Celebrating the Career of a Vet Tech Veteran

Friday, November 20, 2020

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Pat Navarre Retires After More Than Four Decades of Service to Purdue
Pat holds up the framed caricature. He's wearing celebratory retirement pins on his vest.
On the occasion of his retirement, after 44 years of service to the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine, Pat Navarre, RVT, chief large animal technologist, was presented with a caricature hand drawn by longtime colleague, Dr. Tomohito Inoue.

Faculty and staff in the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine bid adieu to a very familiar figure in the Veterinary Hospital’s Large Animal Hospital during a virtual retirement reception honoring longtime Chief Large Animal Technologist Pat Navarre, RVT.  The Zoom reception celebrating Pat’s retirement and enduring legacy was held on his last day on the job, Friday, November 13, 44 years after he started his Purdue Veterinary Medicine career.

A close-up of the caricature of Pat created by Dr. Tomohito Inoue

For Pat, the occasion provided opportunity for reflection on an era during which he says he “… had a blast!”  Looking back, Pat recalled how his interest in being a veterinary educator developed during his time as a veterinary technician student at Michigan State University and while he worked at a private practice near Chicago. When word got around that the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine was starting a new Veterinary Technology Program, Pat jumped at the chance to become involved and, thankfully, the college was in need of staff for the Large Animal Hospital. “I was fortunate enough to land this job and am happy to have never left it,” Pat said. 

Pat described his position as a dual responsibility. First of all, he served as a veterinary technician in the Large Animal Hospital with a focus on surgery.  Secondly, he worked as an instructor in the Veterinary Nursing Program (formerly Veterinary Technology). “What I liked best about this position is that it met my career goal of being an educator. It allowed me to watch students enter the field with no veterinary nursing skills and mentor them throughout the process of graduating and becoming competent veterinary technicians,” Pat explained.

Pat started at the college in October of 1976. Three months later, he was given responsibility in the Large Animal Junior Surgery class by then Professor of Large Animal Surgery Jack Fessler – a responsibility he continued to shoulder for many years. This role provided Pat with his first experience in mentoring students – an opportunity that eventually blossomed into interacting with students from their first year in the college all the way to their senior year and sometimes even on to graduate study.

Pat also said he appreciates how, throughout his career, the college has been incredibly supportive of his professional development in and outside of his role at the university. Particularly special to Pat is the experience he had serving as the executive director of the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America (NAVTA) for 20 years.

Pat Navarre helps a student with a syringe for a bovine patient
A student receives instruction from longtime senior technologist in the Purdue University Large Animal Hospital Pat Navarre. (Pre-pandemic file photo)

When it comes to adventures throughout his career, an experience that stands out in Pat’s memory involved a time when he assisted a veterinary dentist who was going to perform a root canal on a lion from the Columbian Park Zoo in Lafayette. The lion’s name was Linus and his anesthesia was slowly wearing off by the time the team from the zoo arrived with him at the Large Animal Hospital. Pat described the procedure that followed as a “…scary, but thrilling experience.”

For this the last semester of his Purdue career, Pat is thankful that the college was able to resume in-person instruction in August. Precautions implemented to protect students, faculty, and staff (like mask wearing), actually are not all that unusual, Pat notes, explaining that students always have had to wear masks for surgery sessions.

When asked what he will miss about Purdue, Pat replied that mostly it’s the interactions he has shared with students and watching their skill set, knowledge, and confidence grow. He explained that an assignment given to veterinary nursing students is conducting an interview with a veterinary technician in the hospital.  Pat says one of the questions the students always asked him was, “Looking back at your career is there anything you would change?” Pat explains he was happy to respond to that question by saying, “No, I wouldn’t change any part of where I’ve been, what I’ve done, or what I’ve accomplished.”

Pat’s PVM colleagues who participated in the Zoom reception commended Pat for his positive influence on students and staff, and his national leadership role in the veterinary medical profession through his longstanding involvement in NAVTA.  Dr. Laurent Couëtil, professor of large animal internal medicine, remembered Pat’s calm demeanor and the way he interacted with students. “Your patience and dedication made a huge difference,” Dr. Couëtil said.

Pat observes a student handling a specimen in the hospital
Pat Navarre, RVT instructs an international student from Japan in the Large Animal Hospital. Pat took an active role in the college’s Global Engagement Programs and was deeply appreciated by the international students he mentored. (Pre-pandemic file photo)

PVM’s director of global engagement, Will Smith, noted Pat’s support for international students who visited the college. “You’re their favorite,” Will said, adding, “You really welcomed them and showed them what it means to be a Boilermaker.”

