“I always say God gives you special gifts, and I truly believe that love was Julie’s special gift."
-Dr. Jessica Rush, Assistant Clinical Professor at College of Veterinary Medicine
Known for her intentional heart and driven mind, Dr. Julie Gard Schnuelle was a brilliant light in the lives of all who had the privilege of knowing her. Every experience and opportunity she encountered was met with exceptional leadership and an unconditional compassion for others. Before her retirement in 2021, Schnuelle held a specialty in reproduction and served as a board-certified theriogenologist in the large animal section of the Department of Clinical Sciences at Auburn University's College of Veterinary Medicine.
Throughout her time at Auburn, she established profound relationships, one significant connection being with Dr. Jessica Rush who regarded Schnuelle as a deeply influential mentor. Rush, now an assistant clinical professor in the Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine, first met Schnuelle a little more than twenty years ago as an undergraduate at Auburn. Schnuelle had taken the initiative to teach a suture lab, which Rush attended, for undergraduate students in the pre-veterinary club. Surgery was not yet Schnuelle's specialty, but when she was asked to lead, she did so with grace and willingness to serve. This dedication stood out to Rush, who reflects on the difficulty of one professor teaching approximately 30 to 40 undergraduate students on how to do complex surgical patterns in just a couple of hours.
“But she still made everyone feel heard and special,” Rush said. “That’s the first time I met her.”
As their relationship deepened, Rush quickly recognized Schnuelle’s remarkable intellect and unwavering heart. Schnuelle had the ability to think her way through any problem.
“She was just so brilliant. She was the kindest, sweetest, most loving person you have ever met,” Rush said.
With her radiant spirit, Schnuelle embraced every aspect of life – the triumphs as well as the trials. Rush recounts that Schnuelle was a powerful beacon of positivity, finding a way to make light of any situation. Schnuelle believed that every setback was a learning experience and accredited her success to others. Her humility set her apart, while her empathy drew countless in. Through challenges within the College, Rush recalled that Schnuelle “was always there, stepping in, taking care of everybody, loving everybody through it all.”
Affectionately called “Mama Gard," Schneulle was a caretaker to all.
“She was everyone’s mama finding a way to help everybody – students, residents, colleagues, her children – everybody and anybody," Rush said. "She was going to find a way to make things better for everybody.”
Schnuelle’s path into veterinary medicine stemmed from her lifelong love for animals and intuitive curiosity about the way things work. She was naturally drawn to animals, viewing every creature as something to be loved. Rush remembers her unique blend of heart and intellect. She sought to nurture every being while also uncovering the reasons behind the body’s processes in order to better heal it.
Schnuelle’s determined spirit followed her in her service in the College of Veterinary Medicine, Rush noted.
“She never was lazy on a case. It didn't matter; she would go the extra mile both physically and mentally for the patient. She would look for every answer, explore every route, give every option, to try her best to have the best outcome for the animal,” Rush said.
Schnuelle’s heart shone most evidently in her work with dairy cattle, which she handled with a tender gentleness despite their large size. Her kindness had a way of stirring both human and animal hearts. Rush recalled the challenge of getting stubborn dairy cows to stand when they didn’t want to, but Schnuelle always managed. With a cheerful, high-pitched “whoop" and a light tap of her knees, she’d coax them up with ease. While others tried with firmness, Schnuelle relied on patience and compassion, and the cows complied accordingly.
“She was this tiny little person, but she was a force. A force of nature. There was nothing she could not do, physically, mentally,” Rush said.
Schnuelle's care for animals emphasized her outstanding passion, but this quality was shown even more deeply through the way she touched the lives of those around her.
“She kept up with everything that was going on. She never missed a birthday or Christmas," Rush said. "I don’t even know how she kept up with everybody to that degree. She just cared so much about what was going on with each of us that she remembered it all.”
Schnuelle was close with her family, as she is remembered by her children and stepchildren. Colleagues testify to how she frequently talked about them, continually expressing her pride for them. She spoke about them to the extent that Rush felt as if she personally knew them through Schnuelle’s love and encouragement.
One tradition of the veterinary school is for a student's parent, who is or was a veterinarian, to hood their child at graduation, per the graduate's request. Although Schnuelle stepped into her role of stepmother later into her stepchildren's lives, her one step daughter requested for Schnuelle to hood her at her veterinary school graduation.
Rush further remembers how another meaningful habit of Schnuelle’s was to always answer the phone.
“She would never send you to voicemail," Rush said.
Beyond her deep heart was a brilliant mind. Rush testified that Schnuelle was an excellent diagnostician. She recalls one instance when Schnuelle had to take an emergency call overnight concerning a calf, and by simply listening to its breathing, she could identify Pneumothorax, a condition of air in the lungs after collapse that usually cannot be detected without the use of an X-ray.
Her excellence was reflected in multiple other achievements during her tenure. Serving as an advisor for the Auburn Palpation team, Schnuelle led the group to compete in the Student American Veterinary Medical Association’s (SAVMA) Bovine Palpation Competition. The competition consists of three sessions over a course of three days, featuring written, practical and live exams. Under Schnuelle’s guidance, her team triumphed time after time, claiming first place an impressive 12 times.
“If you had something you wanted to achieve, she would find a way to help you make it happen," Rush said.
Schnuelle’s research and efforts will continue to set a standard of leadership and dedication in the College of Veterinary Medicine. Her commitment to pouring love onto those around her was even more profound.
“Julie was so special in that way,” said Dr. Rush. “She was able to give beyond what was humanly possible. She would give and love to the point where it would be a strain on herself, but she’d never let you know it.”
In every role that she carried – whether mentor, mother, peer or professor – Schnuelle inspired, nurtured and uplifted those around her. She leaves a legacy of compassion and care that will be remembered by all who were fortunate enough to know her. According to Rush, if Schnuelle could share one message with her students and coworkers, it would be to "believe in yourself and finish what you start." Schnuelle never left anything incomplete, whether it was a project, a paper or a person in need of guidance.
"She would definitely tell us to believe in ourselves," Rush said. "Because she sure did."
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