Children of PVM faculty and staff enjoyed the chance to check out a pancake tortoise during the PVM Family Day at the Indianapolis Zoo.
The 60th Anniversary of the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine means celebration around every corner! Purdue Veterinary Medicine faculty, staff, alumni, and their families were invited to visit the Indianapolis Zoo on July 13 during one of two 60th Anniversary PVM Family Fun Days and more than 160 attended.
Before the zoo opened, some PVM Family Fun Day attendees participated in a behind-the-scenes look at rhinos.
The day included scheduled activities, such as a tour of the
Indianapolis Zoo veterinary hospital, which was facilitated by Dr. Tomohito
Inoue, Purdue Veterinary Medicine continuing lecturer of anesthesiology. Dr.
Inoue works closely with the zoo’s veterinary hospital, sharing his expertise
in providing anesthesia for large exotic animals. During the tour, Basic
Medical Sciences Department faculty member Kari Ekenstedt, assistant professor
of anatomy and genetics, enjoyed seeing an x-ray of a flying fox for the first
time! PVM Family Fun Day attendees also had the chance to take behind-the-scenes-tours
of the dolphin and rhino exhibits.
The behind-the-scenes dolphin tour was another highlight of the PVM Family Fun Day at the Indianapolis Zoo.
During lunch, Dean Willie Reed addressed the attendees, and remarked about how great it was to be able to celebrate the College’s 60th Anniversary together. The lunch was served inside the Zoo’s Dolphin Pavilion, making it possible for families to eat while watching the dolphins swim around in the exhibit. Everyone at the lunch received a PVM 60th Anniversary commemorative piece, and was entered in a prize drawing. After lunch, zoo staff brought in a pancake tortoise and lizard for the attendees to see and touch.
The event followed an earlier Family Fun Day in June at Fair
Oaks Farm. Thank you to all of the
faculty and staff volunteers who helped with the PVM Family Fun Days!
Click below to view a gallery of images from the Family Fun Day at the Indianapolis Zoo.
New Assistant Director of Financial Affairs Vannessa Farmer with Titan, her “bear,” which actually is a loving Newfie that believes everyone deserves a hug with some (extra) drool to get through their day!
Purdue Veterinary Medicine is pleased to welcome Vannessa
Farmer as the new Assistant Director of Financial Affairs (ADFA). She joined the College’s Business Office team
June 17. Vannessa has been with Purdue
University for two years and comes to PVM from the College of Agriculture where
she served as the Business Manager for the Departments of Animal Sciences and
Botany and Plant Pathology as well as the Animal Sciences Research and
Education Center (ASREC).
Vannessa holds an MBA with a dual concentration in Accounting and Finance and was in retail management for nearly ten years prior to working at Purdue. On a more personal note, Vannessa is mom to five “family members” – three small humans (two young men and a young lady) as well as one large dog and one cat! She is very excited to be taking on the ADFA position within the College and looks forward to getting to know everyone. You can contact Vannessa at farmerv@purdue.edu, or by phone at extension 42384, or stop by her office in Lynn 1202 and give her a warm PVM welcome!
Dr. Sharon L. Deem, a wildlife veterinarian and epidemiologist from the Saint Louis Zoo, will explore the conservation and public health challenges threatening all populations in the “Anthropocene” as she delivers a special address at the 2019 Purdue Veterinary Conference. Dr. Deem will give the annual Dr. Jack and Naomi Stockton Lecture September 19, speaking on the topic “Veterinary Medicine in the Age of the Anthropocene.”
Many scientists define this period in earth’s history
by the scale of human influence, and have labeled it as a new geological epoch
called the Anthropocene. Geological
epochs are one of the ways that geologists and paleontologists can break down
the broad concept of time. Epochs, which
are defined on a global level, are identified by the distinct changes
(biological or chemical) in stratified sediments and rocks that are found on or
below the surface of the earth. Stratigraphic
changes are irreversible, and the topic opens up broad discussions about how to
move forward in the altered world that humans have influenced in the newly
defined geological epoch.
While the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine’s 60th Anniversary year provides a perfect opportunity for reflecting, it also is a great time for using information that has been learned to take giant leaps forward in addressing global challenges like conservation and public health. Dr. Deem’s lecture will emphasize the roles veterinarians play in addressing these issues, including how they use their skills to protect animal health and welfare, work for resource conservation, and promote public health.