Dean Willie Reed and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Kathy Salisbury also praised Pat for his many contributions to the college.  “You have been a wonderful teacher over all these decades, and touched the lives of so many students to help them grow as professionals,” Dr. Salisbury said. “Thank you for your dedication, persistence, and your caring.”

Among the recognition items Pat received on the occasion of his retirement is a hand-drawn caricature by his colleague, Dr. Tomohito Inoue, a continuing lecturer in anesthesiology.  The art was framed with a mat autographed by co-workers. Along with assurances that he will be greatly missed, Pat received hearty congratulations and best wishes for a happy retirement during the Zoom reception, as staff and faculty bid a fond farewell to this legendary veterinary technologist, mentor, educator, and friend.


Writer(s): Jonathan Martz, PVM Communications Intern, and Kevin Doerr | pvmnews@purdue.edu


Three PVM Faculty among New Showalter Trust Recipients

Friday, November 20, 2020

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More than a dozen mid- and early-career Purdue University faculty members, including three in the College of Veterinary Medicine, have been chosen to receive funding from the Ralph W. and Grace M. Showalter Research Trust Fund. Dr. Maggie O’Haire, Dr. Andrea Santos, and Dr. Uma Aryal, all in the Department of Comparative Pathobiology, are among a total of 15 faculty members selected as Showalter Trust recipients.

Dr. O’Haire, associate professor of human-animal interaction and a member of the Center for the Human-Animal Bond, was named a Showalter University Faculty Scholar, along with three other Purdue faculty members in the Departments of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Biological Sciences, and Physics and Astronomy.  They join nine additional Showalter Scholars appointed in prior years at Purdue.

Dr. O’Haire studies the unique and pervasive ways that humans interact with animals. From research with household pets to highly trained service animals, her findings have been instrumental in evaluating the effects of human-animal interactions. Her research topics have included classroom-based, animal-assisted intervention for children with autism spectrum disorder and the effects of service dogs for veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder and their families.

Faculty members were nominated in partnership with the provost’s University Faculty Scholars program and approved by an external selection committee of distinguished scientists representing the Showalter Research Trust. Funding from the trust in the amount of $5,000 annually complements equivalent funding from the Office of the Provost.

Additionally, eleven early-career faculty members, including Drs. Santos and Aryal, will receive one-year Showalter Trust grants.

  • Dr. Andrea Santos, assistant professor of veterinary clinical pathology, received a grant for a study entitled, “Architecture, Function and Gene Regulation of Human Granulomas of Autopsied Patients Co-Infected with Tuberculosis and HIV-1.”
  • Dr. Uma Aryal, research assistant professor in the Department of Comparative Pathobiology, received a grant for a study entitled, “Proteomic Analysis of Endogenous Protein Complexes and Phosphorylation in the Liver of Diet-Induced Obese Mice.”

The eleven early-career faculty members were chosen by the external Showalter selection committee after review by an internal Purdue committee. Priority was given to proposals that have a high potential to yield federal grants and that are likely to turn into long-term research programs that outlive the one-year funding period. Each researcher will receive $75,000 in funding.

The Ralph W. and Grace M. Showalter Trust program was established in 1975 to support research in the priority areas of environmental science; biochemistry and molecular biology; disease prevention, diagnosis, progression, treatment, and control; new technologies for food production, preservation, distribution, and safety; and medical and biophysical instrumentation. In addition to University Faculty Scholars for mid-career professionals and one-year funding for early-career professionals, the trust also supports two Showalter Distinguished Professors at Purdue.

Click here for more information about the Showalter Trust.  Click here to view a complete news release listing all of the newly named Showalter Trust recipients.


Writer(s): Purdue News Service, Jonathan Martz, PVM Communications Intern, and Kevin Doerr | pvmnews@purdue.edu


New Director Joins Engagement Team to “Shepherd” PVM Lifelong Learning

Friday, November 20, 2020

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The College of Veterinary Medicine is proud to welcome Ben Shepard, MS as the new director of lifelong learning.  Though his last name is spelled slightly different, Ben is excited to have the opportunity to “shepherd” the college’s continuing education programs.  He started in the position November 9, after working for the past 15 years at multiple universities in various student affairs positions focused on residential life and university housing, as well as student leadership and other opportunities for students who live in residence halls.

