KAYLA JO JUSTISS

• Participated actively in regular meetings with fellow researchers to discuss project updates, challenges faced, and lessons learned during ongoing activities.
• Organized research materials, maintaining a well-ordered workspace conducive to productivity.
• Maintained open lines of communication with project leads and team members for effective collaboration on common goals.
• Conducted literature reviews to support hypothesis development and identify gaps in existing knowledge.

• Cleaned and maintained kennel areas for optimized hygiene, including cages, runs and yards.
• Maintained clean and sanitary living conditions for animals, reducing stress and promoting overall wellbeing.
• Enhanced animal socialization skills through daily interaction and playtime activities.
• Implemented efficient feeding schedules, ensuring all animals received proper nutrition on a timely basis.

Part-time and 24-hour emergency on-call

• Assisted surgeons with equine and food animal soft tissue, orthopedic, ophthalmic, and emergency surgeries by sterilizing surgical sites and equipment, practicing aseptic technique opening tables and surgical packs, and retrieving instruments/supplies during surgery
• Assisted with emergency Cesaeran bovine surgeries by pulling calves and providing neonatal care
• Assisted with invasive medical procedures and radiation therapy
• Prepared surgical instrument packs and drapes for use in sterile environments by processing in autoclave under high pressure and high temperature conditions
• Maintained surgical prep-rooms and surgery suites by setting up equipment, changing nitrogen and oxygen tanks, cleaning facilities, and restocking items

Voluntary

• Maintained ~ 80 commercial beef cattle by feeding, vaccinating, deworming, and castrating bull calves
• Monitored pregnant cows, and inspected herd for illness and missing cattle
• Operated squeeze chute and head gate when working and sorting cattle
• Herded livestock using ranch ATVs
• Maintained equipment and ranch structures

Weekend/Holiday Part-Time

• Assisted in physical exams by restraining, preparing supplies, running diagnostic in-house tests, collecting samples, administering drugs, and maintaining notes
• Performed duties in hospitalized equine and camelid patients such as administering oral, subcutaneous, intravenous, and intramuscular injections, changing bandages and polo wraps, monitoring ICU, hand walking/grazing equine patients, and updating procedure lists
• Assisted with providing treatment and keeping records for equine patients in clinical research trials
• Managed breeding stallions and recipient mares in separate private location by feeding, watering, grooming, mucking stalls, and cleaning the barn
• Made visits to farms to assist with animal emergencies such as injury, disease and birthing
• Executed diagnostics, troubleshooting and evaluations on CBC, Chemistry, SAA, PCV, bacteriology, and culture sensitivity tests for equine and camelid patients
• Administered routine, post-operative and daily treatments to animals under direction and supervision of veterinarian
• Prepared surgical instrument packs and drapes for use in sterile environments by processing in autoclave under high pressure and high temperature conditions
• Worked night and holiday shifts managing up to 80 hospitalized patients and monitoring pregnant mares
• Processed new patients and updated client records with key information using standardized registration systems and encrypted databases