Julie Levy, DVM, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Veterinary Medicine
University of Florida
Specialty: Imunosuppressive diseases
Nominated by: Wesley Miller
Excerpt from nomination: "Julie and I met when I volunteered with a local (Raleigh, N.C.) animal rescue group. Besides being a board member and leader chief veterinary advisor, Julie was responsible for personally neutering and spaying upwards of 5000 cats and dogs in a three or four year period. She founded and got financing for a second animal group that provides free spay/neuter/vaccination services for wild and unowned cats. She championed trap/alter/release animal control and got the idea sold not only to the local animal lovers but to government officials and the local vets who depend on spays as a source of income. By accepting only unowned/wild animals (no pets allowed) she won over the vets to the point that they now volunteer with the monthly clinics. All this was done, while Julie was a student completing her Ph.D.! After accepting a professorship at the University of Florida, she has started similar programs in Gainsville, Fla. and has been published nationally on animal health issues."
What was your first job and what did you learn from it?
My first real job was mucking stables. I had a horse as a pre-teen, and had to work at the stable to pay for the board and riding lessions. At the age of 10, I learned that things worth having were worth working for.
What advances in your field do you envision over the next 10 years?
Veterinary medicine will continue to become more sophisticated, specialized, and corporate. In immunology, a vaccine will be developed aginst AIDS and better treatments for autoimmune disease will be developed.
What do you see as the single most interesting element of your work?
Encountering a clinical dilemma for which no one has the answer, and then designing a study to provide it.
What do you consider to be your greatest accomplishment?
Founding two veterinary school-based clinics for the free spaying and neutering of stray and feral cats. These projects continue to be run entirely by volunteers and are funded by grants and donations. Both clinics provide a wonderful service for their communities and improve the lives of the homeless animals they serve.
What was your greatest challenge and what did you learn from it?
My first career choice, journalism, did not bring me the daily satisfaction that I had hoped for. My greatest challenge was accepting that, giving up my career, and taking the huge step to return to college to complete preveterinary courses in preparation for veterinary school. I learned that only I could be responsible for my professional happiness.
What strategies do you use to maintain balance in your life?
Work hard, value friendships, enjoy leisure, travel, appreciate all the minutes in everey day.
What advice would you give to young women who want to enter your field?
Talent makes things easier, but almost anything can be accomplished with the right attitude and determination. By definition, most of us are "average," so few things will be as easy as we would like them to be. It is up to each of us to decide what is important to us, then to decide how to make it happen.