Ben grew up on a farm in central Illinois and then attended Bradley University in Peoria where he earned his bachelor’s degree in elementary and special education and worked as a residence hall director.  He then entered graduate school at Saint Louis University, earning his master’s in higher education administration in 2008 and accepting a position there as a residence hall coordinator. Three years later he left for Virginia to work at the College of William and Mary as an area director providing campus-wide programming, and then accepted a position as assistant director of residence education at Morehead State University in Kentucky.

Ben began his Purdue career in 2015 as assistant director of residential life, helping to educate residential students and making Purdue feel like a home for them. Ben recalls, “My father-in-law, a Purdue graduate, was more excited than I was when I accepted my new job at Purdue. He knew what being a Boilermaker was all about.”

When asked about what inspired him to pursue his new position of director of lifelong learning in the College of Veterinary Medicine, Ben said he was attracted by the opportunity to still perform many tasks similar to those he did in his former positions like event planning and offering educational opportunities, but with the added bonus of new challenges and much more interaction with faculty.  He adds that one of his favorite aspects of his new position is working for a department that values excellence and the education of the whole person. 

By virtue of joining the PVM staff this fall, Ben acknowledges that Covid-19 has made his new job a little more challenging in that it is not always as easy to meet up with his coworkers. But he also feels there’s a bright side.  “One positive to the university’s new regulations is that many staff members in the College of Veterinary Medicine have become much more experienced with technology and have acquired new skills in things like teaching remotely and working with videos,” Ben commented while working on a video recapturing the recent virtual Purdue Veterinary Conference. Ben also enjoys the creative element of his job and the opportunity to become more skilled in software such as Adobe Premiere and Photoshop.

Ben lives in West Lafayette with his wife, Erin, and their three children, Brady, Bethany, and Lucy.  He also shares his home with a Maine Coon cat named Cammi, two Mongolian Gerbils named Gus Gus and Basil and numerous fish.  In his spare time he enjoys exploring state parks and land trusts and playing board games with family and friends.

Ben can be reached at shepardb@purdue.edu or extension 42391.  Please feel free to reach out to Ben and extend a warm PVM welcome!


Writer(s): Jonathan Martz, PVM Communications Intern, and Kevin Doerr | pvmnews@purdue.edu


In Memory: Dr. James Matchette (PU DVM ’67)

Friday, November 20, 2020

Dean Reed shakes Dr. Matchette's hand in congratulations
Dr. Jim Matchette is congratulated by Purdue Veterinary Medicine Dean Willie Reed on the occasion of the Class of 1967’s 50th Anniversary.

A decorated alumnus of the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. James Matchette, Col. (USAF Reserves), passed away November 8.  He was 84.

Dr. Matchette grew up near Swayzee, Ind., and after high school attended Purdue University, where he graduated with honors from the College of Agriculture in 1957, and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the US Air Force. In November of that year, he began a 31-year Air Force career as a fighter pilot, amphibious pilot, and helicopter pilot.

After nearly six years in the Air Force, Dr. Matchette transitioned to the Indiana Air National Guard in Terre Haute, Ind., before enrolling in the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine.  He earned his DVM degree in 1967, graduating with honors and then moving to Arizona to begin private practice.

Upon arriving in Phoenix, Dr. Matchette joined the Air Force Reserves as a member of the 302nd Air Rescue Squadron.  He assumed command of the 302nd Special Operations Squadron at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz., and continued commanding the unit until January 1984 when he was promoted to Colonel in the Air Force Reserves.  Colonel Matchette served as the Air Force State Preparedness Liaison Officer at the Arizona State National Guard Headquarters until he retired April 1, 1988, and received the Legion of Merit, Air Force Commendation Medal, and the Arizona Commendation Medal.

Dr. Matchette retired from private practice in 2002, ending a long and successful career with his veterinary practice partner, Bill Welty. He spent time with family and friends at his family’s cabin in Munds Park, Ariz., and enjoyed hunting, fishing, skiing, and traveling.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Arizona Desert Bighorn Sheep Society, Waterhole Projects, PO Box 21705, Mesa, AZ 85277 (or online at adbss.org, in memory of Jim Matchette); the Deer Valley Lions Club, Attn: Darrell Sawyer, 5801 N 38th Place, Paradise Valley, AZ 85283; or Salvation Army Citadel Corps, 628 N 3rd Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85003. Click here to view a complete obituary and for additional information.


