Purdue Veterinary Clinical Sciences Department graduate students Jillian Grantz and Natnicha Taechachokevivat stand by their winning research posters in the Purina Animal Nutrition Graduate Student Poster Contest at the American Dairy Science Annual Meeting.
Two graduate students in Purdue Veterinary Medicine’s Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences received recognition this week at a major dairy sciences conference. Jillian Grantz and Natnicha Taechachokevivat, researchers in the laboratory of Dr. Rafael Neves, assistant professor of food animal production medicine, both placed in the Purina Animal Nutrition Graduate Student Poster Contest held as part of the American Dairy Science Annual Meeting (ADSA) in Ottawa, Ontario.
Jillian placed 2nd in the Dairy Production – MS Division, for her poster entitled, “Plasma Oxylipin Profile of Postpartum Dairy Cows Categorized into Different Inflammatory Grades in the First Week After Parturition;”
Natnicha placed 2nd in the Dairy Production – PhD Division, for her poster entitled, “Use of Long Short-Term Memory Models with Integrated Cow-level Data for Early Prediction of Clinical Ketosis in Dairy Cows.”
“This is a significant achievement as they participated in a national competition occurring in one of the most impactful conferences in the dairy sciences worldwide,” said Dr. Neves. “ADSA conference registrants are mostly from the US and Canada but it is well-represented by registrants from several other countries. Jillian and Natnicha were officially recognized at the awards ceremony held Tuesday night (June 27).”
PVM Dean Willie Reed with the Reed Rumsey Award recipient, Dr. Roel Becerra (PU DVM 2022)
Dr. Roel Becerra, of the Purdue DVM Class of 2022, has received the Reed Rumsey Award for Advancement of Avian Medicine from the American Association of Avian Pathologists (AAAP). The award, which recognizes outstanding veterinary students, graduate students, or residents or interns involved in basic and/or clinical research, was presented June 13 during the annual AAAP meeting in Jacksonville, Florida.
Dr. Becerra currently is a PhD student at the University of Georgia studying poultry diseases. As part of the AAAP meeting, Dr. Becerra gave a presentation on his basic research, entitled, “Protection Efficacy of Recombinant HVT-ND-ILT and the Live Attenuated Tissue Culture Origin (TCO) Vaccines Against Infectious Laryngotracheitis Virus (ILTV) when Administered Individually or in Combination.”
The Reed Rumsey Award is named in memory of a highly respected scholar who held leadership roles in the AAAP in the late 1970s and bequeathed $25,000 to the association for the establishment of a student award program for the advancement of avian medicine. The AAAP annually selects outstanding students to receive the award.
Junior BVC Campers practice their ultrasound skills with the Butterfly iQ+ Vet ultrasound unit on an animal model.
The chance to spend a week at Purdue University exploring the world of veterinary medicine proved to be an irresistible opportunity for dozens of young people who signed up for the 2023 Boiler Vet Camps. A total of 100 campers came to the Purdue campus in West Lafayette, Indiana to attend the in-residence Junior and Senior Camps held earlier this month.
The Junior Camp, held June 11-17, introduced rising 8th and 9th graders to a variety of veterinary-related topics through sessions with fun titles such as “Cud It Out,” “Fish Need Doctors, Too,” and “A Look Inside the Horse (with Endoscopy),” as well as opportunities to interact with animals. Campers also visited the Indianapolis Zoo and Fair Oaks Farms. Of the 50 campers who participated, more than 30 were from Indiana. Other states represented were Iowa, Michigan, California, North Carolina, Alabama, Ohio, South Dakota, Kentucky, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and Oregon, as well as Washington D.C.
The Senior Camp, for rising 10th through 12th graders, was held the following week and focused on subjects like surgery and anesthesia, as well as on learning what goes into a strong veterinary school application. The exciting week kicked-off with the campers getting into groups, with each group receiving a camp dog to care for throughout the week. Other experiences included observing and identifying blood cells, and learning how to administer a canine physical exam. The 50 participants in the Senior Camp included nearly 30 Indiana residents, along with attendees from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Wisconsin.
