Center for Animal Welfare Science’s Virtual Symposium to Address Lessons Learned from COVID-19

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The 2021 CAWS Virtual Symposium, set for May 19-20, will focus on understanding how the pandemic has influenced perceptions about the human-animal bond. The symposium is entitled “One Welfare: What has COVID-19 taught us about balancing human and animal interests?”  The two-day program will include sessions exploring the effects of the pandemic on animal welfare, human health and well-being.

“There have been relatively few animal behavior and welfare meetings lately because of COVID-19, especially ones that cover these topics,” said Dr. Candace Croney, director of the Center for Animal Welfare Science (CAWS) and a professor of animal behavior and well-being who holds a joint appointment in the College of Veterinary Medicine and the College of Agriculture at Purdue University. “The symposium is an excellent opportunity to bring together people with livestock interests and those with companion animal interests, as well as those focused on socio-ethical and economic considerations that warrant greater attention in discussions about animal welfare,” Dr. Croney said.

Keynote speakers are Heather Fowler, the director of producer and public health at the National Pork Board, and Jennifer Applebaum, a sociology PhD student at the University of Florida. “The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated many already-existing social inequalities, further disadvantaging marginalized populations,” Applebaum said. “These inequalities threaten the human-animal bond and carry very real consequences for the welfare of human and animal members of multispecies families.”

General admission for the symposium is $70, with special discounted rates available to students and CAWS members. Fees will support CAWS programming.

There will be a limited number of scholarships available, made possible through sponsorship by Cargill and others wishing to support the program. “To increase access to our discipline and create new opportunities to engage on animal welfare, we are happy to work with people to remove barriers to accessing animal welfare education programs to ensure they can attend,” Dr. Croney said.

Registration for the symposium is open. Visit the registration site to preview a schedule of speakers.  Among the presenters is Dr. Jayson Lusk, Distinguished Professor and head of the Department of Agricultural Economics at Purdue University.  “Animal agriculture industries have been hit hard by a battery of economic forces over the past year,” said Dr. Lusk, who will discuss the impacts of the pandemic on animal agriculture and future animal protein demand.

The symposium has been approved for eight hours of continuing education credits by the Registry of Approved Continuing Education (RACE) program’s certification process, provided by the American Association of Veterinary State Boards. Sixty-one jurisdictions and provinces accept RACE credits for veterinary medicine continuing education. Participants wanting to earn the event’s eight credits are encouraged to sign up for RACEtrack to expedite the process.

The Center for Animal Welfare Science is jointly supported by Purdue University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and College of Agriculture.

Click here for more information about the 2021 CAWS Virtual Symposium. Click here to register.

Writer(s): Chad Campbell, Agricultural Communications | pvmnews@purdue.edu

DVM and Veterinary Nursing Students Recognized for Completing Diversity and Inclusion Certificate Program

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A record number of Purdue Veterinary Medicine students completed the Certificate for Diversity and Inclusion in Veterinary Medicine this semester. We would like to recognize these students for the hard work they put into completing not only the learning modules, but also four activity assignments, as well as a volunteer community service assignment and capstone paper.

The students who completed the program this semester are:

• The entire class of graduating Veterinary Nursing students
• All of the Veterinary Nursing students from the Class of 2022
• The following students from the DVM Class of 2024:
  • Ashlee Bourquin
  • Tracy Harvey
  • Aaron Lorenz
  • Julia Crowe
  • Tyra Jenkins

Congratulations to all of these students! 

The certificate program is open to faculty, staff, students, and practicing veterinary professionals. The program is free to anyone at PVM. Please email hcvm@purdue.edu for assistance with registering for the program. For a program overview, visit the Human-Centered Veterinary Medicine website.

Though a recognition program was not possible this semester, three certificates were able to be presented in person.

