Indiana Farm Bureau Board Tours New Veterinary Hospitals That Reflect Their Advocacy

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When efforts to encourage the Indiana Legislature to support plans for the new David and Bonnie Brunner Purdue Veterinary Medical Hospital Complex were in full swing, the Indiana Farm Bureau came forward to advocate for the much needed new facilities on behalf of Indiana Agriculture. As a respected agriculture advocacy organization, the Farm Bureau’s strong endorsement was instrumental in the successful bid to gain $73 million in state funding for the structures. So, when the Farm Bureau’s Board of Directors came to campus for a board meeting on September 13, it was only natural for them to request a tour of the new veterinary hospitals and for the college to gladly oblige.

The group toured the Purdue University Veterinary Hospital‘s Brunner Small Animal, Equine, and Farm Animal Hospitals, as well as the Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory. The experience brought home the reality of the size, quality, and capability of the new hospital structures. Seeing the buildings in use enabled the board members to more fully understand the significant impact the new facilities are making on animal health care and veterinary medical education in Indiana.

As Indiana’s largest general farm organization, the Indiana Farm Bureau serves as an effective advocate for farmers, and, through its policies and programs, promotes agriculture and the improvement of the economic and social welfare of member families. Initially called the Indiana Federation of Farmers’ Associations, the organization was founded in 1919 by farmers who were determined to work together to solve the problems of low commodity prices and a diminished farm labor force.

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

State of the College Presentation Provides Students with Personalized College Update from Dean Reed

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As an annual fall tradition made possible by SAVMA Purdue, the Dean’s State of the College address provides Purdue veterinary students a first-person report from the College of Veterinary Medicine’s CEO on the highlights of the past year. Dean Willie Reed gave the annual talk during the lunch hour Wednesday, September 27, in Lynn 1136. He recapped major accomplishments, reviewed significant events and milestones, and also described a special art project that the students will be able to personally participate in during the coming year.

The dean began the presentation by emphasizing the impact of the new $108 million David and Bonnie Brunner Purdue Veterinary Medical Hospital Complex that opened in May and June of 2022. Dean Reed noted that with the benefit of the expanded Small Animal Hospital and the new Equine and Farm Animal Hospitals, the Purdue University Veterinary Hospital caseload has been steadily increasing, reaching nearly 20,100 in the most recent fiscal year that ended June 30. Those cases included more than 11,300 dogs, nearly 4,780 cats, 2,300 horses, and close to 900 bovine and swine. 

Dean Reed also praised the accomplishments of the Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, which provides vital support to Indiana veterinarians, animal health officials, livestock producers, and animal owners through accurate and reliable diagnostic testing. Recognizing the ADDL’s vital role and outstanding work, the Indiana legislature approved a 35% increase in ADDL funding this year. 

The students also heard about the college’s annual budget, which exceeds $89,650,000 for the current fiscal year, and the key income streams, including revenue from research grants as well as gifts and endowments. The dean also pointed out that the college reached a record level of external research funding, which totaled more than $15 million for fiscal year 2022-2023, while funding from private giving exceeded $20 million for the third year in a row.

Dean Reed also highlighted the importance of global engagement, including study abroad programs for Purdue veterinary students and international exchange relationships that bring veterinary students to Lynn Hall from other countries, including Japan and China. He noted that the number of students going abroad for veterinary internships and externships continues to grow, with 65 students planning such adventures this academic year.

The dean concluded the program by sharing exciting plans for a new mural art project to be created by award-winning community mural artist Tia Richardson of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, who visited Lynn Hall Monday as the first step in the mural process. Emphasizing that Tia relies on community engagement to create her murals, Dean Reed encouraged the students to participate in workshops that Tia will conduct during the year to gather ideas and input for the design. He also enthusiastically shared that they actually will be able to help paint the mural on the wall in the hallway connecting the Brunner Small Animal Hospital to Lynn Hall, when that phase of the project begins next spring.

