Sea Turtle Hospital Program Manager

904-201-8414 | cbeastman@whitney.ufl.edu

Catherine Eastman (Cat) has been working with sea turtles in Florida since 1998. Growing up on the Atlantic Coast (in almost every state), Cat has always had a love for the ocean and its inhabitants. She started her career with sea turtles while studying at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton. There, she joined the sea turtle conservation program at Gumbo Limbo Environmental Complex as a marine turtle specialist. She transferred to University of North Florida to finish her degree and accept an Environmental Educator position at the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve. She taught environmental education to K-12 school kids and led beach and upland nature hikes to adults and undergraduates. During that time, she and her husband incorporated a conservation non-profit to help support sea turtle nesting beach work and research. When Cat is not working, she enjoys spending time with her husband and son (and golden retriever) at the beach and running.

Sea Turtle Hospital Veterinarian

904-201-8446 | bmburkhalter@whitney.ufl.edu

Dr. Brooke Burkhalter graduated from the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine in 2002. She spent 14 years in small animal private practice, caring for family pets and sick and injured wildlife within St. Augustine. She enjoys the internal medicine challenges and other aspects of veterinary medicine, but her main passion has always been soft tissue surgery. Dr. Burkhalter has advanced training in abdominal ultrasound, endoscopy, and CO2 laser surgery. Dr. Brooke has specialized in sea turtle rehabilitation since 2015, and continues to lead our team as the founding veterinarian at The Sea Turtle Hospital. At this hospital, her primary responsibility is treating turtles affected by fibropapillomatosis. As a research hospital, she is very fortunate to work and collaborate with researchers to help better understand the disease and explore new treatment possibilities. Dr. Burkhalter is one of very few sea turtle veterinarians in the state of Florida, and even fewer experts in fibropapillomatosis. Therefore, she also works at multiple other facilities around the state, including The Marine Science Center in Port Orange and The Turtle Hospital in Marathon Florida. Dr. Brooke teaches Sea Turtle Medicine at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, trains veterinary students and residents, and teaches at various conferences and workshops for veterinarians and rehabilitation staff. 

Dr. Burkhalter is happily married to her high school sweetheart. Their family consists of a beautiful daughter and countless furry, feathered, and scaled friends, and whatever orphaned wildlife babies are in need at any given time. When she is not working, Brooke enjoys tending to her farm animals, various family activities, Disney, SUPing, and all other things outdoors.

Sea Turtle Hospital Manager

904-201-8446 | devonrenee@whitney.ufl.edu

Devon is the Hospital Manager at the Sea Turtle Hospital at Whitney Lab, where she oversees day-to-day operations, including all aspects of animal care. Born and raised in New England, Devon developed a passion for nature and wildlife early on, inspired by her mother, an active wildlife rehabilitator who nurtured Devon’s curiosity and compassion for all creatures, big and small. Growing up surrounded by North American wildlife, she fondly recalls her childhood spent caring for orphaned raccoons, squirrels, and the occasional fawn.

Devon holds a Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Care and Education from Unity College in Maine. Her extensive background includes hands-on work with marine mammals, injured wildlife, and countless rescued animals. With over 20 years of experience as a veterinary technician working with diverse animal species—and a specialization in marine animals—Devon brings deep expertise to her role as the Hospital Manager at the Sea Turtle Hospital at Whitney Lab. Her background spans hands-on care for a variety of animals, including dogs, cats, exotics, and native wildlife, along with marine species. For the past 10 years, she has focused specifically on sea turtles and was part of the pioneering team that helped establish the Sea Turtle Hospital.

Driven by a strong commitment to wildlife conservation, Devon is passionate about creating a world where humans and animals can coexist harmoniously. She is excited to be at the forefront of sea turtle rehabilitation and research, dedicating her career to making a lasting impact on marine conservation.

Devon often jokes, “It’s a lifestyle, not a career,” and it couldn’t be more true. She lives on Anastasia Island with her husband and their French bulldog, and together they share their home with several other animals who were in need of a loving place to stay. When not caring for sea turtles and a variety of other animals, Devon enjoys her "free time" traveling the world, gardening at home, and anything water-related, especially when it involves exploring the great outdoors.  

Sea Turtle Hospital Animal Care Technician

904-201-8446

Leah has had the unique opportunity to grow up in various cities along the East Coast and the Gulf of Mexico, which nurtured her lifelong admiration for ocean ecology. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Marine Science with a minor in Marine Geology from Coastal Carolina University in 2018. During her undergraduate studies, Leah participated in university research opportunities, sparking her passion for marine animals.

Her career began as a Sea Turtle Care Center Intern at the South Carolina Aquarium, where she discovered her love for sea turtles and chose rehabilitation and conservation as her career path. Following her internship, Leah completed two terms as a Husbandry AmeriCorps Member at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center. From there, she moved to the sunny Florida Keys to work as a Senior Rehabilitation Specialist at the Turtle Hospital. Currently, Leah is part of the team at the Sea Turtle Hospital at the Whitney Lab, where she enjoys working with the diverse sea turtle species found in Florida waters.

Leah is currently enrolled in a Veterinary Technician Certification program, striving to expand her medical expertise and deepen her knowledge of marine animal care. She is particularly excited about contributing to research on fibropapilloma disease at the Whitney Laboratory. When not at work or studying,  Leah loves exploring parks and unwinding at the beach.

Sea Turtle Hospital Animal Care Technician

904-201-8446

Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Kaylee has always had a deep love for sea turtles, a passion that was further ignited during a marine biology study abroad program in Hawai'i. While in Hawai'i, she realized that working with and rehabilitating sea turtles was not only possible but also a rewarding career path. After earning degrees in Psychology and Biology from the University of Dayton, Kaylee spent six months interning at the Volusia Marine Science Center (VMSC), followed by three months at the Loggerhead Marinelife Center (LMC), where she gained valuable hands-on experience in sea turtle rehabilitation and conservation. In 2021, she joined the Whitney Laboratory Sea Turtle Hospital, where she combines her passion for sea turtles, playing an integral role in caring for and rehabilitating injured turtles while contributing to important research and educational efforts.

At Whitney, Kaylee has developed a particular interest in Fibropapillomatosis, a tumor disease that affects many of Florida's juvenile green sea turtles. She is also deeply passionate about animal behavior, especially the transformation of the patients under the hospital's care from their initial intake through the rehabilitation process and ultimately to their release back into the wild. Kaylee finds great fulfillment in witnessing the turtles' progress, both physically and behaviorally, as they heal and regain their strength.

Outside of work, Kaylee enjoys searching for shark teeth along Florida's beaches, visiting local shops, unwinding in the historic town of St. Augustine, reading on her Kindle, and spending quality time with her cat, Wheezy.