Veterinary Team Bios
Meet the Veterinary Team
Stephanie Earhart, Lead Veterinary Keeper
When did you start working at Zoo Atlanta?
2003
Where did you go to college and what degrees and certifications do you have?
Murray State University, BS in Animal Health Technology (AHT).
Is there a species, individual animal, person, or experience that inspired you to pursue a career in veterinary medicine?
Nope, just always wanted to work with animals and my parents were very supportive.
What’s the grossest thing you’ve ever had to do in a veterinary capacity?
Help with an elephant necropsy
What advice would you give to a K-12 student interested in pursuing a career in veterinary medicine?
Don’t assume you know what any job is really like. Ask to shadow or volunteer to see for yourself. Get experience. Paid is great, but unpaid can teach you a lot and be a résumé builder too.
Do you have a favorite species to work with?
I like variety!
What is your favorite thing about working with a zoological population?
Getting to work with and learn about new species. Also, learning from my coworkers and hearing about conservation efforts around the world.
Is there anything you’re unusually good at?
Helping the vets and vet techs come up with “handmade equipment” to make it work how we need it to, even if just temporarily.
Have you ever spent time in the field with an in-situ conservation program/project? When and where was it and what was the focal species?
I was given the opportunity to shadow a conservation biologist when she was using a scat detection dog in Nebraska (2017). She was working with the state’s Department of Natural Resources to help estimate the mountain lion population via fecal sample collection. She and her dog also work in Argentina.
Melanie Haire, VMT
When did you start working at Zoo Atlanta?
1993
Where did you go to college and what degrees and certifications do you have?
AS Veterinary Medical Technology at Wilson College in Chambersburg, PA
Is there a species, individual animal, person, or experience that inspired you to pursue a career in veterinary medicine?
My childhood veterinarian
Is there a species you’ve never worked with before but would really love to?
Giant anteater
What’s the grossest thing you’ve ever had to do in a veterinary capacity?
So many things … but probably flushing maggots out of wounds.
What advice would you give to a K-12 student interested in pursuing a career in veterinary medicine?
Volunteer and/or do as many internships in as many related fields as possible because you often do not know what you want to do (or not do) until you do it.
Do you have a favorite species to work with?
Any songbird
What is your favorite thing about working with a zoological population?
Constantly learning new things about so many different animal species.
Is there anything you’re unusually good at?
Nursery care
Have you ever spent time in the field with an in-situ conservation program/project? When and where was it and what was the focal species?
December of 2006, Blue Iguana Recovery Program in the Cayman Islands. Conservation, captive breeding and head starting juvenile endangered blue iguanas for release back onto the island.
Danielle Stewart, RVT
When did you start working at Zoo Atlanta?
2019
Where did you go to college and what degrees and certifications do you have?
I attended Georgia State University: Perimeter College where I received an associate’s degree in communication.
Is there a species, individual animal, person, or experience that inspired you to pursue a career in veterinary medicine?
I have wanted to work in the veterinary field my whole life. As soon as I found out there was such a thing as ZOO vet techs, my career path became clear to me! I love animals so much I didn’t want to just work with dogs and cats, I wanted to work with them all!
Is there a species you’ve never worked with before but would really love to?
CAPYBARAAAAAAAA!
What’s the grossest thing you’ve ever had to do in a veterinary capacity?
Hmmmm. I have a huge threshold for what is gross. And sometimes the grossest things are the coolest things. I have a really distinct memory from when I was a vet tech student at my first internship. A cat came in with an open hole in its leg. The vet came over and inspected it and proceeded to very gingerly pull out a cuterebra larvae (larval form of a bot fly). It was the size of an engorged thumb! It was wild.
What advice would you give to a K-12 student interested in pursuing a career in veterinary medicine?
Volunteer at your local clinic! Get some experience and see if that is the kind of environment you might like to work in. Although we do get to spend a lot of time with animals, it is not just cuddling puppies and kittens all day!
Do you have a favorite species to work with?
All the animals are special to me for different reasons, I don’t truly think I can pick just one.
What is your favorite thing about working with a zoological population?
Learning about species I didn’t even know existed. Every day is different and exciting and I wouldn’t have it any other way!
Is there anything you’re unusually good at?
I am a humble tech and would not say I am particularly good at anything. I do, however, really enjoy placing IV catheters!
Have you ever spent time in the field with an in-situ conservation program/project? When and where was it and what was the focal species?
I helped place transponders in spawning carp in North Georgia to track their breeding habits! It was awesome.
Sam Rivera, DVM, MS DABVP (avian), DACZM, DECZM (Zoo Health Management)
When did you start working at Zoo Atlanta?
Fall of 1999 as a part-time veterinarian. Started full-time in 2005.
Where did you go to college and what degrees and certifications do you have?
Kansas State University, BS (Microbiology). DVM and MS from Kansas State University.
Is there a species, individual animal, person, or experience that inspired you to pursue a career in veterinary medicine?
Zoo internship as an undergraduate student.
Is there a species you’ve never worked with before but would really love to?
Monotremes
What advice would you give to a K-12 student interested in pursuing a career in veterinary medicine?
Get good grades, shadow veterinarians to learn about the profession.
Do you have a favorite species to work with?
No. I love working with all species.
What is your favorite thing about working with a Zoological population?
Variety, unpredictability, cutting-edge work, challenging cases.
Is there anything you’re unusually good at?