Writer(s): Adrianne Fisch | pvmnews@purdue.edu

PVM Receives Bonus Funds for Successful Participation in Record Purdue Day of Giving

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Purdue University completed its 8^th annual Purdue Day of Giving on Wednesday (April 28) and experienced an outpouring of support like never before. The results of this thrilling fundraising event surpassed all previous years, with $52,489,367 received through 25,219 gifts in only 24 hours! What an amazing day for Boilermakers!

The College of Veterinary Medicine ended the day with $728,352 in generous donations provided through 254 gifts. Purdue granted the college an additional $3,402 in bonus funds for ranking 13^th on the donation leaderboard and for winning the “I Gave Challenge” – a sharing challenge related to a Purdue Day of Giving option that enabled donors to share about their gifts on social media as a way of encouraging others to give.

The incredible showing of support from our friends, faculty and staff, hospital clients, alumni, and students through the Purdue Day of Giving will have a huge impact! On average, more than 40 veterinary medicine programs benefit from the Purdue Day of Giving. This year, many gifts supported the League of VetaHumanz, to provide Super Power Packs to K-12 students; the David and Bonnie Brunner Purdue Veterinary Medical Hospital Complex, to assist with the purchase of equipment and other facility needs; and scholarships, to reduce the cost of a highly coveted Purdue Veterinary Medicine education. 

To view the full event summary, visit dayofgiving.purdue.edu. Thank you for the enduring involvement, encouragement, and generous support to keep the College of Veterinary Medicine moving forward and bettering the lives of animals and humans. We are Purdue Veterinary Medicine! Click here to view the Purdue Day of Giving Thank You video.

Writer(s): Amanda Dunkle | pvmnews@purdue.edu

Creatively Serving Indiana is a “Slam Dunk” for Purdue DVM Graduate

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Meet Dr. Philip Borst (PU DVM ’75), a Purdue Veterinary Medicine alumnus and long-time Indianapolis practitioner who also serves as co-chairman of the local organizing committee for the Big Ten Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournaments. His innovative career combination began while he was a student at Purdue where, in addition to his studies, he also served as a student manager of the Men’s Basketball Team.

“I’ve been very blessed in my life to have been able to do a lot of different things,” Dr. Borst said. His interest in veterinary medicine began when he was a child and became fascinated with the veterinary practice owned by his father, Dr. Larry Borst, who also was a state senator. With Purdue having the only veterinary school in the state of Indiana, Dr. Borst chose to enroll as a Boilermaker and earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture in 1971 and his DVM degree in 1975.  He then returned home to Indianapolis to take over his father’s practice. He later purchased the practice from the elder Dr. Borst, and just recently sold it to a fellow Purdue graduate.

As Indianapolis grew into a major sports city, Dr. Borst served on the City-County Council for 28 years. During that time, he witnessed the construction of many of the capitol city’s most prominent sports and retail venues, from Bankers Life Fieldhouse to the Circle Centre Mall to the RCA Dome, which later was replaced by Lucas Oil Stadium. Being an avid sports fan, Dr. Borst was excited by the opportunity to join the Board of Directors for the Indiana Sports Corporation, the organization which oversees major sporting events in Indianapolis, including championships such as the NCAA Final Four and, in 2012, the Super Bowl. While Dr. Borst said he enjoys all sports, his favorite is basketball. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame.

When asked what he does for a living, Dr. Borst said, “All sorts of things, from animal studies to sports to economic development.” He described the recent college basketball tournaments held in Indiana as the most unique he has seen in his career.  For starters, Indianapolis hosted both the Men’s and Women’s Big Ten Basketball Tournaments in the same week – the second week in March – with the Men’s Tournament played in Lucas Oil Stadium and the Women’s Tournament in Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

“That was the beginning of March Madness in Indiana,” Dr. Borst said.  A dozen women’s games were played at Bankers Life Fieldhouse and 13 men’s games were played at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Then, Indiana played host to the entire NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship – the sports extravaganza known nationally as March Madness. The tournament featured a total of 91 games held over the course of 28 days. Dr. Borst was co-chair of game management, and helped oversee the planning for housing and transportation of the teams to practice, as well as arranging for referees and janitorial services. He also helped manage a crew of people tasked with making sure the players received everything they needed, from toothpaste to, in one instance, even a new cell phone.