Writer(s): Kevin Doerr | pvmnews@purdue.edu

Category: Alumni, Our People

COVID-19 is Not the First of its Kind

Friday, November 13, 2020

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Coppoc One Health Lecture Features Insights from a Coronavirus Expert

The relevance of this year’s topic for the Coppoc One Health Lecture was never in question.  The annual Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine event, held virtually this year, featured a presentation entitled, “Immune Responses in, and Animal Models for, Covid-19.”

The lecture, co-sponsored by the Purdue Veterinary Medicine Offices of Research and Lifelong Learning, took place Thursday, November 5, at 3:30 p.m. using the Zoom platform.

Stanley Perlman portrait

The college was honored to host Dr. Stanley Perlman, a professor of microbiology and immunology, as well as professor of pediatrics, from the University of Iowa. Dr. Perlman’s current research projects include work on coronavirus pathogens including virus-induced demyelination and the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), and COVID-19.

Dr. Perlman began the lecture by describing how coronaviruses come in many forms and affect many different species from mammals to avians. He explained that there are seven known coronaviruses that affect humans: MERS-CoV, OC43, 229E, NL63, HKU-1, SARS-CoV, and now SARS-CoV-2. The current COVID-19 pandemic as we know it is caused by SARS-CoV-2. As of November 4, 2020, there were an estimated 47.7 million worldwide cases with 1.22 million deaths. In the United States, there have been 9.52 million cases with 223,000 deaths.

Dr. Perlman discussed how coronaviruses are single stranded RNA viruses that can be up to 31 kb in size and come from the family of coronaviridae, which is a subset of the order of Nidovirales. The most frequently diagnosed coronaviruses in years past are the Human Common Cold Coronavirus (HCoVs), which include OC43, 229E, NL63, HKU-1. Most of these are upper respiratory infections, with lower respiratory infections occurring in older patients. No licensed vaccine has been created for these infections.

Another coronavirus emerged as the cause of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which was identified in late 2002 in Guangdong Province, China. Dr. Perlman said this virus was present in the bat population in China before spreading to other species in exotic animal wet markets, including humans, and ultimately was transmitted to other parts of the world when a physician from Guangzhou traveled to Hong Kong to participate in a wedding ceremony.

The first case of Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome was documented in April 2012.  This disease is largely limited to Saudi Arabia.

Dr. Perlman also noted that coronavirus vaccines tested in animals have shown imperfect protection. In the case of feline coronavirus, the cause of feline infectious peritonitis, antibodies actually enhanced virus infection.

Dr. Perlman went on to explain that studies have shown that hamsters, cats, ferrets, and macaques all can be infected and develop a relatively mild form of Covid-19. Mice on the other hand are resistant to SARS-CoV-2, but they can be made susceptible through genetic engineering or by adapting the virus to mice.

Established in 2014 to provide an annual campus-wide lectureship that focuses on the symbiotic relationship between veterinary and human medicine and its world-wide impact, the Coppoc One Health Lecture is held in honor of Dr. Gordon Coppoc, a Purdue professor emeritus of veterinary pharmacology, and his wife, Harriet. Dr. Coppoc was a longtime faculty member and former head of the Department of Basic Medical Sciences in the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine. He also served as director of the Indiana University School of Medicine – West Lafayette and associate dean of the Indiana University School of Medicine before retiring in 2014.


Writer(s): Jonathan Martz, PVM Communications Intern | pvmnews@purdue.edu


In Memory: Dr. Lewis J. Runnels, Professor Emeritus

Friday, November 13, 2020

Dr. Lewis Runnels pictured

The Purdue Veterinary Medicine family received sad news this week regarding Dr. Lewis J. Runnels, professor emeritus of comparative pathobiology, who passed away Sunday, November 8 at Westminster Village Health Care in West Lafayette, Ind.  He was 95. 

Dr. Runnels was a highly respected and influential swine specialist who served many years on the faculty of the College of Veterinary Medicine.  After earning his DVM degree at Kansas State University in 1946 at the age of 20, Dr. Runnels joined a private practice in Garrett, Ind.  He worked there for six years, and then opened a general veterinary practice with a fellow classmate as a partner in Danville, Ind., but soon after, in 1953, Dr. Runnels was called up to serve in the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps as a captain and the partnership was dissolved.  Following two years of military service, Dr. Runnels relocated to Darlington, Ind., where he joined a predominantly farm animal practice, and he and his wife, Nancy, raised their two sons, Bruce and Paul. 