Dr. Deem is a leader in conservation medicine and One Health. Her professional focus is on diseases shared between domestic animals, wildlife and people, and the impact of environmental change and human interactions on the health of wildlife populations. Dr. Deem earned her DVM degree at the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine and her PhD in veterinary epidemiology at the University of Florida. She also completed a three-year zoo and wildlife medicine residency at the University of Florida and is board-certified by the American College of Zoological Medicine. Before joining the Saint Louis Zoo, Dr. Deem worked for the Wildlife Conservation Society and Smithsonian National Zoo as both a clinical zoo veterinarian and an international wildlife veterinarian.
During her first three years with the Saint Louis Zoo, Dr. Deem lived and worked on the Galapagos Islands where she served as the veterinary epidemiologist for the Zoo’s WildCare Institute Center for Avian Health. She returned to St. Louis in 2010, and since then has been conducting conservation medicine and One Health programs globally, while training the next generation of One Health practitioners. Dr. Deem has drawn numerous accolades and brings years of experience from her work with zoos, universities, and field-based conservation projects to the subject of One Health.
Dr. Deem’s lecture will be held in Purdue University’s Fowler Hall in the Stewart Center. Only those registered for the Purdue Veterinary Conference may attend. Conference-goers can earn up to 26 hours of continuing education at the 2019 Purdue Veterinary Conference, which provides continuing education opportunities for the entire veterinary team. Conference sessions cover Small Animal, Food Animal, Equine, Exotics, Practice Management, Behavior, and topics of interest for Veterinary Technicians. All conference sessions and special events will be held on Purdue University’s campus in West Lafayette, Ind. Learn more and register by visiting purdue.edu/vet/conference.
Purdue Veterinary Medicine welcomes the newest class of clinical residents (front row, left-right) Drs. Jenni Auvinen, Meera Ramesh, Karena Tang, and Theodore Chang; (middle row, left-right) Drs. Sara Ostenkamp, Jennifer Peterson, and Janet Roque-Torres; (top row, left-right) Drs. Ahmed Khairoun, Bushra Zaidi, Ana Carolina Fonseca Pinto, and Luis Lembcke.
The Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine welcomes eleven veterinarians seeking advanced specialty training in the Departments of Veterinary Clinical Sciences and Comparative Pathobiology. The incoming residents began orientation on Monday, July 15. The three-year residency program provides advanced training in a chosen specialty and fulfills the requirements for earning certification as specialists, while also offering research and teaching opportunities. After earning their DVM degree (or equivalent) veterinarians must complete an internship or comparable private practice experience before applying to the program.
The new residents join ten different specialty sections in the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, while also completing graduate studies through the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences or Department of Comparative Pathobiology. Joining the Veterinary Clinical Sciences’ residents in the orientation program is Department of Comparative Pathobiology resident Karena Tang, who will work in the Clinical Pathology Laboratory with Dr. Craig Thompson seeking advanced training in clinical pathology.
Please help welcome the following veterinarians to the
Purdue Veterinary Medicine family:
Dr. Jenni Auvinen |
Large Animal Internal Medicine
Dr. Auvinen comes to Purdue from Moore Equine in Canada
where she recently completed a rotating equine internship after finishing an
internship at the University of Calgary in 2018. Dr. Auvinen earned her BVMedSci (Hons) degree
in 2015 and BVM BVS (Hons) degree in 2017, respectively, from the University of
Nottingham in the United Kingdom.
Dr. Theodore Chang |
Radiation Oncology
Dr. Chang earned his DVM degree in 2017 from Michigan State
University. He went on to complete a small animal rotating internship at the
VCA Veterinary Referral and Emergency Center of Westbury in New York in 2018
before gaining additional training through an oncology specialty internship at
Michigan State University.
Dr. Ahmed Khairoun |
Large Animal Surgery
Dr. Khairoun is a familiar face around Lynn Hall, as he
completed a large animal surgery internship in the Veterinary Teaching Hospital
earlier this summer. He earned his DVM degree in 2013 from the Agronomic and
Veterinary Institute Hassan II followed by an internship in equine medicine and
surgery at the American Fondouk, both in Morocco. Dr. Khairoun then completed
an additional equine medicine and surgery internship at the National Veterinary
School of Lyon in France in 2015 and an equine surgery internship at the Milton
Equine Hospital in Canada in 2016. He
came to Purdue in 2018 after working in Morocco as a senior veterinarian at the
American Fondouk.