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

Purdue Veterinary Conference Draws Nearly 1,000 Attendees for Continuing Education

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Stewart Center at Purdue University was abuzz this past week with a throng of veterinary medical professionals who gathered to hear the latest developments in veterinary medicine at the Purdue Veterinary Conference. The annual event features continuing education sessions offered in multiple tracks covering such areas as small animal medicine and surgery, practice management and communication, shelter medicine, farm animal, exotics, equine, and veterinary nursing. 

Hosted by the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine, this year’s conference, held September 19-23, offered more than 100 sessions for continuing education credits and attracted 975 attendees, including more than 260 veterinarians and 155 veterinary nurses, as well as PVM faculty, staff, and students. In addition, the conference Exhibit Hall featured more than 30 exhibitors, including pharmaceutical companies, pet food and nutrition firms, the USDA, and veterinary practices offering employment opportunities and student externships. 

The conference also doubles as the college’s homecoming, and included a variety of special events. The Alumni and Friends Celebration Wednesday evening, September 20, featured the recognition of reunion classes, including the college’s first 60^th Anniversary Class, the DVM Class of 1963. The event also honored this year’s recipients of the college’s Distinguished Alumni Awards: Pam Phegley, RVT (PU AS-VT ’83; BS-VT  2001), Veterinary Nursing Program clinical rotation/mentorship coordinator; and Dr. W. Mark Hilton (PU BS ’80, DVM ’83), clinical professor emeritus of veterinary clinical sciences and technical consultant for Elanco Animal Health.

The week of learning and celebration kicked-off Tuesday evening, September 19, with the Elanco Human-Animal Bond Lecture, which featured a compelling talk by Dr. Alan Beck, renowned human-animal bond expert and longtime PVM faculty member and director of the Center for the Human-Animal Bond. Dr. Beck’s presentation about the biological bases of the human-animal bond, was entitled, “The Human-Animal Bond: Totally Natural and Completely Necessary.” The talk represented the final formal presentation of Dr. Beck’s illustrious career, and was followed by a reception honoring his retirement.

The conference week concluded with a longstanding tradition that brought runners and canines together for the Dr. Skip Jackson Dog Jog. Held Saturday, September 23, the race started at 8:00 a.m., with PVM Dean Willie Reed sending the participants off on a course that began by the Continuum sculpture in front of Lynn Hall and wound past landmarks on the south side of the Purdue campus, with the last leg taking the runners, walkers, and furry companions past the David and Bonnie Brunner Purdue Veterinary Medical Hospital Complex. All entrants received a participation medal and awards were presented to the top finishers. The event was a hit with both humans and canines and raised funds for Priority 4 Paws, which is the PVM shelter medicine program that provides high-quality medical and surgical care for shelter animals while educating the next generation of veterinarians.

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

Spotlight to Shine on PVM During Purdue Homecoming Festivities

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The human-animal bond will be working for the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine once again this weekend as animals help shine the spotlight on the college’s programs and services during Purdue’s homecoming weekend. The annual Homecoming Parade will get the festivities started tonight, with the Canine Educators as Purdue Veterinary Medicine’s entry. The group of up to 20 dogs with their student handlers are sure to be show stealers as the canines display their spirit and charm while walking the parade route that starts at State Street by Memorial Mall at 8:00 p.m., and concludes on North Martin Jischke Drive near the Tarkington Residence Hall.  

The parade has a superhero theme this year and the dogs and students will be dressed accordingly. Plan to wear Canine Educator swag or PVM attire in support! The students will be handing out promotional items including tennis balls, stickers, and kid-size t-shirts. Leading the way will be two participants carrying a Canine Educators banner.