As part of the Senior Boiler Vet Camp, campers got into groups and received a dog to care for during the week.
Putting on the camps takes a team of volunteers. This year, a total of 21 veterinary students from the DVM Classes of 2025 and 2026 served as camp counselors. In addition, two student assistants helped with the overall programming for both camps. One of those assistants, Audrey Evans, of the DVM Class of 2026, said her role gave her the opportunity to work with faculty, staff, and fellow veterinary students across the college to inspire the campers as they contemplated future careers as veterinarians and veterinary nurses. “I did not have a strong veterinary mentor until late in my college career, and it was truly moving to see how excited the campers were not only to meet people who were living out their dreams, but to experience a taste of the veterinary industry,” Audrey said. “While veterinary school may be incredibly difficult at times, the campers’ excitement and wonder surrounding veterinary medicine reminded me how incredible the veterinary medical profession really is.”
BVC campers, working with animal models, learn fist-hand about a variety of procedures such as proper bandaging.
Sydney Taylor, of the DVM Class of 2025, served as the head camp counselor for the Junior Boiler Vet Camp. Asked what her favorite part of her experience as head counselor was, Sydney said, “I have really enjoyed helping the campers with the interactive and hands-on sessions within the college. These sessions generate so many questions and it is a great way for the campers to interact and learn with the counselors, as well as the faculty.” Sydney also was impressed by the impact the camping experience has on the campers. “I have found BVC to be so impactful to these students because it becomes an opportunity for them to really expand on their knowledge and interest in veterinary medicine, all while creating memories alongside others with the same career aspirations.”
Boiler Vet Camp is a very selective program with only about 20 percent of the applicants being accepted each year. “We find that the interest in our camps is very broad,” said Dr. Jim Weisman, assistant dean for clinical education, who serves as the camp administrator. “Not only do the campers come from across the country, they represent diverse populations, with a balanced mix of male and female students and one-fourth of the attendees reflective of populations that are underrepresented in the veterinary medical profession or educationally and economically under-resourced. We are excited to offer these annual camps as a means of enabling these enthusiastic and inquisitive young people a chance to learn about veterinary medicine first-hand and to see themselves in a future veterinary medical career.”
The PVM Next project kicked-off in May with a team that is gathering information to help the college choose the next Hospital information and Laboratory Information Management Systems (HIS and LIMS). The project team of Nancy Allrich, Steve Jaeger, Armando Ortega Luis, Jon Cagle, and Lowell Williams is leading the college through this multi-phase project to assess the needs for PVM software solutions.
A governance committee of Dean Willie Reed; Purdue University Veterinary Hospital Director, Dr. Ellen Lowery; Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory Director, Dr. Kenitra Hendrix; and the head of the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Dr. Catharine Scott-Moncrieff, along with Aaron Walz, PVM Senior Director of IT, is providing strategic direction to the team. “Strong, engaged leadership support, as well as open input from everyone, are essential to an effort like this. We’re fortunate to have both,” said Williams, lead IT project manager with College of Agriculture Information Technology, who is assisting with the project.
First up for the project is an extensive period of gathering requirements. “The team will document what features the systems must offer, seeking input from across the college to assess what works well now, what could be better, and what new capabilities the next HIS and LIMS solutions should offer,” said Jaeger, IT project portfolio manager and senior systems engineer with PVMIT. “This information will be used to evaluate vendor offerings and make comparisons with the current HIS and LIMS configurations.”
Individual and group sessions are being scheduled with Senior Business Analyst Jon Cagle to gather this input. These sessions are expected to continue and expand to more faculty and staff in the coming weeks. “Your feedback is always welcome and we want to hear from you,” Director of IT Operations Nancy Allrich emphasized. Cagle agreed, saying he has been impressed with the amount and quality of input received so far. “I’ve had some great conversations already. It’s fantastic to see everyone so willing to share their thoughts.”
“This initial phase of requirements-gathering and analysis will take four to five months, then college leadership will begin narrowing down the options based on analyzing this feedback,” said Williams. “Implementation is planned to start by next summer.”