The NCAA Tournament games were played at multiple sites in Indianapolis, as well as at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette and Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington.  So, for March 18, 19, and 20, Dr. Borst returned to Purdue to help manage the games played at Mackey Arena. He was chosen for that role because of his familiarity with Mackey Arena and Purdue’s West Lafayette campus.

Another challenge that the tournament organizers faced this year was providing for the health and safety of players, coaches, staff, volunteers and fans in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Precautions included extensive testing of team members and volunteers.  “I was in the NCAA ‘bubble’ for the first ten days of the tournament and had a total of 29 COVID tests during 28 days between all three tournaments,” Dr. Borst recalled. He actually had two in one day on March 9 – one was his final Big Ten Tournament test before the Men’s Big Ten championship game and the other was his first NCAA March Madness test before going into the NCAA bubble. The players were tested daily as well.

“Out of nearly 28,000 tests only about 15 came out to be positive, which is truly amazing,” said Dr. Borst.  He also said the NCAA was fortunate to be able to allow limited fan attendance for the tournament games and even provide a performance by Miley Cyrus between the Final Four semi-final games Saturday, April 3.  “This whole experience truly helped the economy of Indianapolis. The hotels thrived as did restaurants which provided meals to both the players and all staff involved,” Dr. Borst said. “This March Madness was as historic as I have seen, as this was my 13th year as Big Ten Co-Chairman and my seventh Final Four and 30th year of NCAA basketball in Indianapolis.”

Dr. Borst further explained that being a veterinarian has helped him to keep a positive attitude throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. His education provided him with background knowledge of viruses and vaccines, as well as the habit of washing his hands and taking other preventative measures frequently.

While Dr. Borst’s love of sports, and in particular basketball, makes for an interesting blend of interests given his education in veterinary medicine, his commitment to his profession as well as to civic leadership has involved a variety of organizations and responsibilities, including those more directly related to veterinary medicine. He is a past president of the Indiana Veterinary Medical Association,  alternate delegate from Indiana to the American Veterinary Medical Association House of Delegates, and is currently chairman of the Indiana Horse Racing Commission. And as Dr. Borst would say, it’s all part of a blessed life.

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

Memorial Service Planned for PVM Distinguished Alumnus Willis Parker (PU DVM ’64)

A Purdue Veterinary Medicine alumnus well-loved for his loyalty, enthusiasm, and joy in sharing stories, Dr. Willis G. Parker (PU DVM ’64), of Clayton, Ind., will be remembered at a memorial service planned Saturday, May 15.  Dr. Parker passed away at the age of 84 on April 15 at Life’s Journey Hospice of Avon, Ind.

A native of Greencastle, Ind., Dr. Parker grew-up on the family farm near Coatesville in Hendricks County in Indiana. As a young child, he was active in both 4-H and FFA. After graduating from high school in 1954, he served in the U.S. Army for two years and then enrolled at Purdue University where he earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in animal sciences in 1960. As an undergraduate student he was active in the Purdue Reamer Club, Baptist Student Foundation, and Purdue Men’s Varsity Glee Club. After graduation, Dr. Parker got married and started veterinary school as a member of the second class of Purdue veterinary students, the Class of 1964.  Upon earning his DVM degree, Dr. Parker returned with his family to his roots near Coatesville and established a mixed veterinary practice.

After working in private practice, Dr. Parker decided to pursue his interest in animal reproduction and in 1965 joined American Breeders Service as staff veterinarian in DeForest, Wisc., where he worked for 26 years. He also served several years on the Poynette Public Schools’ Board of Education in the community where he lived.

Known throughout his career as a humanitarian committed to his profession as well as service to others, Dr. Parker was a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) as well as the Indiana Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), the Wisconsin Veterinary Medical Association (WVMA), the American Association of Bovine Practitioners and the Society of Theriogenology.  A diplomate of the American College of Theriogenologists, Dr. Parker served as the organization’s president from 1983-84.