Then on Saturday, Dr. Lori Corriveau, primary care clinician, and a team of students from Small Animal Primary Care will be at the Purdue Veterinary Medicine tent on the Boilermaker Boulevard during a pre-game celebration designed to showcase a variety of Purdue colleges and programs. Interactive displays and exhibits will be set-up in a row of tents along Stadium Mall and extending past the Engineering Fountain to Memorial Mall. The PVM tent will be located in front of the Forney Hall of Chemical Engineering, near the Engineering Fountain. Accompanying the PVM team will be Dr. Corriveau’s furry companions, including two dogs and a kitty that are sure to stop passers-by in their tracks. The booth also will feature pet tips and other pet care information as well as some giveaways. Visitors also will have a chance to play “tick toss” and ask the students questions. 

The Homecoming pre-game event also will feature live entertainment by the Purdue alumni band Chameleon on the lawn by the Neil Armstrong Statue that’s near the intersection of Stadium and North University streets. So plan to get out and enjoy what promises to be a beautiful weekend while watching tonight’s parade and then traversing the Boilermaker Boulevard before the Homecoming football game tomorrow to check out the PVM tent, visit with the Small Animal Primary Care team, and soak-up some warm, fuzzy feelings from PVM’s canine and feline representatives!

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

Team Led By PVM Scholar Pioneers AI Application and Use of Large Canine Database to Advance Cancer Genetics Research

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A Purdue University study’s novel use of an artificial intelligence model has revealed that biological pathways leading to cancer in dogs and humans are more similar than previously known. The research, led by a College of Veterinary Medicine faculty member, demonstrates enhanced value in studying naturally occurring cancer in dogs to learn more about how to defeat cancer in humans.

The findings, recently published in the journal Frontiers of Oncology, also showcase the value of large, accessible databases, such as the National Cancer Institute’s new Integrated Canine Data Commons (ICDC), which Purdue is helping to populate.

In the study led by Dr. Nadia Lanman, research associate professor of comparative pathobiology, a model developed at the Frederick National Laboratory was trained using data from The Cancer Genome Atlas, a large study of many different types of human tumors, including bladder and brain tumors (gliomas). The model was then used to predict the presence of the same types of cancers in dogs by analyzing cancer sequencing data from dogs with brain or bladder cancer. The results showed that human and canine tumors are similar at the genetic level and that the difference between bladder tumors and brain tumors can be discerned by protein-producing genes. The findings provide added evidence that genetic studies of dog cancer can help us learn more about human cancer.

“We took an AI approach, specifically a deep-learning approach, to probe gene expression profiles of cancers that occur in both humans and dogs,” said Dr. Lanman, who also is a member of the Purdue Institute for Cancer Research (PICR). “We built two primary tumor classification tools across species. We tested a number of different machine-learning methods and a convolutional neural network called TULIP ended up being the most powerful and accurate approach we tried.”

A convolutional neural network is an algorithm inspired by the way human brains process visual information. It’s effective at finding and analyzing visual patterns using a large dataset of labeled images. It then trains itself to associate certain patterns or features in the images with specific labels or categories.

The effectiveness of such technology underlines the importance of databases and emphasizes that the largest datasets get the most robust and reliable results. The ICDC database was established to be an ever-expanding dataset capable of advancing research on human cancers through comparative genetic analysis with canine cancer.

“ICDC is a big deal because it’s a place where scientists all over the world can deposit and access data on canine cancer,” said Dr. Deborah Knapp, Purdue Distinguished Professor of Comparative Oncology and the Dolores L. McCall Professor of Comparative Oncology in the College of Veterinary Medicine’s Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences. Dr. Knapp is one of the study’s co-authors and serves as the director of the Evan and Sue Ann Werling Comparative Oncology Research Center. “Researchers can use ICDC to pull in genetic data from dogs and genetic data from humans and analyze them simultaneously.” Dr. Knapp, a PICR member who also chairs a steering committee for the ICDC, said the database holds great promise for advancing canine and human cancer research. “It will be serving an even bigger purpose in the future — to group some cancers by their genetic makeup more so than by the organ in which they started. We are not there yet, but it is definitely a goal we can reach in the future. It’s advancing cancer genetics, which is the most important aspect of this.”

