoping to specialize in exotics or wildlife medicine. I spent this summer volunteering at my favorite parrot rescue, shadowing an exotics ER doctor, and working at the Veterinary Specialty Center in Bannockburn. On campus, I work at the Wildlife Veterinary Epidemiology Lab, investigating Chronic Wastings Disease in white-tailed deer. I also bird band at Phillips Tract and illustrate children's stories for an environmental non-profit based in India. I will be part of the AWJAC team as well! My favorite PVC memory would be our 2023 trip to Elephant Nature Park in Thailand.
Feel free to reach out with any questions about our upcoming programs or our study abroad opportunity!
Programs: Alice Lua
Hi! I'm Alice and I am a junior in IBH with minors in Animal Science and Chemistry. Over the summer, I volunteered at the Wildlife Medical Clinic and worked at the Swanson Lab and the Small Animal Clinic. At school, I do research on intestinal regeneration in mice and zebrafish at the Mei Lab and will continue working part time. I am also part of the Illini World Taekwondo RSO. My goal is to be a small animal veterinarian and my favorite PVC experience has definitely been the APVMA trips.
Email for any questions about upcoming programs and APVMA!
Philanthropy: Kaylyn Choi
Hello! I'm Kaylyn, a sophomore in animal science on the pre-veterinary Track! This summer, I did a veterinary clinic internship in Costa Rica at Kids Saving the Rainforest, working with animals like toucans, sloths, tamanduas, monkeys, and more! At school, I work mainly with rescues and shelters like CATsNAP, Vermilion County Animal Shelter, and Haflinger Haven, and I participate in competitions like AWJAC. I am interested in wildlife/rescue medicine and animal welfare, and in my free time, I love to game, read, and make pottery!
pvcphilanthropy.uiuc@gmail.com
Feel free to contact me with any questions about pre-veterinary opportunities, especially for rescues, shelters, and sanctuaries!
Fundraising: Jenna Bellavia
I’m Jenna Bellavia and I am a junior majoring in animal sciences on the pre-veterinary track! I have worked in small animal practices, different farms and shadowed an equine vet specializing in race horses! For the past year and a half I have been working at an off campus horse farm and working in Dr. Millers reproductive lab. In my future I wish to pursue equine or large animal medicine! My favorite PVC memories have to be the socials because I love seeing friends and meeting new people!
Email for any questions regarding our next fundraiser or how to get fundraising points!
Fundraising: Rilee Hendrix
Hiya! My name is Rilee, and I'm currently a junior in Animal Sciences! Over the summer I've been focusing on caring for animals, be it through pet-sitting or the small animal clinic I work at back home! The main thing over break is that your fundraising co-chairs have been to bring you guys more opportunities for cool fundraisers!! My favorite PVC memories definitely come from the APVMA, which I got to be the co-chair of last school year! I got to meet a bunch of cool people from other schools and learn a bunch through the seminars and wet labs!
After vet school I'm hoping to become a mixed practice vet, mainly companion and large animal. I wouldn't be surprised if that changes though after getting to experience all that vet med has to offer!!
Feel free to reach out through the email below or DM me on GroupMe!
Email for any questions regarding our next fundraiser or how to get fundraising points!
Public Relations: Alexis Kannewurf
Hey guys! My name is Alexis Kannewurf and I’m the PR chair for this year! I’m a senior in Animal Sciences with a minor in Natural Resource Conservation. This past summer I went on the Loop study abroad trip through this club to South Africa, where we worked with zoo animals for two weeks and I also shadowed at a mixed practice near my home town. Through UIUC I’m involved in a couple RSOs such as equestrians club, Phi Eta Sigma, and Illini Trap and Skeet. I also volunteer at Healing Horse Stables which I found through PVC! My current goal in vet med is to become a large animal vet but I’m considering mixed practice. My favorite memory from PVC is my first study abroad trip to Thailand when I was a sophomore. I was able to work hands on with Asian elephants which was an amazing experience! And it really helped me to get closer with some of the other club members, so I would really recommend going on the study abroad trips! Please let me know if you have any questions or ever need anything! Don't be afraid to reach out through our Instagram!
Email for any questions about our socials, how to get involved, or merch!
ACES Council Rep: Minhye Park
Hey y’all! I’m Minhye and I am a sophomore in Animal Sciences on the Pre-Veterinary track. This summer, I stayed on campus and worked with pigs at the Swine Research Center. It was my first time working with farm animals, and it allowed me to expand my interests into which field of veterinary medicine I would like to pursue. Afterwards, I went back home to Mississippi and worked at a dog training / animal boarding facility called the Delta Dog House (I’ve been working there since May 2021)! At school, other than Pre-Vet Club, I also play spikeball with the Illini Roundnet Club, but I am definitely going to look into other clubs this semester! I’m not 100% sure about which types of animals I want to work with yet in the veterinary field, but I know that sometime in my career, I would like to travel around underserved countries and help the animals there. My favorite PVC memory was going to Prairie Farms and having fun with baby goats!
Email for any questions regarding the ACES Council and their most recent meeting!