Questions, comments, or concerns about the future of the college’s HIS and LIMS systems may be shared with the PVM Next Team via any of the following ways:
Dr. Levi Smith, a second-year ophthalmology resident, examines Prince’s eyes while the white tiger is under general anesthesia for a dental examination.
The Purdue University Veterinary Hospital Ophthalmology Service recently hit the road to examine a white tiger named Prince at the Black Pine Animal Sanctuary in Albion, Indiana after his caretakers noted changes to his vision. Timing their visit to coincide with a volunteer event during which the animals in the sanctuary received dental examinations, the Ophthalmology care team was able to examine the eyes of some of the animals while they were under general anesthesia for the dentals. When the team completed a full ophthalmic examination on Prince, they determined that he has retinal dysfunction in one eye and a cataract in the other, causing him to be non-visual.
Prince has been a resident of Black Pine Animal Sanctuary since 2020, when he was rescued from the Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park in Wynnewood, Oklahoma. Famously owned and operated by Joseph Allen Maldonado aka “Joe Exotic”, a media personality and convicted felon made famous as the star of the Netflix series “Tiger King” released at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the park closed to visitors in October 2020 following a lawsuit and animal welfare investigation. Over 60 lions, tigers, and other big cats were rescued from the animal park after federal inspectors found the animals were suffering from poor living conditions and insufficient veterinary care. “Prince’s eye problems are a direct result of the inbreeding that occurred to get his white coat, and are unfortunately a very common problem seen in white tigers,” explained Kelsi Nicholson, senior keeper at Black Pine Animal Sanctuary. “Prince will live out the rest of his life happily and comfortably at Black Pine Animal Sanctuary where he will receive exceptional care.”
A resident of Black Pine Animal Sanctuary located in Albion, Indiana, Prince benefited from the expert care of the Purdue University Veterinary Hospital’s Ophthalmology Service when the team visited the sanctuary recently. (Photo provided by Black Pine Animal Sanctuary)
With the generosity of his amazing care team, including PVM Professor of Ophthalmology Wendy Townsend; Dr. Levi Smith, ophthalmology resident; and Pam Kirby, RVT, VTS (Ophthalmology), lead veterinary technician, the Purdue Ophthalmology Service is working to coordinate logistics to perform cataract-removal surgery. That should help Prince’s vision improve so he can spend the rest of his life happy and visual at the sanctuary.
Black Pine Animal Sanctuary is a non-profit organization that houses and cares for over 60 species of animals, reptiles, and birds. The animal residents that come to the sanctuary have either been surrendered by owners or confiscated by legal authorities due to neglect or illegal possession. One of the only multi-species sanctuaries in the Midwest, Black Pine is accredited by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries, which documents that the animals receive the highest standard of care.
Aging and obesity may cause stem cells in the body to change in ways that are linked with diseases like Alzheimer’s, diabetes and cancer, according to a study co-authored by scholars at the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine and Washington University at St. Louis. The research looked at epigenetic changes — which impact how the body uses its DNA code — in stem cells derived from fat tissue. Results from the study reinforce concerns about the dangers of obesity and raise a warning flag on the therapeutic use of stem cells taken from the fat of people who are obese.
“With obesity, what we’re seeing is that stem cells in fat are primed for disease — they have all sorts of abnormal pathways,” said Dr. Dianne Little, a Purdue University associate professor of basic medical sciences, and joint senior author on the study. “The impact of this priming could apply to the health or otherwise of the heart, the brain, the breast, the gut, because these stem cells live anywhere that there’s fat tissue in the body.”
Dr. Little and her team originally set out to understand whether stem cells derived from fat in obese or older individuals are suitable for use in regenerative medicine. These cells offer attractive advantages as they are generally abundant, and can be differentiated into several different cell types for therapeutic uses. But Dr. Little hypothesized that factors like aging and obesity might cause epigenetic changes that could lead to unanticipated, and potentially detrimental, side effects.
