Staff

Dr. Karra (she/her) grew up on the West Coast and developed an early interest in wildlife and medicine. She completed her Bachelor of Science in biology at a university known for its strong environmental focus and began working as a staff wildlife rehabilitator at a large wildlife rehabilitation center during her undergraduate studies. It was here that Dr. Karra fell in love with wildlife rehabilitation and medicine.

She went on to earn her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine with the goal of becoming a wildlife veterinarian. During veterinary school, she remained deeply committed to working with wildlife, gaining experience with a wide range of species and settings. After graduation, she completed a one-year small-animal rotating internship before joining the Wildlife Center of Virginia. Since then, she has served as a veterinary intern, senior veterinary intern, research fellow, and currently holds the position of Director of Veterinary Services.

Dr. Karra is passionate about teaching interns, veterinary students, and wildlife rehabilitators from around the world. She enjoys all aspects of her work but is especially fond of treating the tiniest patients—often creating micro-bandages and miniature splints to meet their unique needs. Her professional goals include advancing the field of wildlife rehabilitation and learning from every patient that comes through the door.

Outside of work, Dr. Karra enjoys spending time with her ever-changing menagerie of pets and her partner, Dr. Patrick, who is also a veterinarian.

Dr. Olivia (she/her) grew up in Culpeper, Virginia, and always knew she wanted to be a veterinarian. She completed her Bachelor of Science in biology at the University of Mary Washington in 2016, then earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine in 2020.  During her veterinary education, Dr. Olivia completed externships with several wildlife rehabilitation centers in the U.S. including the California Wildlife Center, the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Minnesota, Tristate Bird Rescue and Research Inc., the Marine Mammal Center, and the Wildlife Center of Virginia, as well as ARCAS in Guatemala. Her experiences with wildlife as a student solidified her love of the field of wildlife rehabilitation medicine and for all of our wild creatures. After receiving her DVM, Dr. Olivia spent two years working as a shelter veterinarian in Wisconsin before moving back to Virginia. Dr. Olivia loves treating all of our native wildlife but is particularly fond of songbirds, bats, and snakes. She also has a new-found love of working with Virginia opossums. She is excited to continue her role at the Center as the research fellow. Dr. Olivia enjoys hiking, birdwatching, painting with her partner Ryan and spending time with all of her beloved pets. The parts of her job she loves the most are learning new techniques and creative solutions to care for our patients and performing surgical procedures, especially for opossums.

Jess (she/her) is originally from Baldwinsville, New York, a small suburb outside Syracuse. She graduated in 2015 from Unity College, with a B.S. in Captive Wildlife Care and Education and a minor in Zoology. After graduating from Unity, she completed a six- month fellowship at the Clinic for the Rehabilitation for Wildlife (C.R.O.W.) in Sanibel, FL, which solidified her love of wildlife and veterinary medicine. After completing her fellowship at C.R.O.W., Jess went back to school to pursue a degree in Veterinary Technology at Genesee Community College in Batavia, New York. Upon graduation from GCC, Jess joined the WCV team and completed the diagnostic LVT internship during the 2018-2019 season. Jess was subsequently hired as one of the full- time LVT staff in July of 2019, served as the LVT supervisor, and is now the hospital manager. Jess loves working with all wildlife, but is especially fond of Barred Owls. Jess and her husband, Anthony live in Staunton with their two dogs, Bonnie and Penny, and three cats: Shirley, Bob, and Helen. In her spare time, she enjoys making pottery, gardening, and spending time with all of her beloved pets.

Rachel (she/her) grew up in Short Hills, New Jersey, a suburb of New York City. Her love of all creatures and the outdoors led her to attend the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. She graduated with a B.S. in conservation biology. After graduating, she moved to Lexington, Virginia with her family. Rachel then went back to school to pursue a degree in Veterinary Technology through Blue Ridge Community College. While in vet tech school, she started volunteering at the Wildlife Center, first with the rehab department, and then with the treatment team. After graduating from vet tech school, Rachel spent some time in small-animal medicine but realized that her passion is for wildlife and conservation. This led her back to the Wildlife Center for a 12-week externship during the summer of 2021 and to the Vet Tech Internship in 2021-2022. While she does not have one favorite animal, she is especially fond of reptiles and amphibians. In her free time, Rachel enjoys reading, baking, and hiking in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains with her dog Tilly.

