People
Head of Lab
Dr. Jeryl Jones (PhD, DVM, DACVR)
Dr. Jones is a veterinary radiologist and professor in the department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences at Clemson University. She moved to Clemson in the spring of 2015 from West Virginia University’s Animal and Nutritional Sciences Division in Morgantown, WV. Dr. Jones completed her undergraduate degree in Pre-Professional Studies, Zoology from Clemson University. During her time at Clemson she worked as a research assistant for several projects and developed an interest in research. She went on to earn her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree from the University of Georgia. Upon completing veterinary school, Dr. Jones worked in private veterinary practices in Syracuse, NY; Aiken, SC; and Barnwell, SC.
After 7 years in private practice, she entered a residency program at Auburn University to become a board-certified veterinary radiologist. During her residency program, she rediscovered her interest in research and went on to earn a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Biomedical Studies from Auburn University. Her research currently focuses on diagnostic imaging applications in natural animal and experimental animal models. Dr. Jones maintains connections with the Small Animal Clinical Sciences Department at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine as an Adjunct Professor. Her role as the Editor-in-Chief of the scientific journal, Veterinary Radiology & Ultrasound, allows her to stay current in the field of veterinary radiology and provide valuable insights into scientific writing for students. Dr. Jones enjoys hiking; bird watching; traveling; and spending family time with her husband Bob, and dog Ellie.
Jones lab team, Fall 2021
Current Members
Emma White
Emma White is an undergraduate research student pursuing a degree in Animal and Veterinary Sciences with an additional minor in Wildlife and Fisheries Biology. She is currently applying to vet school with career goals to work as a veterinarian that treats small animals and exotic species. Outside of class, Emma works as an intern at Palmetto Equine in Townville, SC and hopes to pick up horseback riding this semester. She is also a biology tutor for the Women in Animal and Veterinary Sciences living learning community where she enjoys mentoring freshman students. Emma joined the team to learn more about diagnostic imaging and animal research and can’t wait to get involved!
Molly Loucy
Molly Loucy is an undergraduate research student. She is from Milton, Vermont. She is a sophomore Animal and Veterinary Sciences major, with a concentration in pre-veterinary medicine. Molly is a member of the Pre-Vet Club and the Honors College. She joined the team in order to learn more about diagnostic imaging and to further her passion for veterinary medicine. She has a dog named Luna who is a certified therapy dog. Molly’s hobbies include skiing, listening to music, and hiking with her dog.
Shelby Reback
Shelby Reback is an undergraduate research student majoring in Animal and Veterinary Sciences with a Pre-vet/Science concentration. She aspires to attend veterinary school to become an emergency and critical care veterinarian. Outside of her school, Shelby works as a veterinary assistant during emergency hours at Magnolia Veterinary Hospital. Shelby also enjoys working with wildlife as a volunteer at Izzie's Pond. Shelby's hobbies include crocheting, camping, hiking, baking, and painting.
Shayna Cohen
Shayna Cohen is an undergraduate research student. She is from Holmdel, New Jersey. She is a sophomore Animal and Veterinary Sciences major with a Pre-Veterinary concentration. After graduating, she hopes to attend veterinary school and specialize as a small animal surgeon or radiologist. As a freshman, Shayna was a member of Clemson’s Women in Animal and Veterinary Sciences living learning community and will continue as a lifeguard to mentor other students interested in veterinary medicine. In her free time, she enjoys playing tennis, spending time with her dog Figgy, and shadowing a small animal veterinarian. Shayna joined the team to learn more about research in veterinary radiology.
Lauren Kozuch
Lauren Kozuch is an undergraduate research student. She is a junior at Clemson University majoring in Animal and Veterinary Sciences with a concentration in pre-veterinary medicine. She is an active member of Alpha Phi and holds a blog writing position within her sorority. She’s from Charleston, South Carolina where she enjoys exploring the historic downtown sites, going to the beach, and taking her Beagle, Blue, on long walks. Lauren dreams of becoming a veterinarian and working on Dr. Jones’s team allows her to experience one of the many areas of veterinary medicine and radiology for the first time!
Cerano Harrison
Cerano Harrison is from Ladson, SC. He graduated from The University of South Carolina Upstate in 2018, receiving a bachelor’s degree in biology. After brief stints in plant science and animal husbandry, he decided to further his education at Clemson University. As a PhD student, his current research focus is diagnostic imaging of keel bone damage in laying hens. When he isn’t immersed in the world of image analysis, you can find him cooking or flexing his green thumb, tending to his indoor garden.