Dr. Luis Lembcke |
Oncology
Dr. Lembcke earned his MV degree (Medico Veterinario) in
2009 from the Scientific University of the South in Peru and a PhD from the
University of Tennessee in 2014. He then
served as an instructor and clinical and research associate at Lincoln Memorial
University and staff veterinarian at The Animal Emergency and Specialty Center
in Tennessee before coming to Purdue.
Dr. Sara Ostenkamp |
Cardiology
Dr. Ostenkamp completed a cardiology internship in the Purdue University Veterinary Teaching Hospital earlier this summer. Before coming to Purdue, she also completed a rotating internship at Colorado State University in 2018. Dr. Ostenkamp earned her DVM degree in 2017 at North Carolina State University.
Dr. Jennifer Peterson
| Small Animal Surgery
Dr. Peterson recently completed a small animal rotating
internship at the University of Missouri. She earned her DVM degree from St.
George’s University in 2018.
Dr. Ana Carolina
Fonseca Pinto | Diagnostic Imaging
Dr. Pinto earned her DVM degree in 1995 from the University
of São
Paulo in Brazil. She then worked in
private practice as a veterinary radiologist before returning to the University
of São
Paulo where she earned a Master of Science degree in 1999 and worked as an
assistant professor while also earning a PhD degree and was then promoted to
PhD professor and later associate professor. Dr. Pinto completed post-doctoral
studies at the University of Tennessee and Purdue University.
Dr. Meera Ramesh |
Emergency and Critical Care
Dr. Ramesh earned her BVSc degree from Madras University in
India in 2015. She then completed a PAVE evaluated clinical experience in 2018
at the University of Missouri. Dr.
Ramesh joins PVM from Arizona where she recently completed a small animal
rotating internship at the Arizona Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Center.
Dr. Janet
Roque-Torres | Small Animal Internal Medicine
Dr. Roque-Torres returns to Purdue where she earned her DVM
degree in 2018. She most recently
completed a small animal rotating internship at the University of Tennessee.
Dr. Karena Tang |
Clinical Pathology
Dr. Tang earned her DVM degree from Western University of Health Sciences in 2019.
Dr. Bushra Zaidi |
Oncology
Dr. Zaidi earned a Master of Arts degree in 2009 from
Columbia University and a DVM degree from Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary
Medicine in 2015. She then completed a
rotating internship at The Animal Medical Center in New York and worked as an
emergency veterinarian in specialty hospitals before completing an oncology
internship at the Animal Cancer Care Clinic in Florida.
Gearing up for the Purdue University United Way Campaign, Purdue Veterinary Medicine United Way committee members Andrea Waibel, Julie Lewellen, Jessica Mabbitt, Brittany Vale, and Tempess Williams are organizing a cornhole tournament for September 6, 2019. Two sets of cornhole game boards will be set-up outside the east entrance to Lynn Hall, where teams will compete in a single-elimination tournament for only $5.00 per team with all proceeds benefitting the United Way of Greater Lafayette. Teams can click here to register online.
This event will help kick-off PVM’s participation in the
Purdue University campaign for the United Way of Greater Lafayette. On the date
of the tournament, food will be available for purchase and spectators are
encouraged to join in the fun. Other fundraising events also are being
organized.
Every employee at PVM will be receiving an email about the United Way campaign. One of the College’s goals for this year’s campaign is to have everyone complete their pledge form – even if they do not wish to contribute through the campaign.
Any questions regarding this year’s campaign should be
directed to PVM United Way Committee Chair Andrea Waibel (waibela@purdue.edu).
Dr. Alix Dieterly, a PhD candidate in the Department of Comparative Pathobiology, received three awards at the recent 38th Annual Society of Toxicologic Pathology Symposium.
A graduate student in Purdue Veterinary Medicine’s
Department of Comparative Pathobiology, Dr. Alix Dieterly, received three awards
at the 38th Annual Society of Toxicologic Pathology (STP) Symposium,
which was held last month in Raleigh, N.C. Dr. Dieterly is a PhD candidate as
well as a veterinarian and board-certified anatomic pathologist. She received the awards for research she is doing
under the mentorship of Dr. Tiffany Lyle, assistant professor of veterinary
anatomic pathology. Dr. Lyle is the principal investigator of the
research, which is being conducted in her Blood-Brain Barrier Laboratory.
