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ASPCA Senior Director

Last Updated: October 31, 2011

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Name: Margaret R. Slater, DVM, PhD

Employer:  ASPCA (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals)

Job Title: Senior Director of Veterinary Epidemiology, Shelter Research and Development

Years with current employer: 3 years

Educational Background: Dr. Slater received her Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry, her Doctors of Veterinary Medicine and a Ph.D. in epidemiology.  

Job Description:  On a typical day, Dr. Slater answers numerous emails and phone calls from people, and as many of her fellow coworkers are from all over the country, she admits that she is quite proficient in web conferencing.  With the remainder of her time Dr. Slater can be found reading articles, analyzing data, or writing articles herself.  

Favorite Component of Her Job:  Dr. Slater enjoys figuring out how to do new projects for the ASPCA.  She likes digging through the numerous details and coming up with a plan on how to make their project actually work in a practical, measurable manner.

Least Favorite Component of Her Job:  Dr. Slater admits that she does not like all of the paperwork that is necessary for her job.  

A Special Experience or Story about Her Job: Dr. Slater states that she truly has a great job that she delights in.  Each day she gets to work with very educated people from all walks of life, and ultimately in working with them, the team is able to save the lives of many cats and dogs.  Working with shelters and the satisfaction that comes from saving an animal’s life is something she truly enjoys.  

Dr. Slater’s Recommendations to Those Interested in a Career Similar to Her Own: Dr. Slater recommends that one interested in a career similar to her own should make sure to get a broad education in their undergraduate career and seize every opportunity that could gain them experience in the animal field as well as with life in general.  With Dr. Slater’s job, comes the potential to interact with numerous people with just as numerous of backgrounds.  By being familiar with various cultures and people, one has an advantage with it comes to relating with people in the workplace and thus, they will then be a great component for the success of their employment team in the future.

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