I am good at everything!
Have you ever spent time in the field with an in-situ conservation program/project? When and where was it and what was the focal species?
Galapagos and giant tortoises, Ecuador and amphibians, Mexico and freshwater native turtles, South Africa and variety of animals, Caribbean and green sea turtles.
George Carleton RVT
When did you start working at Zoo Atlanta?
June 1, 2021
Where did you go to college and what degrees and certifications do you have?
Gwinnett Technical College associate degree in applied sciences veterinary technology. Certified Canine Rehabilitation Assistant from Canine Rehabilitation Institute.
Is there a species, individual animal, person, or experience that inspired you to pursue a career in veterinary medicine?
I stumbled into veterinary medicine looking for a career change in 2008.
Is there a species you’ve never worked with before but would really love to?
I’m sure there is, I just don’t know about them yet.
What’s the grossest thing you’ve ever had to do in a veterinary capacity?
I try not to dwell on the gross stuff, but the nastiest is usually cancer or necrosis related.
What advice would you give to a K-12 student interested in pursuing a career in veterinary medicine?
Keep your grades up! Volunteer or work at an animal clinic if you have the opportunity!
Do you have a favorite species to work with?
I can never pick a favorite!
What is your favorite thing about working with a zoological population?
The variety of species keeps you on your toes and always learning. Every day is different!
Is there anything you’re unusually good at?
My best skill is making bad puns.
Megan Watson, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACZM
When did you start working at Zoo Atlanta?
2019
Where did you go to college and what degrees and certifications do you have?
Iowa State University, BS, DVM-University of Illinois, MS- University of Illinois, Diplomate of the American College of Zoological Medicine
Is there a species, individual animal, person, or experience that inspired you to pursue a career in veterinary medicine?
I’ve always naturally been drawn to animals, which is a trait I can trace back to my Grandpa. Along the way I was fortunate to have a family friend who was a small animal internal medicine specialist allow me to shadow, and supportive parents who encouraged me to pursue my dreams and goals no matter what.
Is there a species you’ve never worked with before but would really love to?
Platypus, tree kangaroos, or koalas. I guess I’m drawn to Australia!
What’s the grossest thing you’ve ever had to do in a veterinary capacity?
Not much really grosses me out, but I’ve had a few wounds with maggots that are pretty gross.
What advice would you give to a K-12 student interested in pursuing a career in veterinary medicine?
Work hard and never give up!
Do you have a favorite species to work with?
This has always been a difficult question, but now I can say I’m pretty partial to the relationship I have with our binturong family.
What is your favorite thing about working with a Zoological population?
I feel privileged to take care of these amazing animals that serve as ambassadors of their species to the public and contribute to the health and wellbeing of the species as a whole.
Is there anything you’re unusually good at?
One of my mentors used to say I could place a catheter in a fly (?)
Have you ever spent time in the field with an in-situ conservation program/project? When and where was it and what was the focal species?
During my residency I spent time in Punta San Juan in Peru, working with a range of animals including Peruvian pelicans, guanay cormorants, Humboldt penguins and South American fur seals and sea lions. During vet school I was able to work with leatherback sea turtles in St. Kitts, West Indies. More recently while at Zoo Atlanta I have worked with University of North Georgia evaluating the health status of a population of eastern box turtles.
Kate Leach, BVSc
When did you start working at Zoo Atlanta?
2012
Where did you go to college and what degrees and certifications do you have?
Duke University, BS, Vet school = BVSc from Massey University in New Zealand.
Is there a species, individual animal, person, or experience that inspired you to pursue a career in veterinary medicine?
Working with the lemurs at Duke and colobus monkeys in Tanzania during my undergraduate career.
Is there a species you’ve never worked with before but would really love to?
I would be interested in working with more lemur species in a veterinary capacity.
What’s the grossest thing you’ve ever had to do in a veterinary capacity?
I am not easily grossed out. As vets we get to see and experience a lot that we find interesting, and not necessarily ‘gross’ to us. If I had to pick something, my weakness is parasites.
What advice would you give to a K-12 student interested in pursuing a career in veterinary medicine?
Get mentorship and ask lots of questions, both to gain knowledge and to have guidance on your path.
Do you have a favorite species to work with?
It is hard to have a favorite species to work with because we get to work with so many amazing animals.
What is your favorite thing about working with a zoological population?
So many things! Being able to work with diverse species, always learning new things. Working with a fairly constant group of animals, so you get very familiar with them and their history and feel connected to them, as well as the care team. Being able to work with great people also committed to our mission. Having opportunities to be involved with and contribute to conservation.
Is there anything you’re unusually good at?
I am pretty good at getting blood from any bird you present to me. I love performing ultrasounds, and because of the amazing training that keepers do here, we have had great opportunities to monitor numerous pregnancies here. I have had great opportunities to confirm some very early orangutan and gorilla pregnancies. George says I should work at a carnival guessing weights, because I having some pretty close guesses!
Have you ever spent time in the field with an in-situ conservation program/project? When and where was it and what was the focal species?
Most recently Madagascar, 2018, radiated tortoises. Should be going back this year or next year and currently still involved with this work. Locally, I am working with researchers on urban coyote disease surveys, but I don’t go in the field. I went to Cameroon to perform pre-translocation exams on drills in 2014. While at Duke I did field work with red colobus monkeys on Zanzibar and Caribbean spiny lobsters in South Caicos.