Department of Biology

Jenessa Gjeltema

Posted on June 1, 2018

Jenessa Gjeltema, DVM, Dipl. ACZM is currently an Assistant Professor of Zoological Medicine at the University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine.  After receiving degrees in Business Administration, International Business, and Philosophy from the College of Charleston in South Carolina, Jenessa continued her education at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro to complete her prerequisite coursework for application to veterinary school.  She then attended North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine to obtain her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine in 2011. Following veterinary school, she completed a veterinary internship at Coral Springs Animal Hospital in Florida before returning to North Carolina State University to pursue specialized training through a residency in zoological medicine.  She became board certified as Diplomate of the American College of Zoological Medicine (a veterinary specialist in the field of Zoological Medicine) in 2016.  Following completion of her residency, she joined the University of California Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, where she currently serves as associate veterinarian at the Sacramento Zoo, teaches zoological medicine coursework to veterinary students, and conducts research in her field.