Annika (she/her) is from Coon Rapids, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis. She started her education studying biology and outdoor education, but eventually realized she wanted to pursue a career in veterinary medicine. She graduated from Ridgewater College in 2025 with a degree in Veterinary Technology. After graduating, she completed a three-month externship at the Wildlife Center in the summer of 2025 and loved it so much that she decided to return for more training as the Veterinary Technician Intern. She enjoys working with a variety of wildlife, but especially loves Eastern Screech-Owls, Black Bears, and American Kestrels. In her free time, Annika enjoys hiking, camping, reading, cooking, and spending time with her cat, Lavender

Jenn (she/her) is from Basking Ridge, New Jersey. Her love for animals started early in life, and she pursued her dream by obtaining a B.A. in biology from Seton Hall University in 2020, followed by a Veterinary Technology degree from Bergen Community College in 2022. During her college years, Jenn volunteered as a docent at the Essex County Turtle Back Zoo, shadowed her local veterinarian, and completed two student externships at small-animal emergency practices, gaining valuable experience in the field. Jenn also loves to travel and learn about new cultures, and in 2018, Jenn traveled to Oudtshoorn, South Africa, to volunteer at Cango Wildlife Ranch, where she assisted in medical treatments, feedings, and animal enrichment. Her travels continued in the Fall of 2019, when she sailed on Semester at Sea, studying the conservation of marine megafauna, tropical ecology and evolution, and global environmental systems — observing the species she was learning about firsthand in the Strait of Gibraltar, the Galapagos Islands, and the rainforests of Ghana and Costa Rica. In her free time, Jenn likes photography, getting overly competitive at trivia nights, and face-timing with her family, friends, and dog, Olive, back in NJ. For Jenn, the best part of working with wildlife is being challenged to think outside the box and put her creativity to good use. She is so excited to be a part of the WCV staff!

Alejandra (Alex) (she/her) was born in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico on the border of Texas. Along with her family, Alex immigrated to Brownsville, Texas at a young age and was raised in between the Mexican-American border. The rich fauna of South Texas played a crucial role in her passion for wildlife. Alex began her docent training at Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville in 2009. Alex participated in outreach events and also assisted keepers with husbandry duties. She completed her Bachelor’s in Biology at the University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley in 2013 and began working in the Russel Aquarium inside Gladys Porter Zoo where she took care of a collection of fish native to the Gulf of Mexico, elasmobranchs, and a small reptile collection. Alex later transferred to the carnivore and gorilla department of Gladys Porter Zoo, where she took care of different species of bears, large cats, wild dogs, and primates. After a couple of years, she began transitioning into the animal health department clinic where she trained as a wildlife rehabilitator and veterinary assistant/technician under the direction of the senior veterinarian. As part of her training and duties, Alex was part of the marine mammal stranding team and natural disaster response team, and coordinated training for oil-spill certifications and training. Alex helped establish a Certified Veterinarian Assistant (CVA) program with the local high school; the program included hands-on workshops and online lessons focusing on zoo and wildlife medicine and helped Alex realize the importance of mentoring and teaching in this field. She obtained her Masters in Biology in the fall of 2020, where she focused her thesis on the Vitamin D serology of captive African Tree Pangolins (Manis tricuspis). Alex received a Certified Wildlife Rehabilitator (CWR) certification from the International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council and a CVA certificate from the Texas Veterinary Board in 2020. She completed a veterinarian technician program in spring 2023 shortly before starting at the Wildlife Center. Alex enjoys spending time with her pets, especially her dogs, as well as taking photographs. Alex enjoys working with the diverse fauna of Virginia and continuing to teach and mentor students interested in wildlife rehabilitation.

Mac (she/her) was born and raised in Orlando, Florida, where she grew up camping and spending time outdoors. She earned her BS in natural resource conservation from the University of Florida in 2017 and has since worked in wildlife conservation and rehabilitation across the southeast. Mac particularly enjoyed a year spent in south Florida working on several field research projects, including a project tracking and capturing invasive Burmese pythons and Argentine Tegus in the Florida Everglades; this is where her love for reptiles began! Mac moved to Philadelphia in 2019 to work as a veterinary technician with companion animals, but she quickly realized her true passion was working with wildlife. This led her to move to Virginia for a seasonal position with Rockfish Wildlife Sanctuary, just across the mountain from the Wildlife Center. She was thrilled to join WCV’s permanent rehabilitation staff in the fall of 2021. Although Mac loves working with many kinds of wildlife, she is particularly fond of striped skunks, raptors, and snakes. Outside of her work at WCV, Mac enjoys bar trivia or playing board games with her friends, and spending time with her partner and pets.