A scanning electron micrograph shows an adipose-derived stem cell interacting with fibers in a biomaterial currently being developed in Dr. Dianne Little’s laboratory for tendon tissue engineering. Each fiber in the image is about 1/50 as thick as a human hair. Her lab is investigating how obesity and age impact the interactions and behavior of adipose derived stem cells on new biomaterials under development for human health applications – the original motivation for the study. (Photo provided by Dr. Dianne Little)
“What we really wanted to know is how do we know if they’re ‘good’ stem cells?” said Dr. Little. “What donor characteristics should we be looking for? If we are an obese or an older adult, would we want our own stem cells derived from fat to be used therapeutically? Are there markers of healthy versus unhealthy stem cells? And if they’re not healthy, what are the detrimental side effects we might get when we use them?”
Inside each of these cells, DNA stores the complete set of instructions used for every component of the body, written in a code made of four nucleic acids attached like the teeth of a zipper on a molecular chain. Two paired strands of DNA are stored zipped together and, throughout the lifetime of the cell, a complex molecular “dance” accesses segments of the strands — genes — that give instructions for assembling specific proteins, or for stopping this assembly process. The term “epigenetic” refers to a group of mechanisms involved in controlling this dance, in which genes are unzipped, copied to messenger RNA, and brought to a cellular factory where the protein is assembled. The epigenome, or how this control system is coded across all of the DNA in the genome, can be influenced by lifestyle and environmental factors during a person’s lifetime, and changes occurring to the epigenome as a result of these factors may be heritable.
Dr. Little investigated the epigenomic mechanism of methylation, a cluster of four atoms that attaches to a link on the DNA chain. DNA methylation sometimes blocks, but can activate transcription of genes at sites where this DNA methylation occurs. In the research published in the journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, her team looked at how obesity and aging impact methylation and then the transcription of associated genes. There is a known link between age and loss of methylation, and indeed, Dr. Little’s team found global loss of methylation on the DNA of stem cells taken from fat in aging, but lean, mice.
However, when they looked at the types of RNA that had been transcribed, or copied, from that DNA, they found only seven genes that were differentially expressed with aging alone. The stability and resilience of the messenger RNA in aging but lean mice indicate that many processes in our cells function properly as we get older despite the loss of methylation, Little said.
Obesity presented a different, and far more troubling story. The messenger RNA of aging and obese mice had more than 800 changes, a 120-fold increase over aging but lean mice. Using existing atlases of genes known to play roles in disease, Little was able to match the messenger RNA sequencing data with known disease pathways.
Dr. Little found that genes impacted by the epigenomic and transcriptomic changes were associated with diseases including Alzheimer’s, diabetes, metabolic disorders, autoimmune diseases, cancer and more.
“The effects of age are dramatically exacerbated when you add obesity into the mix,” Dr. Little said. “These are biological pathways associated with abnormal cell growth, tumors, abnormal cell death. Setting aside the use of these cells in therapies, we have to ask what these cells are doing in their home environment.” Dr. Little said addressing that question will be a focus of her team’s ongoing research.
Entitled, “Aging and Obesity Prime the Methylome and Transcriptome of Adipose Stem Cells for Disease and Dysfunction”, the study was published earlier this year with support from the National Institutes of Health as well as funds from the Duke University School of Medicine and the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Little and Dr. Farshid Guilak of Washington University at St. Louis served as joint senior authors, and scientists from Purdue, Duke University, the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, the University of Rochester, and the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill also contributed to the research.
Writer(s):
Mary Martialay, Purdue Research Communications
| pvmnews@purdue.edu
Dr. Deborah Knapp conducts an ultrasound in her role as a veterinary oncology specialist in the College of Veterinary Medicine with assistance from medical oncology veterinary technician Lindsey Fourez, RVT, VTS (Oncology) and Dr. Rebecca Weiske, medical oncology resident.
The Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine now is home to a named center for comparative oncology research that will advance cancer research benefiting pets and humans. The Purdue University Board of Trustees approved the naming of the Evan and Sue Ann Werling Comparative Oncology Research Center in recognition of the donors’ $10 million gift. As a part of the College of Veterinary Medicine, the center will partner with the Purdue Institute for Cancer Research.