In 1990, Dr. Parker represented ABS on a trade mission to Lithuania. This experience led to consulting and educational programing trips to the Baltic countries and to Ethiopia with Project Mercy. In addition, he served several weeks in the United Kingdom for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal Disease Eradication Program.

For his professional contributions, Dr. Parker was recognized as the 1991 Wisconsin Veterinarian of the Year by the WVMA.  In 2000, he received both the Indiana Veterinarian of the Year Award from the IVMA and the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine.

Following his retirement in 1991, Dr. Parker and his wife, Linda, returned home to Indiana where he established the Mill Creek Christmas Tree Farm on the family farm near Coatesville. He also pursued his passion for historic preservation of agricultural implements, especially those related to the horse. Dr. Parker was a member of the Horse Brass Society of England and the Belgian Draft Horse Corporation of America.  In his home county, he also helped to establish the White Lick Heritage Community Foundation, now the Hendricks County Community Foundation, and was a past president of its board of directors.

An individual dedicated to his faith and values, Dr. Parker was a member of the Congregational United Church of Christ in Windsor, Wisc., and served as moderator and on various church boards.  He also traveled to Sri Lanka on a missions trip while serving on the Corporate Board for World Ministries of the United Church of Christ. In later years, he was a member of Hope United Presbyterian Church in Plainfield, Ind., where he served as an elder and contributed to church mission projects.

Dr. Parker also delighted in sharing his love of the family farm with his granddaughters.

Visitation is planned for Friday, May 14, from 3:00 to 8:00 p.m., at Bousley Funeral Home, 4980 N. Milton St., Coatesville, Ind.  A memorial service will be held the following day, Saturday, May 15, at 1:00 p.m. at The Barn of Coatesville, 5056 S. Milton Street.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to one of the following: Project Mercy, 7011 Ardmore Ave., Fort Wayne, IN 46809 or online at projectmercy.org (designate Food Security); Purdue Musical Organizations, Ralph & Bettey Bailey Hall, 359 Northwestern Ave., West Lafayette, IN 47906 or online at purdue.edu/pmo (designate Varsity Glee Club); the Hendricks County Community Foundation, 6319 East US Hwy 36, Suite 211, Avon, IN 46123 or online at hendrickscountycf.org (designate Doris K. Parker Music Fund); or WRTP/BIG STEP, 3841 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53208 or donate online at WRTP.org (designate Eric Parker Memorial Fund).

Click here to view a complete obituary.

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

PVM Faculty and Staff Among Purdue Personnel Recognized for Teaching and Instructional Support Efforts During Pandemic

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A total of 17 Purdue Veterinary Medicine faculty and staff members are among more than 240 individuals and teams of faculty, instructors, staff, and graduate students being celebrated by the Teaching Academy and Office of the Provost at Purdue for their efforts in teaching and instructional support during the pandemic.  The honorees were selected by their academic or administrative unit to receive the Award for Exceptional Teaching and Instructional Support. Nominations were submitted by 65 units across campus.

The COVID-19 pandemic required extraordinary efforts by professors and instructors and the many people who support them. For this award recognizing such efforts, unit heads were asked to nominate individuals or teams for recognition of, among many things, creative teaching using multiple technologies, support and mentoring for new instructional adaptations, innovative teaching in special contexts, and safe and productive engagement and support of students during the pandemic.