The research involves assessing changes in the restrictive blood vessels in the brain, or blood-brain barrier in lung cancer brain metastases. There are currently no effective treatments for patients whose lung cancer metastasizes to the brain. Drs. Lyle and Dieterly hope to identify a therapeutic option by utilizing changes in the blood-brain barrier. Dr. Dieterly has a year left in her PhD program. In the first two years of her dissertation research, her work has involved a time course evaluation of one of three different types of lung cancer as well as characterizing metastatic lesions in the vertebral bodies and parenchymal organs.
Dr. Dieterly works on research under the leadership of Dr. Tiffany Lyle, assistant professor of veterinary anatomic pathology, to identify the changes in the brain vasculature in lung cancer brain metastases.
Among the awards Dr. Dieterly received is the STP Student
Travel Award, which is presented to graduate students based on several
criteria, including their experimental design and the impact of their research. She also received the International Academy
of Toxicologic Pathology/STP Toxicologic Pathology Trainee Award, which is presented
to a graduate student studying toxicologic pathology whose research accomplishments
include contributing to public safety, establishing testing methods and
standards, and developing new techniques.
Additionally, Dr. Dieterly received the 2nd Place Young
Investigator Award for her poster presentation.
The STP Student Travel Award consisted of a $1,000 stipend
to go toward travel and lodging costs for the STP Annual Convention, as well as
complimentary registration and STP student membership for the following year. The Trainee Award also included a $1,000 stipend
and the Young Investigator Award came with a $500 prize.
Dr. Dieterly said attending the STP Symposium and receiving the awards can open many doors for the future and gives her important visibility in the toxicologic pathology community. She said it has been rewarding to be able to do the research and receive such recognition. She also praised the STP for being very supportive toward students.
Dr. Dieterly earned her BVMS degree (DVM equivalent) in 2017 at the University of Glasgow, Scotland and is board certified by the American College of Veterinary Pathologists (ACVP) in anatomic pathology. As an anatomic pathologist, she works with animal models in the pre-clinical stages of research to mirror what goes on in the human body. She hopes that eventually they will be able to transition the research to an in vitro model. After completing her PhD program, Dr. Dieterly plans to conduct research in an industrial setting. She wants to continue working on cancer studies with a focus on drug development and toxicities to find therapies that might otherwise go unknown.
Congratulations to Brittany Laflen, RVT, small animal surgery/neurology technician in the Purdue University Veterinary Teaching Hospital for passing the Veterinary Technician Specialist (VTS) neurology exam. With her success, Brittany becomes the newest addition to the College of Veterinary Medicine’s team of certified veterinary technician specialists, which now numbers 16!
Brittany’s achievement also raises the number of Veterinary Technician Specialty areas represented in the Veterinary Teaching Hospital to 10, and she is the College’s only VTS in neurology. Brittany’s accomplishment is no small feat. She is now one of only 25 neurology Veterinary Technician Specialists in the world. Having such a large number of Veterinary Technician Specialists in the hospital contributes to its standing as a front runner in animal health care.
The certification highlights the level of skill and effort
required to achieve the VTS designation. The entire process of applying, getting
approved, studying, and sitting for the VTS exam takes just under two years.
Brittany has worked since 2017 to earn this credential, which shows that she is
an expert in her field. Congratulations
Brittany!
Dr. Sandra San Miguel, PVM associate dean for engagement, received a national Jefferson Award for Outstanding Public Service by an Employee on June 18 in Washington, D.C. at the national award ceremony for Multiplying Good, the nation’s leading nonprofit focused on fueling personal growth and leadership through public service. (Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images for Multiplying Good)
What started as a
dream of becoming a veterinarian led Dr. Sandra San Miguel to pursue a passion
for broadening diversity in the veterinary medical profession. And now she’s
being nationally recognized for her work.
“When I was a kid and messed up, there was always someone — a teacher, guidance counselor, coach, physical therapist — who showed me how to be a better human being instead of giving up on me,” Dr. San Miguel said. “We created This is How We ‘Role’ to serve as a way to continue this type of mentoring.”