The Werling’s gift establishes the new center, funds the Evan and Sue Ann Werling Professorship of Comparative Oncology, and creates an endowment to provide unrestricted support for promising cancer research and clinical trials. Sadly, just a few months after the naming was announced in December, Evan passed away at the age of 77. He is remembered as a faithful, loving husband, CPA, and international entrepreneur, with an intense desire to inspire and encourage the College of Veterinary Medicine to do its utmost for the benefit of animal patients and the advancement of medical science. Through the transformative gift made by him and his wife, his memory will live on as the center that bears the Werling name fulfills its purpose of conducting research and clinical trials to further the understanding and treatment of cancer, improving the outlook for pet animals and people.
“This generous gift will help transform the research potential of Purdue’s dedicated scientists,” said Purdue Veterinary Medicine Dean Willie Reed. “We’re thankful for the way Evan and Sue Ann partnered with us over the long-term to help us pursue giant leaps in comparative oncology.”
Working in collaboration with the Purdue Institute for Cancer Research, the center will conduct high-impact research in pets that have naturally occurring forms of cancer, which mimic those same forms in humans. This comparative approach to research makes possible the benefit across species.
“This gift makes a huge impact on advancing our studies in the field of comparative oncology, which is aimed at improving the outlook for pet dogs and potentially other pets, as well as humans, facing cancer,” said Dr. Deborah Knapp, Distinguished Professor of Comparative Oncology, the Dolores L. McCall Professor of Comparative Oncology, and research center director. “Most pet owners have human family members and friends who have been afflicted with cancer. Therefore, they are excited that we may learn something important from their pet that will ultimately help humans at the same time we help their pet.”
An Indiana couple, the Werlings shared a passion for improving the lives of animals and people. A former small-business owner, Sue Ann has served more than 11 years on their local humane society’s board of directors, including eight as president. Evan authored the book “The American Dream Is Real,” which chronicled his rise from small-town Indiana to his success as a CPA, entrepreneur, and career mentor. His connection with Purdue began over 40 years ago when he first gave lectures to engineering students on the importance of having a strong financial background for career success.
Sue Ann and Evan Werling (seated), who made a $10 million gift to Purdue University to support comparative oncology research, received the Purdue President’s Council Crystal Boilermaker Special Train Award on December 11 in recognition of their lifetime of loyalty, commitment, and generosity. Pictured standing (from left) are Purdue Veterinary Medicine Dean Willie Reed; Dr. Deborah Knapp, Distinguished Professor of Comparative Oncology; and Matt Folk, president and CEO of the Purdue for Life Foundation. (Photo provided)
When the Werling’s beloved dog Brandi was diagnosed with bladder cancer in 2005, the couple developed a life-changing relationship with Purdue. Dr. Knapp helped enroll Brandi in two studies that extended her life 15 months when the median survival time with most treatments at the time ranged from four to nine months.
“Purdue gave us more time with Brandi,” Sue Ann said. “We were intrigued by their methods and the humane way in which they approached their work.”
The exceptional care Brandi received inspired the couple to create an endowment for canine cancer research at Purdue in 2020. The recent naming gift complements that fund and sustains and expands cancer research at the university in perpetuity.
At the time of the naming, Evan said, “Advances in cancer treatments are identified through research, and Purdue is one of the finest research institutions. We hope the university will be able to expand the early detection of cancers so we can identify them before they’re untreatable.”
“It’s a very hopeless time when your animal or loved one has cancer,” Sue Ann said. “This gives me hope that there will be options for people moving forward. We want to be a part of the solution for the future.”
The newly named Evan and Sue Ann Werling Comparative Oncology Research Center meaningfully connects two Purdue health care entities. The College of Veterinary Medicine, Indiana’s only veterinary college, has graduated more than 3,000 veterinarians who practice in all 50 states and also fill important roles in government, industry, and academia. Since 1976, the Purdue Institute for Cancer Research has brought together hundreds of researchers from across the university to share ideas, insights, and findings to drive cancer research further than any single laboratory could do alone.
