Dr. María Juárez Byrd, DVM (Cornell ’21), is an educator and exotic animal clinician dedicated to advancing animal welfare. At the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, she teaches Veterinary Ethics through Problem-Based Learning, guiding students through real-world challenges such as welfare dilemmas, end-of-life decisions, and compassionate care. In the clinic, she treats a wide range of patients—from rabbits and parrots to prosimians and fish—focusing on palliative care, husbandry, and practical approaches to spectrum-of-care medicine. She’s passionate about mentoring new graduates and helping young veterinarians build the ethical reasoning skills that protect against compassion fatigue and burnout.