The program was
developed in conjunction with a longstanding relationship between the College
and the Hanna Community Center in Lafayette, Ind. “We started out by helping Hanna kids with
their homework,” Dr. San Miguel said. “Then
we started giving some veterinary lessons. The kids would get excited about the
lessons and not want to go home. We didn’t want to go home either because it
was so much fun. The idea was to show the kids that they could be anything they
wanted.”
This is How We
“Role” was launched in 2015 with support from the Science Education
Partnership Award program of the National Institute of General Medical
Sciences, a part of the National Institutes of Health. The funding allowed the
Purdue team to develop a science and math curriculum for kids that would be
delivered by veterinary student role models.
The long-term
goal of This is How We “Role” is to diversify the
veterinarian-scientist workforce. The program has reached hundreds of children
and will continue to reach more. Already, This is How We “Role” has
expanded across the country as 19 other U.S. veterinary schools and colleges
have adopted the program with the support of the SEPA grant.
The program’s
effects continue to motivate Dr. San Miguel.
“I see the impact on the kids when they solve problems and talk about
things that they learned during vet lessons, months after the lessons
happened,” Dr. San Miguel said. “I see the impact on our veterinary
students when they are able to explain complex health concepts in ways the kids
can understand. Also, I see our impact in all the smiles.”
Multiplying Good, formerly known as the Jefferson Awards Foundation, is a national nonprofit dedicated to powering and celebrating public service. Purdue participates in Multiplying Good’s Champions program, joining various businesses and educational institutions nationwide who partner with the organization to engage in meaningful public service and celebrate their communities with Jefferson Awards.
Molly Cripe Birt, RVT, VTS-EVN (left) and Dr. Sandy Taylor head out from the start of Race Across the West in Oceanside, Calif. (Photo courtesy of Race Across America)
For Dr. Sandy Taylor, associate professor of large animal internal medicine in the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, and Molly Cripe Birt, RVT, VTS-EVN, large animal surgery technician in the Purdue Veterinary Hospital, the summer of 2019 provided a unique chance to bike through spectacular countryside in the Race Across the West, all for a good cause. The 930-mile ultra-cycling event started in Oceanside on the California coast and ended at Durango in southwestern Colorado. Dr. Taylor and Molly formed a team they chose to call Team Workhorses to fulfill their dream of racing their bikes through the southwest to raise money for an organization that helps working equids worldwide.
Held as part of the renowned Race Across America, the Race Across the West is known for covering a wide array of landscapes for which riders must be prepared, including the beaches of California, the high altitude Sierra Nevada mountains, the arid Sonoran and Mojave deserts, and the scenic Monument Valley. Each team was allowed two days and twenty hours to finish the race. Team Workhorses finished with two hours and 16 minutes left on the clock!
Team Workhorses: (left-right) Laura Furey, Chris Dishinger, Nathan Birt, Molly Cripe Birt, RVT, VTS-EVN, Jordan Keehn, Emily Hess, Dr. Sandy Taylor, Chris Taylor, Dr. Tim Lescun, and Dr. Betsy Charles at the race venue.
An eight-person crew supported Dr. Taylor and Molly, providing logistical and emotional support by following behind them in a van and offering encouragement, snacks, breaks, safety, and water. The crew consisted of friends and family, including crew chief Dr. Tim Lescun, associate professor of large animal surgery, as well as Purdue veterinary student Emily Hess, of the DVM Class of 2022, and Jordan Keehn, a Class of 2019 Veterinary Nursing student.
Team Workhorses used the race to raise money and awareness in support of the Equitarian Initiative, which is a non-profit corporation established by equine veterinarians to sustainably improve the health of working mules, donkeys, and horses in developing countries, such as Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, and Costa Rica. Both Dr. Taylor and Molly are passionate about the Equitarian Initiative, given their professional knowledge of working equids and their personal and professional ties to Dr. Stacy Tinkler, PVM clinical associate professor of large animal internal medicine, who is a founding board member and volunteer for the organization.
The Equitarian Initiative conducts seasonal trips to areas of need, where volunteer veterinarians and students set up clinics to treat patients and educate owners on animal health. Equids in these areas are essential to trade, commerce, transportation, and agriculture, and are heavily relied upon by families who are often unable to provide medical care for their equid partners due to limited resources and accessibility. The Equitarian Initiative works with these communities to ensure the health and wellness of these hard-working animals and their families.