The action by the Board of Trustees to name the center came as Mitch Daniels was concluding his tenure as Purdue president. “Thanks to Evan and Sue Ann’s generosity, the Werling Comparative Oncology Research Center will pursue groundbreaking research toward developing innovative cancer treatments,” Daniels said at the time. “We are ever grateful for their partnership in this important work that will have a far-reaching impact.”
Appreciation of Education Inspires Alumnus to Fund Endowed Professorship in Veterinary Dentistry
A clerical error nearly cost Dr. Raj Singh his spot in veterinary school.
Nearly four decades later, after building a successful veterinary practice in California, he reflects on how the education he received at Purdue University prepared him to pursue the career of his dreams, take giant leaps as a business owner, and develop a special interest in dentistry. A passion for this field of veterinary medicine motivated Dr. Singh and his wife, Melissa, to commit $1.5 million to establish an endowed professorship in dentistry at the College of Veterinary Medicine last fall.
Dr. Singh (PU BS ’86, biology; DVM ’90; MS ’91, veterinary physiology) enrolled at Purdue in 1982 intending to become a veterinarian. A Fort Wayne native, he’d grown up around animals his entire life. His mother’s family had a farm in Missouri with large animals and his own family kept pets — a dog, cat, guinea pig, and parakeet. But it was during a trip to India when he was 13 years old that he gained a deeper understanding of the human-animal bond.
“I spent about a month in India and my dad’s family had a dog there, an American Eskimo — kind of crazy in the heat of India,” Dr. Singh said. “I really bonded with that dog. I couldn’t speak the language of the people much, but I connected with Silky and developed a love for that type of relationship with animals.”
He began shadowing his family veterinarians, Drs. Jay Kumaran, Ed Nims, and Robert Ferguson (PU BS ’64, DVM ’68). When the time came to select a college, he was accepted by several out-of-state private schools, but the family’s financial situation made the cost of attending untenable.
“I knew it wasn’t going to work out for me to go to a private school,” Dr. Singh said. “Purdue had a great academic reputation and was an excellent in-state option that my dad strongly encouraged. He’s the one who said, ‘This is where you’re going.’ It was absolutely the right decision for me.”
At Purdue, he worked with a supportive advisor who helped him plan a course schedule to meet the prerequisites for the College of Veterinary Medicine as a junior, but he was not accepted. When he applied to the program during his senior year, he was surprised to be rejected again. He was told by the admissions director that his GPA for the required courses was not high enough. Not easily dissuaded, Dr. Singh relied on instincts he honed as a Purdue undergraduate to examine the situation.
Dr. Raj Singh with his wife, Melissa, and their canine companions. (Photo provided)
“In biological sciences, I was trained to analyze records for clarity, consistency, and validity,” Dr. Singh said. “Scientific investigation was a big part of my Purdue education and shaped part of who I am. So, I took that information and went back and did the calculations myself — and I came up with a different number. Once the admissions director reviewed things, she realized there had been a mistake and I was placed on the waiting list.”
Dr. Singh had met the requirements and been accepted to the program. He just had to hope that another fellow in the cohort would drop out, which is how he ended up receiving a call from admissions on the Friday before classes started, letting him know he would begin his veterinary studies on that Monday. He actually was already on campus, starting a master’s degree in veterinary physiology in the College of Agriculture.
“I had to switch gears and ask my dad for $5,000 tuition and tell my professor that I wasn’t going to be able to commit full-time to the master’s program,” Dr. Singh said. “I still wanted to continue my master’s while I was in veterinary school. I started a dual degree master’s before it became an official program.”
Following graduation, Dr. Singh practiced veterinary medicine in the Bay Area for several years before he and Melissa became the owners of the Sunnyvale Veterinary Clinic in 2002. In 2016, they opened a feline-only practice nearby. In 2017, they opened a third practice, Oakridge Veterinary Clinic — this one closer to home in San Jose — where Dr. Singh still works. The couple sold all three practices in 2020.