Sarah (she/her) is originally from Oklahoma City and discovered a love for wildlife at a young age, which led to four years of volunteering at the Oklahoma City Zoo as a junior curator. While pursuing her undergraduate degrees, she earned her certification as a Texas Master Naturalist and volunteered for three years as a wildlife rehabilitator, sub-permitted by the State of Texas, while also serving as the volunteer coordinator for the Blackland Prairie Raptor Center. Sarah later received her M.S. in Wildlife Science from Texas A&M University, where she contributed to updates of both the Texas Land and Water Plan and the Texas Outdoor Recreation Plan.

In 2023, Sarah accepted a position with the National Wildlife Research Center, working at the Predator Field Station, where she conducted research on coyotes to help reduce human-wildlife conflict. In 2025, she was offered the position of wildlife rehabilitator with the Wildlife Center of Virginia and is thrilled to have the opportunity to work with a wide variety of wildlife species while also educating others on the importance of wildlife, rehabilitation, and human-wildlife coexistence.

In her free time, Sarah enjoys hiking with her dog in the mountains, sitting around a campfire, playing board games, and traveling to other countries to learn about their native wildlife.

Kyle (he/him) grew up in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. He spent much of his childhood watching shows like Zoboomafoo and The Crocodile Hunter, which sparked his love for nature and his desire to help animals. He later attended Clemson University, where he graduated with a degree in Wildlife Biology. During the summer of 2023, Kyle completed a fellowship at Wildcare Oklahoma, where he discovered a passion for wildlife rehabilitation. This experience led to three additional internships: two at the Blue Ridge Wildlife Center in the summer of 2024 and another at the New Mexico Wildlife Center in the fall of 2025. He joined the Wildlife Center of Virginia in January 2026 and is excited to work alongside the Center's veterinary and rehabilitation team. In his free time, Kyle enjoys playing DnD with friends, video games with his little brother, and caring for his leopard gecko, Bellatrix.

Liz (she/her) was born and raised in Carmel, Indiana, in a large suburb of Indianapolis. She graduated early from Purdue University in 2018 with a B.S. in interdisciplinary agriculture with minors in wildlife science and natural resources/environmental science. Liz's love of wildlife started while she was in college when she began volunteering and later interning at Providence Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Westfield, Indiana. During her time there, the director of the center began teaching and providing her with a base knowledge and tools to pursue a career as a wildlife rehabilitator. After graduating, Liz took a six-month position at the Miami Seaquarium, where she worked closely with the staff to take care of and monitor resident and rehabilitating manatees and sea turtles. From there, she became a fellow at C.R.O.W (Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife) in Sanibel, Florida for six months working with all native Florida species. After moving from Florida, Liz completed a season at the Indianapolis Zoo as a macaw trainer to assist with training and running the free-flight shows. Liz also worked as a veterinary technician before joining the Wildlife Center as a wildlife rehabilitator in the fall of 2021. Liz’s hobbies include drawing, painting, watching new shows with her husband, and hanging out with her bird, Green Bean. Liz enjoys working with young mammals and all birds (especially waterfowl) and is excited to have the opportunity to work with a wider variety of native mammals.

Ben (he/him) was born and raised in Charlottesville, making his first trip to the Wildlife Center of Virginia when he was seven years old to drop off an Eastern Screech-owl that had flown into a neighbor’s window. He grew up passionate about ecology and wildlife, spending his summers attending nature camps and his falls visiting the Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch. He graduated from the University of Hartford with a BFA in Actor Training and spent most of his 20s working as a professional actor. He appeared in several Off-Broadway productions in New York City and also spent two years performing in touring productions.

Ben moved into the field of wildlife rehabilitation during the COVID-19 pandemic, completing a wildlife rehabilitation externship at the Center during the summer and fall of 2020 and returning the following year as the wildlife rehabilitation intern. He has also worked seasonally as a wildlife rehabilitator at New Mexico Wildlife Center and on the Hawaiian island of Kauai, where he rehabilitated native bird species with Save Our Shearwaters. He is thrilled to return to the Center again in his new role as assistant volunteer coordinator. 

Outside of work, Ben’s hobbies include birdwatching, watching bad movies, and Magic: The Gathering. While no longer working professionally as an actor, he continues to pursue his passion for theater as a member of The Bent Theatre, a Charlottesville-based improv comedy troupe he has been part of since he was 15 years old.