Penn Vet Welcomes Seven New Faculty for the 2026-27 Academic Year

Stefano De Arcangeli (DVM, PhD, University of Bologna), assistant professor of Clinical Pathology (AC). Dr. De Arcangeli joined Penn Vet in 2023 as a clinical pathology resident. He completed his postgraduate studies in Animal Health, Breeding, and Zootechnical Production at the University of Padova. Prior to his arrival at Penn, he served as a laboratory manager and quality manager at a veterinary diagnostic laboratory in Italy. De Arcangeli’s areas of expertise include cytopathology, hematopathology, laboratory quality assurance, and the development and validation of diagnostic assays.

Dayoung Oh (DVM, MS, Seoul National University), assistant professor of Radiation Oncology (AC). Dr. Oh was a veterinary radiation oncology resident and a Lucy Oncology Scholar at Colorado State University’s Flint Animal Cancer Center. She was also a Visiting Scholar at the University of Missouri-Columbia. Oh completed the Veterinary Radiology Training Program at Seoul National University and practiced as a veterinary radiologist in South Korea. Oh specializes in radiation oncology, and her research focuses on using radiation therapy to improve the quality of life of cancer patients. Her research has primarily explored head and neck carcinomas in dogs and cats treated with novel radiation therapy. Oh will join Penn Vet in September.

Lauren Powell (PhD, University of Sydney), assistant professor of Animal Welfare and Behavior (TT). Dr. Powell joined Penn Vet in 2020 as a postdoctoral researcher prior to her appointment as lecturer of Animal Welfare and Behavior. Powell’s research explores how human-animal relationships influence both pet welfare and human wellbeing, with a particular focus on the role of socioeconomic and environmental factors. She is currently leading a nationwide study on the impacts of cat and dog adoptions on human and animal wellbeing.

Jamie Sebastian (DVM, University of California, Davis), assistant professor of Small Animal Internal Medicine (CE). Dr. Sebastian was a small animal internal medicine resident at the College of Veterinary Medicine at Kansas State University. Prior to that, she was a small-animal rotating intern at the Animal Medical Center in New York, then completed a postgraduate certificate in veterinary education at the Royal Veterinary College in London. Her research focuses on infectious diseases affecting companion animals. Sebastian’s work integrates clinical medicine, epidemiology, and One Health approaches to improve disease surveillance, diagnosis, and prevention, including machine-learning approaches to improve early disease detection and inform prevention strategies. She will join Penn Vet on October 19th.

Soledad Martín-Peláez (DVM, University Alfonso X El Sabio, Madrid; PhD Candidate, University of California, Davis; DACT), assistant professor of Large Animal Reproduction (CE). Dr. Martín-Peláez is a board-certified equine theriogenologist and scientist specializing in equine assisted reproductive technologies. She worked in several equine reproduction centers in Europe before pursuing advanced clinical training. Martín-Peláez completed a specialized internship in equine reproduction at Utrecht University and her Theriogenology residency at the University of California (UC), Davis, and will graduate with her PhD from UC Davis in September. Her research focuses on equine in vitro embryo production, oocyte maturation, and early embryonic development, with an interest in how abnormal cleavage and chromosomal errors influence pregnancy loss. She will join Penn Vet on September 12th.

Mariah Pearson (MAg, Auburn University; DVM, Lincoln Memorial University; DACT), assistant professor of Large Animal Reproduction (CE). Dr. Pearson was a clinical assistant professor in Theriogenology and a large animal educator at Texas A&M University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, where she also completed her Theriogenology residency and served as a lecturer. Prior to that, Pearson served as an associate veterinarian at Park Equine Hospital in Lexington. Board-certified by the American College of Theriogenologists, she specializes in equine reproductive medicine, with clinical interests in mare and stallion fertility, breeding management, and pregnancy care. Her work emphasizes evidence-based strategies to optimize outcomes for mares, foals, and their owners, with a particular interest in stallion breeding soundness examination and infertility.

Arin Cox (DVM, Mississippi State University; MS, Ohio State University; DACVP), assistant professor of Comparative Pathology (AC). Dr. Cox is a fellowship-trained, board-certified comparative pathologist with expertise in immunohistochemistry, digital image analysis, and translational pathology. His research spans cancer biology and infectious disease, including studies of thyroid carcinoma and the epidemiology and immunology of vector-borne zoonotic diseases. Cox joined Penn Vet in 2024 as a fellow in the Comparative Pathology Core, supporting investigators using preclinical models in biomedical and translational studies. He was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Iowa College of Public Health before completing his veterinary anatomic pathology residency at Ohio State University. Cox will assume his new role at Penn Vet on September 1st.