Congratulations to the following PVM faculty and staff honored as award recipients in the categories listed below:

INNOVATION: For innovative and particularly effective use of multiple technologies in online instruction

• Dr. Deepti Pillai — clinical assistant professor, Department of Comparative Pathobiology
• Dr. Craig Thompson — clinical associate professor, Department of Comparative Pathobiology
• Dr. Ahmed Hassan — visiting assistant professor, Department of Comparative Pathobiology
• Jeannine Henry, RVT — instructional technologist, Department of Veterinary Administration

IN-PERSON LEARNING ENVIRONMENT: For creating safe, productive, and engaging in-person learning environments

• Dr. Joanne Messick, — professor, Department of Comparative Pathobiology
• Dr. Sriveny Dangoudoubiyam — assistant professor, Department of Comparative Pathobiology
• Team of Dr. Stephanie Inoue, lecturer; Dr. Kellie McGrady, lecturer; Dr. Teresa Buchheit, lecturer; Danielle Buchanan, RVT, VTS (SAIM), Clinical Skills Laboratory manager; Jennifer Ashley, RVT, veterinary skills and competencies manager; Jeannine Henry, RVT, instructional technologist; and Cassandra Cords, BS, RVT, veterinary skills and competencies teaching technologist — Department of Veterinary Administration
• Dr. Caroline Gillespie — clinical assistant professor, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences
• Dr. Jessica Ogden — clinical assistant professor, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences

OTHER: For providing other exceptional work related to teaching

• Dr. Kari Ekenstedt — assistant professor, Department of Basic Medical Sciences
• Dr. Dianne Little — assistant professor, Department of Basic Medical Sciences
• Alyx Guadarrama — instructional designer, Department of Veterinary Administration

Additional categories in which Purdue individuals and teams were honored are:

MENTORING: For providing supportive mentoring of faculty colleagues regarding online teaching

STUDENT SUPPORT: For giving special attention to student inclusivity, engagement, and well-being

GRADUATE STUDENTS: For teaching assistants who are making exceptional efforts to support student learning through innovative and high-quality approaches to teaching

Click here to view a complete listing of the awardees.

Awardees from this first round are eligible to nominate themselves for a competitive Round 2 of the Award for Exceptional Teaching and Instructional Support during the COVID-19 Pandemic. For Round 2, a subcommittee of the Teaching Academy will review all nomination forms and select 20-25 awardees from the pool for further recognition and a small honorarium. All individuals listed as First Round award recipients should have received an email with directions for Round 2. For questions, contact Kristina Bross at bross@purdue.edu or Rachael Kenney at rhkenney@purdue.edu.

Writer(s): Purdue Veterinary Medicine News

Source: Purdue Marketing and Communications

Next Week Marks Purdue Day of Giving

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The Purdue Day of Giving is almost here! In less than a week, you can help show our community that “We are Purdue Veterinary Medicine!”

Click here to watch this video and learn about the funds we are highlighting this year as part of the Purdue Day of Giving, and consider how you can make a difference by giving $10 or more.

You can also help by spreading the word to friends and family and by planning to help win bonus funds for Purdue Veterinary Medicine during more than 30 hourly and full-day challenges.  Some hourly challenges include:

• 9:00 a.m. – Unit with the most gifts from faculty and staff wins $2,500
• 11:00 a.m., 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. – Student organization with the most gifts wins $1,250 each hour.  Remember that this is a great way to help SAVMA Purdue and the Veterinary Nursing Student Organization (VNSO).
• 4:00 p.m. – Unit whose random faculty/staff gift is chosen wins $1,000
• 8:00 p.m. – Post your most creative photo of your pet in Purdue gear on Twitter or Instagram. Include #PurdueDayofGiving and #PurdueVetMed. The unit with the best photo wins $1,500.

Also, follow our social media pages for updates and watch our progress on the leaderboards on April 28! 

Thank you in advance for your generous support!

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

White Coat Campaign Donations Surpass Goal

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Thank you to all of the generous individuals who contributed to the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine’s White Coat Ceremony “Sponsor a Student” campaign! This year’s success surpassed any other year, with sponsorships amounting to enough funding for 105 white coats. White coats will be given to the 84 members of the DVM Class of 2022 to celebrate their transition from classroom to clinic. The additional contributions received beyond the 84 coats needed for the class will help provide wellness programs and scholarships to enhance the student experience.

