Spring awards luncheon recognizes excellence in research, teaching and service
Three graduate students enrolled in the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine are recipients of highly competitive campus-wide awards recognizing their excellence in research, teaching and engaged scholarship.
The awards are presented annually by the Graduate School to recognize exceptional graduate students nominated by schools and colleges throughout the university.
“These students embody the very best of the College of Veterinary Medicine,” said Sharron Quisenberry, associate dean for research and faculty and graduate affairs. “Their university-wide recognition reflects not only their exceptional talent but also the dedication and work ethic they bring to their research, teaching, and service.”
Corinna Hazelrig, Comparative Biomedical Sciences
Excellence in Life Sciences Doctoral Research Award
Corinna Hazelrig is a DVM–Ph.D. student at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine. Hailing from Alpharetta, she completed her bachelor’s degree in forestry at the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources in 2021 and her Ph.D. in Comparative Biomedical Sciences in 2025 under the mentorship of Dr. Nicole Nemeth in the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study.
Her dissertation research focused on the health of free-ranging snakes in the Southeastern United States through risk-factor analyses of multipathogen detection, including coinfection dynamics associated with the fungal disease ophidiomycosis. Using a multidisciplinary approach that integrated pathology, hematology, ecology, epidemiology, and molecular biology, she identified key pathological trends, documented novel pathogen detections in wild snakes, and characterized risk factors used to inform conservation management strategies. To support her doctoral research, she was awarded numerous competitive research grants. In parallel with her dissertation, Hazelrig has published multiple peer-reviewed journal articles and received several awards for graduate student research presentations.
Hazelrig is currently completing the DVM portion of her dual-degree program, with an anticipated graduation date of May 2029. Following graduation, she plans to pursue advanced training through a zoological medicine residency and ultimately work as a zoo veterinarian specializing in reptile medicine, while continuing research that advances wildlife conservation. Her long-term goal is to make a global impact by improving medical care and disease management in wildlife, thereby contributing to the conservation and sustainability of the planet’s ecological resources. “I would like to thank Dr. Nemeth for her exceptional mentorship and unwavering support throughout my training,” Hazelrig said.
Taylor Martin, Biomedical Physiology
Excellence in Teaching Graduate Student Award
Taylor Martin is a fifth-year Ph.D. candidate in the Interdisciplinary Toxicology Program, working in Dr. Xiaoqin Ye’s laboratory. His research focuses on how disrupted hormone signaling in the uterus leads to infertility and pregnancy failure with a special focus on embryo implantation failure. By defining these mechanisms at the molecular and physiological levels, the lab aims to identify targets that could ultimately improve fertility outcomes and advance women’s reproductive health.
Over the course of his Ph.D., Martin has accumulated eight semesters of teaching experience, primarily in the integrative physiology lab in the biomedical physiology program. “In Fall 2025 I was honored to be appointed the first graduate student Instructor of Record for this course in the department of physiology and pharmacology,” Martin said. “Throughout my involvement, I played a central role in course design and redesign, development of scientific writing curriculum, and undergraduate student mentorship.”
A native of Forsyth County, Martin earned his bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and molecular biology from UGA in 2021. He will defend his dissertation this summer and begin a postdoctoral fellowship in September at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences where he plans to use novel in vitro approaches to investigate how progestogenic endocrine disruptors impact female fertility and uterine function.
Taylor Pearson, Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study
Engaged Scholarship by Graduate Students Award
Taylor Pearson is about halfway through her Ph.D. work, doing her dissertation research on the ticks and tick-borne pathogens endemic to Southeast Georgia. Working in a 22-county area that includes the coast, she collects ticks on public lands where passersby ask why she’s dragging a white sheet around.
“Tick Taylor” as she’s come to be known uses these encounters as an educational opportunity, discussing the ticks present in the area, the disease-causing pathogens they carry, and offering tips for removing ticks and avoiding the danger they pose.
These “tick talks” are now a formal practice for Pearson, who speaks to groups of all ages as she’s assisting with the first substantial effort in more than 40 years to catalog and identify ticks and tick-borne diseases present in Southeast Georgia, a popular area with outdoor enthusiasts. “This is scientific outreach, and potentially you’re helping prevent someone from getting sick in the future,” Pearson said.
A farm girl from Reidsville, she came to UGA as an undergraduate aiming to be a professional trombone player. A lifelong love of bugs eventually delivered her to the entomology program in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. “My nickname growing up was ‘Taylor Bug’ because I always played with the bugs,” she said. “So, you know it was exciting to see that that’s a career option and a career choice.”
Pearson foresees a career as a civilian entomologist for the U.S. military. SCWDS partners with the U.S. military to train personnel on their tick risk not only in Georgia but when deployed to various areas around the world.
Eventually she plans to return to academia and the “tick talks” that are making her a science star.
For more information about these teaching awards, please visit the Center for Teaching and Learning Teaching Awards site.
