Semira Mancill and Ronnie Schnell are more than just dedicated professionals — they are passionate agriculturalists who live their love for agriculture beyond their nine-to-five jobs. During the week, Mancill, DVM and a Diplomate of the American College of Theriogenologists, works as a veterinary diagnostician at the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, TVMDL. In […]

Payton Porubsky has always been interested in cattle. While most kids her age spent their summers enjoying typical pastimes, she was in the pasture honing her cattle clipping and fitting skillset. Today, Porubsky owns and operates Diamond P Services, a show cattle fitting business, while also working full-time as a customer service associate at the […]

After dedicating 20 years to the agency, Amy Swinford, DVM, MS, DACVM, director of the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, TVMDL, will retire at the end of December. During her tenure as director, Swinford has led the agency through multiple high-volume testing events, ensured TVMDL maintained a strong presence across national organizations, and elevated […]

Every test sample that comes through the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, TVMDL, tells part of a story — about the health of animals, the environment and the humans they impact.   Carlos Rodriguez, informatics and epidemiology program director at TVMDL, turns those data points into insight.  Long before he led TVMDL’s informatics and epidemiology […]

Armed with giant hacksaws and cheerful attitudes, the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory’s, TVMDL, necropsy team in College Station is devoted to positively impacting human and animal health one dissection at a time. The team is made up of two veterinary technicians, a lab supervisor, and a student worker. Each day, the team can […]

Effective Jan. 1, The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents has named Kiril Dimitrov, DVM, Ph.D., director of the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, TVMDL, following the retirement of Amy Swinford, DVM, MS, DACVM, from the position. Dimitrov joined the agency in 2019 as head of the virology and molecular diagnostics section at […]

Julie Piccione, DVM, MS, DACVP, clinical pathology section head, and Randi Gold, VMD, PhD, DACVP, veterinary pathologist, are among the experts who contributed to a journal article set to be published in the June issue of Virology. The article covers the frequency in which hepadnavirus is detected in blood and liver samples from domestic cats. […]

One afternoon in the Polish countryside a family and their plow-horse, Kasztan, were strolling along a quiet road. Six-year-old Julie Anna Prusak sat in front of her five-year-old cousin Szczepan, Polish for Stephen, as they rode on the horse’s bare back. With Prusak’s uncle Tadek holding the lead rope, the children were enjoying the ride […]

The Texas A&M University System, TAMUS, Board of Regents has recognized Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, TVMDL, Assistant Agency Director for Pathology Gabriel Gomez, DVM, PhD, as a 2024-2025 Regents Fellow Service Award recipient. The Regents Fellow Service Award Program was established in 1998 to recognize extension, service, and research professionals. Each year, this […]

With over 650 test offerings, Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, TVMDL, locations generate timely and reliable results using a combination of traditional methods and state-of-the-art instruments. However, the true engine behind the diagnostics is the intricate system of over 160 dedicated employees.   Twenty employees comprise the Client Services section at the College Station location. […]

On August 18, Sai Narayanan, BVSc & AH, MVSc, PhD, PGDZ, joined the College Station laboratory at a veterinary pathologist. Narayanan is a three-time graduate of Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University in Chennai, India. In 2014, he earned a Bachelor of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, an equivalent to a Doctor of Veterinary […]

The detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza, HPAI, subtype H5N1 in dairy cattle was confirmed in March 2024 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, USDA. This finding was the first of its kind and shocked the global scientific community. The official confirmation came on the heels of testing performed at the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical […]

On March 2, Jonathon Sago, DVM, DACVP, joined the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, TVMDL, as an anatomic pathologist, bringing years of diagnostic experience.  Originally from a small town in Oregon, Sago grew up around animals and developed an early interest in veterinary medicine. Today, that longtime interest has grown into a career of helping veterinarians, producers, and pet […]

On May 7, Erika Schwarz, DVM, MPH, PhD, DACVM joined the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (TVMDL) in College Station. She will serve as TVMDL’s assistant agency director for microbiology. Schwarz is a four-time graduate of the University of Florida. She earned a bachelor’s degree in 2011 and simultaneously earned a Master of Public […]

On February 2, Suzanna Storms, DVM, PhD, joined the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (TVMDL) as the serology section head in College Station. Storms is a three-time graduate of the University of Illinois. In 2014, she earned a Bachelor of Science in animal sciences, a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 2019, and in 2024 […]

The Texas A&M Medical Diagnostic Laboratory’s, TVMDL, small yet impactful Research and Development team is making large strides in advancing animal health. Since the section was established in 2021, it has developed 10 new PCR tests, providing veterinarians with clearer and more efficient answers. The team consists of scientists Ellen Ruth Alexander Morris, Ph.D. and […]

On June 28, the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, TVMDL, held a lobby dedication and open house at the College Station laboratory. TVMDL’s lobby was dedicated to Dr. A. Konrad Eugster, TVMDL director emeritus who served the agency for over 30 years and passed in 2024. Dr. Eugster joined TVMDL in 1970 as the […]

Two Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, TVMDL, employees were selected to receive Vice Chancellor’s Awards in Excellence honors at the Texas A&M AgriLife Connect ceremonies Jan. 7 on the Texas A&M University campus. Since 1980, Texas A&M AgriLife has annually recognized individuals whose exceptional contributions have advanced its mission. The 2025 award recipients include […]

Four employees from the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (TVMDL) have been honored with the prestigious 2025 Eugster Award. This award program is named in honor of Dr. A. Konrad Eugster, TVMDL’s former executive director, who served the agency for more than 30 years.  Dr. Eugster exemplified a lifetime of service to others. In […]

Four employees from across the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (TVMDL) have been recognized with a 2024 Eugster Award. Formerly named the Director’s Excellence Award, TVMDL renamed its award program to honor Dr. A. Konrad Eugster, TVMDL’s former executive director who served the agency for more than 30 years. Dr. Eugster was the embodiment […]

A single burst pipe can interrupt high-stakes testing or ruin expensive equipment. That’s why one longtime employee has become the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, TVMDL, College Station facility’s first responder to anything that hisses, leaks, clangs, or drips.  TVMDL runs more than 2,000 tests daily to protect the health, economy, and food supply […]