Faculty
Veterinary Faculty
Leonardo Brito, DVM, PhD
Faculty, Clinical Skills Unit Lead
Leonardo Brito received his DVM from the Universidade Federal de Uberlandia (UFU) and MSc in Animal Reproduction from the Universidade do Estado de Sao Paulo (Unesp)-Botucatu in Brazil. He continued to specialize in theriogenology obtaining his MVetSc and PhD from the Western College of Veterinary Medine (WCVM) at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada. Brito is a Diplomate American College of Theriogenologists (ACT) and past-president of the organization.
Brito spent 15 years in the cattle breeding industry, occupying positions with R&D, operational, and quality responsibilities in large bull semen production centers. Before joining Clemson CVM, Brito was a clinical educator at the New Bolton Center at the University of Pennsylvania. He is the Deputy-Editor of the journal Theriogenology and has conducted research spanning several aspects of animal andrology, such as sexual development, testicular thermoregulation, pathogenesis of sperm defects, semen evaluation, and breeding soundness examination.
Callie Fogle, DVM
Faculty
Callie Fogle is an Equine Surgeon, previously on faculty at NCSU-College of Veterinary Medicine. She received her DVM from Louisiana State University College of Veterinary Medicine, and completed her equine surgery residency at NC State. She is passionate about providing state of the art care for horses in a collaborative learning environment and answering relevant clinical questions that serve to advance veterinary care for the horse.
Dr. Fogle’s professional interests center on delivering advanced, state-of-the-art care for horses within a collaborative learning environment. Her research focuses on addressing clinical questions related to gastrointestinal and soft tissue diseases, with the goal of advancing the field of equine veterinary medicine.
In her free time, she enjoys extremely competitive games of kickball with her teenagers, cheering those same teens on at music and athletic events, reading, horseback riding, and running.
Paul Gordon-Ross, DVM, PhD
Faculty, Year Four Clinical Training Lead
Paul Gordon-Ross began his veterinary career after earning his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of California, Davis in 1999. He initially practiced equine medicine before transitioning to small animal care in 2005. In 2007, he joined the College of Veterinary Medicine at Western University of Health Sciences, where he served for nine years as Director of Clinical Relations. This role sparked his passion for advancing education and mentoring future professionals.
Motivated by this passion, Gordon-Ross completed two Harvard Macy Institute programs focused on health professions education. He went on to earn a Ph.D. in Education and Human Resource Studies from Colorado State University, with a concentration in higher education leadership. His research interests center on faculty development, educator assessment, program evaluation, and the design and validation of educational tools. He is a founding fellow of the Faculty Development Initiative of the Teaching Academy of the Consortium of West Region Colleges of Veterinary Medicine.
Gordon-Ross believes that learning extends beyond acquiring information — it is about internalization, collaboration and growth. He is dedicated to creating experiential learning opportunities that inspire students to think critically, communicate effectively and take ownership of their development. His approach emphasizes understanding each learner’s goals, challenges and aspirations, allowing him to tailor guidance that supports both academic and personal success.
Josep Rutllant, DVM, PhD
Faculty
Josep Rutllant, DVM, Ph.D., serves as Professor of Anatomy for the Harvey S. Peeler Jr. College of Veterinary Medicine at Clemson University. With more than 13 years of teaching experience, Dr. Rutllant is passionate about helping veterinary students see anatomy as the foundation for reasoning, problem solving and clinical decision making.
An academic veterinarian with a background in clinical service and research, Dr. Rutllant teaches across applied, clinical and basic science levels. He emphasizes how anatomy integrates with physiology, pathology and clinical medicine, underscoring how structure and function are connected. His goal is to shift students’ perceptions, helping them move beyond memorization to a deeper understanding of how normal anatomy supports normal function — and how defects, disease or trauma can alter that function.
Dr. Rutllant believes that learning anatomy should engage students at higher cognitive levels, encouraging them to manage information, apply logic and solve problems. This approach fosters critical thinking and produces more rewarding educational outcomes.
Before joining Clemson, Dr. Rutllant served as Professor of Anatomy and Co-Director of Phase I at Western University College of Veterinary Medicine. His dedication to teaching, student success and advancing veterinary education supports the mission of building South Carolina’s first College of Veterinary Medicine.
Patty Scharko, DVM, MPH, DACVPM
Faculty
Patty Scharko, who was raised in Columbia, S.C., earned a D.V.M. in 1983 from the University of Georgia and a Masters in Public Health in Epidemiology from the University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill. She completed an internship at Tufts University Ambulatory and a residency in production medicine at North Carolina State University. Scharko was on faculty at the Atlantic Veterinary College in Prince Edward Island, Canada in the Ambulatory section for six years. She became a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine in 1994. In 1995, Scharko became employed as the extension ruminant veterinarian at the University of Kentucky, Livestock Disease Diagnostic Center. In 2008, she joined Clemson University as an extension/field veterinarian at Livestock Poultry Health in Columbia, SC. She is currently involved with cattle, goats and sheep production/management/herd health. Her major areas of activities include biosecurity and FAMACHA/parasite control training in small ruminants, Scrapie eradication, Beef Quality Assurance.
Scharko is currently on the AVMA Food Safety Advisory Council, South Carolina Association of Veterinarians (SCAV) board, and Clemson University IACUC. She is past president for AABP (American Association of Bovine Practitioners), ACVPM (American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine), AASRP (American Association of Small Ruminant Practitioners), and AAEV (American Association of Extension Veterinarians).
Jeryl Jones, PhD, DVM, DACVR
Professor Emerita
Jeryl Jones serves as an Affiliated Professor Emerita in our Dept. of Veterinary Medicine and Sciences. She completed her undergraduate degree in Pre-Professional Studies (Zoology) from Clemson University in 1980. During her time as a student at Clemson, she worked as a research assistant for several projects and developed an interest in research. She earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree from the University of Georgia in 1982 and served as a private practice Associate Veterinarian in Syracuse, NY; Aiken, SC; Barnwell, SC; and Auburn, AL. Jones then completed a combined residency/PhD program at Auburn University in 1995 to become a Diplomate in the American College of Veterinary Radiology and earn a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Biomedical Sciences.
Dr. Jones went on to serve as a Tenured Professor in the Dept. of Small Animal Clinical Sciences at Virginia Tech, the Division of Animal and Nutritional Sciences at West Virginia University, and the Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences at Clemson. She also served as the Director of the Preclinical Assessment Core for the SC TRIMH COBRE and Leader of the One Health Research Group at Clemson.
She retired in 2024 and continues to collaborate on research studies related to diagnostic imaging in animals, biomedical publishing, and One Health.