Dr. Taylor and Molly knew the race would be demanding, both physically and mentally, so they prepared accordingly by strength training in the winter when they could not bike outside, and then riding 50-400 miles a week outdoors, as often as they could, from March onward. They also studied the planned route and were aware that it would be difficult to train in Indiana for the 55,000 foot climb, but used the plentiful headwinds – known as the “Indiana Alps” – to their advantage.
Dr. Sandy Taylor crosses into Utah on the 930-mile ultra-cycling event.
Dr. Sandy Taylor’s shadow against the beautiful landscape in Monument Valley, Utah.
Molly Cripe Birt, RVT, VTS-EVN rides through Mexican Hat, Utah during the relay style race.
Dr. Taylor and Molly are avid cyclists and members of the
local Wabash River Cycle Club. They initially planned to attempt the Race
Across the West in 2018, but Molly was sidelined that spring after being struck
by a vehicle while riding her bike in Kentucky. Following a long recovery, and despite
many obstacles, Molly and Dr. Taylor persevered, and were first in their class
when they crossed the finish line in this year’s Race Across the West.
When asked to describe her favorite part of the experience, Dr.
Taylor said, “Definitely riding down into Monument Valley, Utah. It was sunny,
there was a tailwind, and it was all downhill. It was just pure exhilaration
and a reminder of why I love to ride my bike.”
Molly Cripe Birt, RVT, VTS-EVN (left) and Dr. Sandy Taylor back at Purdue two weeks following the race.
As they finished the race in Durango, Molly remembers when
they came upon some wild horses on the side of the road at night. The sight was
especially meaningful for them and was a poetic reminder of their careers
dedicated to equine health and their support of the Equitarian Initiative. The
finish was “perfect,” recalled Molly, because they were with friends and loved
ones at sunrise, capping off “a truly gratifying experience.”
If you would like to learn more about their experiences, Dr. Taylor, Molly, and Dr. Tinkler will give an evening presentation and debut a 30-minute feature film on the Equitarian Initiative, on Thursday, July 25, in Lynn Hall, Room 1136 at 6:00 p.m. Dinner will be provided.
Three final-year veterinary students from South America have been visiting Lynn Hall this summer as part of two new partnerships formed between the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine and Universidad de Antioquia, located in Colombia, and Universidad Austral de Chile, which is a Chilean research university.
Maria Agudelo, a fifth-year veterinary student at Colombia’s Universidad de Antioquia, studied in PVM’s Clinical Pathology Laboratory this summer.
In South America, the process for securing a DVM degree
involves five years of post-high school education, as opposed to the eight
years that are customary in the United States. As part of their education, the
students choose three concentrations to study during their first four years of
veterinary school, then they choose one of the three to focus on and specialize
in during their final year.
Maria Agudelo is a fifth-year veterinary student at Universidad de Antioquia and chose a concentration in clinical pathology for her final year, which she will finish in the next month. Over the course of a ten-week visit to Purdue, she worked closely with the College’s Clinical Pathology Laboratory. She said that she learned a lot from Dr. Craig Thompson, clinical associate professor of veterinary clinical pathology, who served as her mentor. “I thoroughly enjoyed my time here,” Maria said.
Dr. Gabriela Mandiola (left) and Dr. Constanza Salinas are visiting Purdue Veterinary Medicine from Universidad Austral de Chile.
Drs. Gabriela Mandiola and Constanza Salinas are veterinary graduates from Universidad Austral de Chile. They both chose an equine focus and are working in the Purdue Veterinary Hospital’s Large Animal Hospital. One of their professors back home, Dr. Benjamin Uberti, completed his residency at Purdue Veterinary Medicine and studied under Dr. Janice Kritchevsky, professor of large animal internal medicine. Dr. Kritchevsky now is mentoring Dr. Salinas, who is completing her master’s degree and doing research here. Dr. Mandiola graduated from veterinary school in May of this year and is visiting Purdue this summer to complete an externship, which includes working with patients in the clinic, performing procedures, and being involved in community practice.
Purdue veterinary students have visited both of these South American universities in the past for internships and externships, but this is the first time PVM has hosted students visiting from these institutions. “We hope that this is the beginning of two strong partnerships,” said Will Smith, II, PVM director of global engagement. Maria already has returned to her university in Colombia, but Drs. Mandiola and Salinas will be here until late August, so please give them a warm PVM greeting when you see them around Lynn Hall!