Through the “Sponsor a Student” campaign, the college’s alumni and friends provided personal notes of support for each student to give encouragement as the students transition from classroom learning in the first three years of the DVM program to hands-on clinical experience in their fourth year. May our students continue their progress and success as they prepare to don their own personalized coats! The coats will be distributed during a special ceremony in May that, this year, will be limited to the students, in keeping with Protect Purdue policies, but will be made available via live stream to family and friends, who will receive an email with further information.

Writer(s): Amanda Dunkle | pvmnews@purdue.edu

New Boehringer Ingelheim Summer Research Mentorship Award Presented

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The 2021 PVM Research Day included the inaugural presentation of a new award designed to recognize faculty mentors. The Purdue Veterinary Research Scholars Summer Program provides an opportunity for DVM students and pre-vet undergraduate students to gain research experience under guidance of a faculty mentor. The success of the program depends greatly on the involvement and effort of the mentors. The Boehringer Ingelheim Summer Research Mentorship Award was established to recognize a faculty mentor who has demonstrated a special effort.

This year, Dr. Deepti Pillai, clinical assistant professor of diagnostic microbiology in the Department of Comparative Pathobiology, is the recipient of the inaugural 2020 mentorship award.  Dr. Pillai worked with veterinary student Gabrielle Miller, of the DVM Class of 2023, on a research project titled, “Insights into the Antimicrobial Resistance and Virulence in Salmonella spp. in Snake Samples through the Genomic Approach.” Gabrielle presented her research at the annual Conference for Research Workers in Animal Diseases, an international conference, and received the Biosafety and Biosecurity Award from the Animal Health Institute and Joseph J. Garbarino Foundation for her presentation. “We thank Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health (BIAH) for sponsoring this award,” said Dr. Harm HogenEsch, PVM associate dean for research. “BIAH has been a longtime sponsor of the Purdue Veterinary Research Scholars Summer Program.”

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

We Are Purdue

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Purdue Day of Giving Provides Opportunity to Celebrate Purdue Veterinary Medicine

On April 28, come together with the Purdue community throughout Indiana, across the country, and around the world as we help the entire University take its next giant leap to build a better world together. Help us show the world what it means to be a part of Purdue Veterinary Medicine on Purdue Day of Giving!

Here are some ways to get ready for the Purdue Day of Giving:

1. Watch the Day of Giving video.
2. Save our college participant page so you are ready to go!
3. Save the League of VetaHumanz participant page and watch this video!
   This year, you can help us meet a special challenge by giving to the League of VetaHumanz SuperPower Pack campaign! While we create and deliver veterinary STEM resources that provide elementary school students with diverse superhero veterinary role models, we can’t reach every child in person. That’s why we created SuperPower Packs. Each pack costs $25 to produce and will contain a veterinary book or game, an official VetaHumanz cape and sticker, and a letter and collectible card from one of our very special VetaHumanz. Your gift will help us provide free SuperPower Packs to 1,000 underserved children. Click here to learn more.
4. Spread the word to your friends and family and get fired up to help win bonus funds for Purdue Veterinary Medicine during our 30+ hourly and full-day challenges!  Mark your calendar on April 28 for the hours when your gift can make the biggest impact!
   
   9:00 a.m. – Unit with the most gifts from faculty and staff wins $2,500
   11:00 a.m., 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. – Student organization with the most gifts wins $1,250 each hour
   4:00 p.m. – Unit whose random faculty/staff gift is chosen wins $1,000
   8:00 p.m. – Post your most creative photo of your pet in Purdue gear on Twitter or Instagram. Include #PurdueDayofGiving and #PurdueVetMed, Unit with the best photo wins $1,500

Follow our social media pages for updates and watch our progress on the leaderboards on April 28!

How has PVM impacted your life? Give back on April 28 to enhance the education of future veterinary professionals, elevate service for clients and patients, and fund scientific discoveries that benefit animals and humans. Together, we are Purdue Veterinary Medicine!

Writer(s): Amanda Dunkle | pvmnews@purdue.edu