Welcome aboard: Emily Brinker

Dr. Emily Brinker (she/her) took a different road than most to arrive as a new faculty member at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine. Appointed in June as an assistant clinical professor in the Department of Comparative Pathobiology, Brinker followed a friend here [Assistant Clinical Professor Dr. Gisela Martinez Romero]. They each earned a Ph.D. at Auburn University, where Brinker also completed a residency in anatomic pathology.

Cummings School’s location on the East Coast, close to where she was raised in southern Maryland, was also attractive to Brinker, who holds a B.A. from St. Mary’s College of Maryland and a D.V.M. from St. George’s University in Grenada. 

Teaching has always been something that Brinker enjoys.

I like teaching the fourth-year students during their clinical year,” she explains. “And I’m hoping to be a part of the growth of the residency program while maintaining diagnostic duties.

She has quickly made connections in her first few weeks on campus. “Everyone treats me like an old friend,” Brinker quips, easing the transition. “I’ve received many social invitations from colleagues, and everyone is willing to talk about cases or share information or questions.”

Having started after Commencement, Brinker is eager to see an increase in activity as the fall semester approaches while she awaits confirmation on her teaching assignments. “It will be nice to see the campus come alive with activity as the semester ramps up before classes begin,” she says.

Like most Cummings School community members, Brinker is also an animal lover and currently has three cats. “I feel like I’ve added a cat each time I’ve gone to a new veterinary school … but I haven’t welcomed one here, yet.”