In addition to treating patients at Oakridge, Dr. Singh is also chief of staff advisor for VetCor in the San Francisco Bay Area. He became a canine/feline diplomate with the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners in 2013 and joined ABVP’s board in 2019 as the canine/feline regent.
In all his endeavors, Dr. Singh evokes the standards of professionalism instilled in him by the teachers and mentors who stoked his passion for animal medicine. At Purdue, that included Dr. S. Kathleen Salisbury (PU MS ’84), now associate dean for academic affairs in the college and professor of small animal surgery.
“Dr. Salisbury set the standards of professionalism that I aspire to achieve every day,” Dr. Singh said. “She conveyed the necessity of ensuring you knew the details of every case you were working on. During rounds, she would ask very open ended questions about the particularities of a case which made you think and she also demonstrated communication that was supportive and considerate. Her approach to sharing feedback is one I use today when I mentor my associates and veterinary students.”
Dr. Singh said spending nine years as a student at Purdue had a big impact on his life as a professional. He’s always felt an obligation to recognize the individuals and institutions that influenced him and supported him along the way. Personally, that includes his parents, Mahesh and Julia Singh; his brother, Dave (PU EE ’88); his wife, Melissa; and his mentors, Drs. Kumaran, Nims, and Ferguson. He’s also grateful for the accessible, world-class education he received at Purdue.
“The people of Indiana made an investment in me,” Dr. Singh said. “I want to make the biggest impact I can to invest in the health and success of the Purdue community. I want to see the health of more animals improved through veterinary dentistry, specifically. A special interest in dentistry was the foundation of my economic success in veterinary medicine.”
Not only was dentistry foundational to Dr. Singh’s successful veterinary practice, he also believes it’s essential to overall animal health and well-being. While the field has evolved and more general practitioners are showing interest in dentistry, Dr. Singh says the profession still has a long way to go to make dentistry a cornerstone of animal care. “I hope by funding an endowed professorship in dentistry, students will graduate with the skills and knowledge to help patients with better oral health and by doing so, those graduates will see financial and professional success earlier in their careers,” Dr. Singh said. “I value the influences on my life that helped me succeed. Giving back is a way for me to improve the world as best I can to my abilities.”
Dr. Jim Weisman, a Purdue Veterinary Medicine alumnus and the college’s assistant dean for clinical education, is assuming a new national leadership role in the veterinary medical profession with his election to the American Veterinary Medical Association’s (AVMA) Board of Directors. He ran unopposed for the District VI director seat, representing Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin, and was declared elected earlier this spring.
A native of Evansville, Indiana, Dr. Weisman earned his Purdue DVM degree in 1997 and went back to his hometown to enter private practice after graduation. Eleven years later he returned to Purdue where he accepted a position as an administrator and member of the College of Veterinary Medicine faculty. Today, in addition to his roles as assistant dean for clinical education and clinical associate professor, he continues to practice medicine in the Small Animal Emergency and Critical Care Service of the Purdue University Veterinary Hospital.
Dr. Weisman also is active in his community. He has served as the president of his home county’s 4-H Council, 4-H Center Board, and County Fair Association. He also served on the Indiana State Fair Board as the first veterinarian to do so. During his time on the board, he established animal wellness and care programming, which is now used across the country at many state fairs and large animal exhibitions. In addition, he led efforts to implement an animal drug testing program to elevate the level of ethical livestock exhibition.
Dr. Weisman’s involvement in organized veterinary medicine began in veterinary school when he served as SAVMA (Student AVMA) delegate and then was elected as the national SAVMA treasurer. Following graduation, he joined committees within the Indiana Veterinary Medical Association (IVMA) and later served on the IVMA Board of Directors while also chairing multiple committees, including many years as the chair of the IVMA Annual Meeting Planning Committee. He also rose through the officer ranks and served as one of the youngest IVMA presidents. He is currently the Indiana delegate to the AVMA’s House of Delegates.