In 1969, they moved again, this time arriving in West Lafayette where Dr. Runnels joined the faculty of the College of Veterinary Medicine as a visiting professor in what was then the Department of Large Animal Clinics.  He was promoted to associate professor of large animal medicine and surgery in 1970 and professor in 1975. In those roles, he influenced a cadre of veterinarians who have been leaders among swine veterinarians. His expertise in swine herd health was widely recognized as he was a frequent speaker at professional and producer meetings in the United States and Asia. 

A life member of the American Association of Swine Veterinarians (AASV), Dr. Runnels received the organization’s Howard Dunne Memorial Award in 1984. The annual award is for an AASV member who has made a significant contribution and rendered outstanding service to the AASV and the swine industry.  In accepting the award, Dr. Runnels said, “I must give great credit to this organization, of which I’m a charter member, and for the fact that it has grown and developed and provides so much information and help to this profession, and keeps the veterinary profession as a part of the swine industry.”

Dr. Runnels passionately advocated for the essential role of veterinary medicine in the health and success of the swine industry as he shared his vast expertise in swine herd health.  He was awarded the Producer Service Award by the Indiana Swine Specific Pathogen Free Association in 1975 and 1987.  In 1984, he joined the faculty of Purdue’s Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory as professor of diagnostic medicine and consulted statewide on diagnostic problems in farm animals.  Dr. Runnels remained on the College of Veterinary Medicine faculty until his retirement in 1990.

Actively involved in organized veterinary medicine, Dr. Runnels’ memberships included the American Veterinary Medical Association, the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, the Indiana Veterinary Medical Association, the Indiana Academy of Veterinary Medicine, and the Indiana State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners, for which he served a term as chairman in the 1960’s.  In 1992, he was recognized for his career of service to the veterinary profession and the swine industry with the establishment of the Lew Runnels Lecture, given annually as part of the Purdue Veterinary Conference each September.

Dr. Runnels also gave generously to support the college.  Together with his son, Paul, a 1978 Purdue DVM graduate, Dr. Runnels established the Runnels Family Scholarship Endowment in 2016 to support annual scholarships for Purdue DVM students who are third- and/or fourth-year students studying food animals.  He is also honored with an Endowment for Swine Production Medicine that bears his name, the income from which is used to provide funding for preliminary investigation of applied research projects in swine production medicine to enable faculty and graduate students to explore ideas or initiate investigations of current research issues before preparing formal research proposals.

In the local community, Dr. Runnels was a member of the Rotary Club of Lafayette and the Federated Church of West Lafayette where he served on the Board of Trustees and the Endowment Board. Outside of work and professional activities, Dr. Runnels was an avid canoeist whose favorite places to practice that art with friends and family were Sugar Creek in Indiana and the Boundary Waters in Minnesota.

In 2012, Dr. Runnels received a letter of appreciation from one of Paul’s childhood friends, who they knew during their years in Darlington.  Not surprisingly, Dr. Runnels took time to write a personal reply in which he acknowledged that he and Nancy loved their time in Darlington and had intended to spend the rest of their lives there.  He went on to explain that when he received the College of Veterinary Medicine’s offer to join the faculty, it was a difficult decision to leave, but he and Nancy agreed to do so and start a new chapter in their lives.  Looking back, Dr. Runnels wrote, “Eventually things began to come together and we found satisfaction in the move. One of the most satisfying [aspects] now is [when] former students, who have succeeded, see me and they thank me for teaching them and guiding them.”

Dr. Runnels is interred with his beloved wife, Nancy, at the Tippecanoe Memory Gardens.  In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Runnels Family Scholarship Endowment, or to the Federated Church of West Lafayette Foundation, 2400 Sycamore Lane, West Lafayette, IN, 47906. 

Click here to view a formal obituary and to leave a message or share a memory.


Writer(s): Kevin Doerr | pvmnews@purdue.edu

Category: Our People

Purdue Veterinary Nurses Among First to Obtain Specialty Certification in Diagnostic Imaging

Friday, November 13, 2020

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The addition of Diagnostic Imaging as a recognized Veterinary Technician Specialty created an opportunity that two veterinary nurses in the Purdue University Veterinary Hospital quickly opted to pursue.  Now Christy DeYoung, RVT, VTS-DI and Lydia Trott, RVT, VTS-DI are among the first in the veterinary medical profession to obtain the designation of Veterinary Technician Specialist in the field of veterinary diagnostic imaging (VTS-DI).