Faith Shupard
Faith Shupard is an undergraduate research student. She is currently a sophomore majoring in Animal and Veterinary Sciences with a Pre-Veterinary concentration. After graduating, Faith hopes to attend veterinary school and pursue her dream of becoming a mixed animal veterinarian. Currently, Faith is an active member of the Pre-Vet Club, Block and Bridle, and the Honors College at Clemson. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, reading a good book, and spending time with family and friends. Faith is looking forward to working with the team and learning more about diagnostic imaging in research.
Leah Stokes
Leah Stokes is an undergraduate research student. She is a junior in the AVS major with a minor in Biology. She loves to go hiking in her free time. She also enjoys cooking and trying new recipes. She is part of the Pre-Vet club and a mentor in the transfer2tiger program. Her favorite part of Clemson is the S.C. Botanical Garden. It’s the perfect getaway from the stress of classes.
Previous Members
Magdalena Aguirre
Magdalena Aguirre is a New York City native who graduated from Clemson in 2018 with her Bachelor of Science in Animal and Veterinary science. She loved Clemson so much that she came back to pursue her Masters degree here as well. She loves cows and horses and hopes to one day become a large animal veterinarian. In her free time she loves spending time outdoors and taking her kitten Kenny on new adventures. Maggie is currently a member of the Class of 2025 at the Lincoln-Memorial College of Veterinary Medicine.
Talia Barnes
Talia Barnes is a non-thesis MS graduate, currently a veterinary technician at the Ambassador Animal Hospital in Greenville, SC.. She is originally from Birmingham, Alabama but I’ve spent most of my life in Columbia, SC. She recently received her Bachelor of Science Degree from USC Upstate. After the completion of her program, she hopes to attend vet school and receive her DVM. Her goal is to have a speciality and own her own practice that doubles as a doggy spa/boutique. She wants to work with reptiles, and small animals and maybe exotics. She also has hopes to do some conservation work for endangered species.
Michael Carnevale
Michael was a member of the lab as an MS student and research assistant during 2015-2018. Michael is currently a Remote Site Monitor for PPD, a global contract research organization, https://www.ppd.com.
Connie Dragicevich
Connie Dragicevich is originally from the Baltimore, Maryland area and completed her Master's degree with Dr. Jones. She got her undergraduate degree from University of Maryland in 2014 and post-graduation she got experience working in an animal shelter and in a veterinary clinic. In her spare time she likes to hike with the dogs, cook, paint, and explore new eateries. Connie is currently a Lab Manager at the UNC Medical School, Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, Chapel Hill, NC.
Kris (Murray) Gamble
Kris was an MS student and research assistant in the lab from 2017 to 2019. Kris is currently working for Revolution Prep as a Professional Tutor (Premium Tier).
Emma McKenney
Emma McKenney is from Richmond, Virginia. Emma joined the research team due to her interest in learning more about the research aspect of veterinary medicine. Emma is currently a member of the Class of 2025 at the Virginia Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine.
Meenakshi Mukherjee
Meena is originally from Kolkata, India. She got her undergraduate degree in genetics from Bangalore University (India) and her masters’ degree in biomedical genetics from VIT University (India). Meena then went on to get her PhD in genetics and developmental biology with a focus on canine genetics from West Virginia University (Morgantown, WV) under the supervision of Dr. Jones. In her doctoral research, she studied the phenotype and genotype of lumbosacral stenosis in Labrador retrievers. She then worked as a postdoc in the Driskell lab at Washington State University (Pullman, WA), studying the biology of fibroblast heterogeneity in skin and the role said heterogeneity plays in wound healing. Outside of work and research, she loves spending time with her dog Maggie, cooking, watching TV or going for walks. Meenakshi is currently a Scientific Writer for Cactus Communications in Mumbai, India.
Tina (Rowland) Kimmett
Born in Honolulu, Hawaii and raised in Columbia, SC Tina earned her Bachelor of Science degree from Clemson University in 2014. Her love for research was fostered through unique research opportunities on Dr. Gustavo Lascano's Ruminant Nutrition team and Dr. Heather Dunn's Animal Atlases and Companion Animal Atlas team. Tina was introduced to Dr. Jones through Dr. Strickland following her senior seminar presentation on military working dogs. She decided to remain at Clemson and work toward her Master's degree with Dr. Jones investigating lower back disease in working dogs. She is appreciative that her research has the potential to help military personnel as she grew up in an Army household. Tina enjoys baking and hiking when she is not at school.
Tina is currently the Planning and Exercise Coordinator for Clemson Livestock Poultry Health, https://www.clemson.edu/public/lph/.