“I appreciate that we are a broad and far-reaching profession comprised of many varied career paths; however, each of these paths are tethered by our common veterinary medical degree and ethical obligation to advance animal and human health,” Dr. Weisman said. “The AVMA membership asks its volunteer leaders to be representative of the many faces of our profession. I look forward to serving as a leader who considers these varied views and makes decisions that are best suited for our profession.”
Dr. Weisman will begin a six-year term on the AVMA Board of Directors this July during the 2023 AVMA Convention.
The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has announced that the recipient of the 2023 AVMA Humane Award is Dr. Candace Croney, Purdue professor of animal behavior and well-being and director of the Center for Animal Welfare Science (CAWS). Dr. Croney holds a joint appointment in the colleges of Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture. The award recognizes Dr. Croney for her exceptional dedication and contributions to the field of animal welfare.
In announcing the award last month (May 11), the AVMA stated, “With over 20 years of experience in the field, Dr. Croney has demonstrated a deep commitment to improving the lives of both companion and farm animals through her extensive academic and public service work.” The AVMA Humane Award is given annually during National Pet Week to a non-veterinarian to recognize achievement in advancing the welfare of animals through leadership, public service, education, research and product development, or advocacy. It is presented annually by the AVMA and supported through educational funding from Merck Animal Health.
“It is a privilege to be able to collaborate with so many people from diverse backgrounds and sectors to help advance animal welfare,” said Dr. Croney. “I am profoundly grateful to the AVMA for this prestigious award, those who nominated me, and all of the people and animals from whom I’ve learned.”
Dr. Croney has served as the director of CAWS since the center’s founding in 2014. In addition to her faculty role in the colleges of Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture, she also serves as Purdue’s associate vice provost of diversity, inclusion, and belonging. The AVMA praised Dr. Croney’s influential work that spans the fields of animal behavior, welfare science, and ethics, with a focus on understanding the complex interplay among science, ethics, and culture in addressing animal welfare challenges.
“Throughout her career, Dr. Croney has worked tirelessly to raise awareness of animal welfare issues and engage stakeholders in seeking solutions to challenges,” the AVMA announcement stated. “She has served on numerous scientific advisory committees, focusing on corporate social responsibility obligations to animal welfare within supply chains. Her contributions on animal behavior and ethics as a scientific advisor to animal welfare programs operated by large agricultural integrators, such as Tyson Foods, impact billions of animals annually. Dr. Croney is known for her hands-on approach, working directly with stakeholders to increase knowledge about animal welfare, analyze policy, audit data and documents, and conduct on-site visits to identify and implement impactful improvements.”
The AVMA announcement emphasized that one of Dr. Croney’s most notable achievements is the creation of the Canine Care Certified program, a voluntary, third party-audited care standards program to ensure good welfare in dogs raised by commercial breeders and help mitigate the deleterious effects of irresponsible breeding and care. Recognizing an opportunity to improve the lives of animals in this sector, Dr. Croney actively engaged with the community to develop scientific, evidence-based standards, an auditing and accreditation program, and educational outreach. The accessible education programs Dr. Croney and her team built provide resources essential for helping breeders, policy makers, and the public make informed decisions about meeting dogs’ welfare needs, and have improved quality of life for thousands of dogs and puppies.
Dr. Croney was also responsible for the development of a bioethics curriculum at Purdue University for animal science and veterinary students, funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Higher Education Challenge Grants program. In addition to her work in the academic and corporate sectors, Dr. Croney also has made significant contributions to government efforts to address farm animal welfare. She has received multiple awards and honors, including being named a 2020 Purdue University Faculty Scholar and receiving back-to-back Purdue University Seed for Success Awards in 2018 and 2019, as well as the Purdue Veterinary Medicine Excellence in Scholarship of Engagement Award in 2015.
“The 2023 AVMA Humane Award recognizes Dr. Croney’s extraordinary accomplishments and the significant impact she has made in the field of animal welfare,” said Dr. Lori Teller, president of the AVMA. “Her unwavering dedication to improving the lives of animals and her numerous achievements in scholarship, research, extension responsibilities, and outreach programming demonstrate why Dr. Croney is a deserving recipient of this prestigious award.”