Christy DeYoung pictured
Christy DeYoung, RVT, VTS-DI

To achieve this recognition Christy and Lydia, who both serve as diagnostic imaging technicians in the hospital, had to complete a formal process of education, training, experience, and testing.  Requirements include a minimum of 40 continuing education (CE) hours related to veterinary diagnostic imaging and advanced imaging modalities, completion of a veterinary diagnostic imaging skills form, maintenance of case record logs, and preparation of six detailed case reports. 

Their success in completing those requirements enabled them to be in the first group of veterinary nurses to sit for the credentialing exam, which was administered October 21 in conjunction with the 2020 American College of Veterinary Radiology (ACVR) Virtual Meeting.  By passing the exam, Lydia and Christy joined 16 others who are the first veterinary nurses (veterinary technicians) to achieve the VTS-DI certification. 

“We are very proud and thrilled to have earned our VTS in diagnostic imaging! Obtaining a VTS-DI demonstrates our love for the field of diagnostic imaging, and overwhelming drive and desire to better ourselves in the field,” Christy and Lydia said. “We are excited to be a part of the first graduating class, and to work along with the founding members to help promote advancement opportunities for technologists/nurses and improve standards of excellence within diagnostic imaging.”

Christy and Lydia said the most challenging aspects of achieving the VTS-DI certification involved the amount of time required to complete the written application and to study for the exam, which amounted to hundreds of hours each of personal time.  In particular, they noted that, because it was the first time that the exam was offered, the study guide was limited.  “With such a large amount of knowledge to cover and in-depth physics to learn, it was a challenge to know how much of each modality to study.”  The exam covered a variety of topics as well as such advanced imaging modalities as CT, MRI, ultrasound, and nuclear medicine imaging.

Lydia Trott pictured
Lydia Trott, RVT, VTS-DI

Lydia and Christy said they are extremely thankful for the support they received from the PVM Diagnostic Imaging family over the last year, especially from their section chief, Dr. Carrie Fulkerson, and technician supervisor, Donna Tudor. “They each spent countless hours approving case logs, reviewing reports, and answering endless questions. We are also thankful to all the residents who answered countless questions throughout the entire process and to our fellow DxI technicians for being so understanding.”

“We pursued obtaining our VTS specialty to expand our knowledge and skills so we could provide the best possible care to all our veterinary patients, from small to large to exotic animals in all modalities,” Christy and Lydia said. “With an expanded knowledge and skills set, we can promote our discipline through continuing education lectures and articles for fellow veterinary technologists/nurses. To provide the best possible care to our patients, we feel we have a responsibility to stay current in our field and to constantly be learning newer imaging modalities and techniques that are ever rapidly changing as imaging technology becomes increasingly sophisticated.”

Small Animal Hospital Veterinary Nursing Manager Megan Brashear said the college can be proud that two of the first veterinary nurses to pass the VTS-DI exam are members of the Purdue University Veterinary Hospital team. She also emphasized, “This adds ANOTHER specialty academy to our list at Purdue.” With Lydia and Christy earning the VTS-DI certification, the college now has Veterinary Technician Specialists in eleven specialty fields.  The other Veterinary Technician Specialties represented in the hospital are:

  • Anesthesia and Analgesia
  • Cardiology
  • Clinical Pathology
  • Clinical Practice (Canine/Feline)
  • Emergency/Critical Care
  • Equine Veterinary Nursing
  • Internal Medicine
  • Neurology
  • Ophthalmology
  • Surgery

“This is an awesome accomplishment, both for Lydia and Christy as individuals, and also for us as a hospital and university,” Megan said.  Congratulations Christy and Lydia!


Writer(s): Kevin Doerr | pvmnews@purdue.edu


Dr. Deepti Pillai Named as a 2020-21 Scholarship of Engagement Fellow

Friday, November 6, 2020

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Purdue University’s Office of Engagement has announced the 2020-21 Scholarship of Engagement fellows – a list which includes Dr. Deepti Pillai, clinical assistant professor of diagnostic microbiology in the Department of Comparative Pathobiology.  Dr. Pillai is one of a total of 14 faculty members in either clinical or tenure tracks from Purdue’s West Lafayette, Northwest, and Fort Wayne campuses selected for the program.  Eight of the fellows are from the West Lafayette campus, two are at Purdue Northwest, and four are from Purdue Fort Wayne.

