Meet The Team
2025-2026 Executive Board
President
VHC Student Liaison
Aarthi Kannan
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Aarthi Kannan, a first-year veterinary student at the University of Georgia, is passionate about small animal, exotic, and wildlife medicine. Growing up in India, she developed an early appreciation for honeybees through Ayurveda. Her interest deepened while assisting beekeepers in French Polynesia. As the President of the UGA Student Honeybee Veterinary Consortium and a Bee Treatment Crew member, she promotes honeybee health through education, research, and hands-on care.
Email: ak59422@uga.edu
Phone: 404-998-0856
President-Eelect
Cara Coker
Cara Coker is a first-year veterinary student at the University of Georgia. She is interesting in mixed animal medicine. Her interest in bee medicine sparked when she learned about UGA's bee research program. She is also a member of the Bee Treatment Crew and hopes to earn her beekeeping certification. In her free time she enjoys training service dogs and spending time with her friends.
Email: cdc22812@uga.edu
Phone: 803-622-2079
Treasurer
Grace Vigtel
​Grace Vigtel (c/o 2028) is the treasurer for the bee club. She is currently interested in small animal medicine and hopes to specialize, though she is not yet certain in what field. She joined the bee club because she finds hive behavior super interesting and loves honey. One day, she hopes to have her own garden and potentially her own bee colony.
Email: egv33365@uga.edu
Phone: 404-998-0856
Secretary
Gabrielle McCarthy
Gabi McCarthy is a first-year student focusing on Mixed Animal Medicine. Her interest in bees began after taking a behavior class in undergrad, where she learned about the bee’s waggle dance. Her passion for bees was solidified after attending the bee wet lab hosted fall of 2024. In her free time, she enjoys running, hiking, and doing fun activities with her dog, Delta.
Email: gam27821@uga.edu
Phone: 803-548-1684
Events Coordinator
Annie Johnson
Annie Johnson, a member of the UGA class of 2028, is the event planner of the bee club. With experience as a beekeeper in undergrad, her passion for honeybees has only grown through learning more about apiary medicine. She looks forward to organizing events that raise awareness of honeybees within the UGA community!
Email: acj30335@uga.edu
Dr. Joerg Mayer
Our Advisor
Dr. Joerg Mayer, a German native, studied veterinary medicine in Budapest, Hungary. After earning his doctorate, he completed an internship in Zoological Medicine in the U.S., followed by a Master's in Wild Animal Health from the Royal Veterinary College. He later served at Tufts University before joining the University of Georgia as a Full Professor in Zoological Medicine. A renowned speaker and author, Dr. Mayer holds multiple board certifications and has received numerous awards for his contributions to exotic animal medicine.