Dr. Pillai and the other 2020-2021 Scholarship of Engagement fellows will work with a panel of senior faculty mentors from across the Purdue system who have a history of successful scholarship of engagement.  The purpose of the program is to promote faculty development of scholarship of engagement throughout the Purdue system in support of the promotion and tenure process.

During their fellowship, participants will be responsible for identifying, planning and completing a project with societal benefit and scholarly output. They will work with the Office of Engagement’s team of mentors to develop appropriate goals and are required to attend a set of workshops to advance their understanding of engagement and service learning. 

Dr. Pillai is board certified by the American College of Veterinary Microbiologists (bacteriology).  She earned her BVSc and MVSc veterinary degrees at Nagpur Veterinary College in India before doing graduate work at Kansas State University where she earned her PhD in 2011.  Her areas of interest include antimicrobial resistance and identifying critical bacterial targets as vaccines candidates. 

More information about the Scholarship of Engagement fellows program and fellows is available on the Office of Engagement website.  Click here to view a news release that lists all of the newly named fellows


Writer(s): Christy McCarter, Purdue News Service, and Kevin Doerr | pvmnews@purdue.edu


Results Are in for the Cutest Canine Halloween Costumes!

Friday, November 6, 2020

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The votes were cast and the final count is in for Purdue Veterinary Medicine’s Halloween Canine Educators Costume Contest!  Students, faculty, and staff had the chance to cast virtual ballots for the spookiest, cutest, or most “terrifying” costumes that were worn by Canine Educators as the Canine Educator Care Team went on a walk in their Halloween best Friday, October 30, to spread a little spooky cheer around the Purdue University campus.

Members of the PVM family were able to view a slide show of all of the Canine Educators in costume and then vote for their favorite via an online survey.  The results revealed that the most popular costumed canines were: 

  • Emmy, in first place, for portraying an “Emmy” award winner
  • Lewis, in second place, in his role as a gentleman
  • Daisy in third place, for beautifully portraying a daisy!

Congratulations to the winning Canine Educators!  And thanks to the Canine Educator Care Team of Nicole Gillespie, David Sanders, and Erin Paul, all of the DVM Class of 2023, for organizing this creative way to brighten the day for Boilermakers across campus the day before Halloween, making many people smile as they saw so many dogs and handlers in costume.


Writer(s): Kevin Doerr | pvmnews@purdue.edu

Category: Our People, Students

In Memory: Farrier James Kenneth Keith, Jr.

Friday, November 6, 2020

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The Purdue Veterinary Medicine family is saddened to learn that farrier James Keith, Jr., of Wingate, Ind., who provided services to the College of Veterinary Medicine, passed away Friday, October 30, after a lengthy illness.  He was 74. 

A veteran who served in the United States Navy from 1965-1969, Keith began training for farrier service in 1972.  He developed a full-time farrier business and blacksmith service, which he maintained for 48 years.  Keith specialized in Hunters/Jumpers and Standardbred horses and did therapeutic shoeing at Purdue University and taught farrier science to Purdue students in animal husbandry. He also served as one of the farriers at the Pan Am games in Indianapolis in 1988.

Keith was a member and past president and vice president of the Indiana Farriers Association, and also served as a member of the Board of Directors of the American Farriers Association.  In addition, he was honored as a recipient of the Clyde Stringer Award and the Al Morgan Award from the Indiana Farriers Association.  

Active as a deacon, elder, and associate minister at New Liberty Christian Church in rural Veedersburg, Keith traveled to Romania and Hungary with the Christian Veterinary Mission for many years. He also belonged to Rocky Ridge Blacksmith Guild, New Richmond Masonic Lodge #604, and the Crawfordsville American Legion. 

Visitation will be held today, Friday, November 6, from 4:00 – 8:00 p.m., with a Masonic service at 8:00 p.m. at Family and Friends Funeral Home of Wingate. A funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, November 7 at New Hope Chapel in Wingate. Interment will follow at the Rose Hill Cemetery in Hillsboro, Ind. The family asks that attendees follow the recommendations of the Indiana State Board of Health regarding COVID-19.  Memorial contributions may be made to the New Liberty Church or a mission of the donor’s choice. Click here to view a complete obituary and to sign the guest book or leave a condolence.


Writer(s): Kevin Doerr | pvmnews@purdue.edu


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