Writer(s): Amy Raley, Purdue Marketing and Communications | pvmnews@purdue.edu

Award-winning Mural Artist Coming to Lynn Hall to Discuss Plans for New PVM Mural

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A major art project is in the works for the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine and the thoughts and ideas of faculty, staff and students will factor into the planning process that kicks-off next week with an initial presentation by the artist in Lynn Hall. Tia Richardson, an award-winning community mural artist and owner of Cosmic Butterfly Design based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, will share a video about her work and describe her creative process, which will include active participation by our college’s students, staff, and faculty, at a meeting scheduled from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Monday, September 25 in Lynn G167. She also will invite dialogue and discussion during the session to gather thoughts, ideas, and input regarding the project.

“I am excited to share that a new mural project is being planned for our college, and I invite our students, staff, and faculty to attend Monday’s special presentation and to actively engage with Tia as she develops the design for the mural,” Dean Reed said. The mural will span approximately 560 square feet in the public corridor that links the David and Bonnie Brunner Small Animal Hospital to Lynn Hall. “This is a wonderful and unique opportunity to be involved in the creation of a stunning art installation that will be visible to anyone who uses the public side of the connecting corridor or views the mural through the hallway windows. The mural will be a treasure for our college, Purdue University, and our stakeholders, including alumni and donors.”

Dean Reed said the theme for the mural will center on the human-animal bond and diversity, which are vital concepts that distinguish our college. The artwork will shine a light on the caring relationships between humans and animals in different regions of the world and across different cultures to inspire a vision of a brighter future for the planet as a healthier place for all. Tia is known for her bright, colorful images and believes in the power of shared experience to create a sense of belonging and mutual appreciation of what we each can contribute to the bigger whole to make it better.

The process of creating the mural design also will include subsequent visioning sessions later on. Additionally, when it comes time to create the mural next spring, participants will be offered a chance to help bring the mural to life in a “paint-by-numbers” style on scheduled painting days when the PVM community can drop by and pick up a brush to paint, with guidance from Tia. “Then Tia will spend a number of weeks adding the finishing touches for a stunningly beautiful and professional work of art,” Dean Reed explained.

“I am very pleased that Tia is taking on this project for our college,” Dean Reed said. He met Tia earlier this year during an American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges deans meeting. Most recently, her creative work was displayed on the cover of the July 2023 issue of JAVMA, which featured the mural she completed for the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine. “Don’t miss this opportunity next Monday to meet Tia and engage in a dialogue about her plans to create a wonderful mural for the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine,” Dean Reed said. “I hope to see you there!” The session will be recorded and shared for any who are unable to attend.

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

Upcoming PVM Lecture Shines Spotlight on Wellness

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Each semester the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine invites an expert to speak to students and the veterinary community about a topic related to wellbeing in the veterinary profession as part of the Dr. Jeffrey A. Sutarik Memorial Wellness Lecture Series. This fall the college welcomes Dr. Michele Gaspar who will give a talk on Tuesday, September 19, from 8:00 to 9:20 a.m. in Lynn 1136 on the topic, “Practice Makes Imperfect: Planning for a Satisfying, Sustainable Veterinary Career.” Members of the veterinary profession may click here to watch a live stream of her lecture.

Dr. Gaspar emphasizes that veterinary medicine, like other healing professions, is both a science and an art. “Our education provides the necessary information to be a diagnostician and surgeon, so that we can competently and confidently treat our patients. That, however, is only part of the equation,” Dr. Gaspar says. “For our careers to be sustainable and meaningful, we each must craft a unique professional life that provides connection, ongoing curiosity, and sustains us in the long-term. When our professional lives have meaning, tasks, no matter how simple, do not become rote; we avoid boredom and cynicism, and avoid burnout. The time to begin working on our own ‘art of practice’ does not take place in the future; rather, it can and should start right where we are now. In this talk, we will consider how to make our livelihood in veterinary medicine a work of art for decades.”

Dr. Gaspar is a board-certified feline veterinarian who, for over a decade, also has practiced in a second career as a licensed clinical counselor speaking nationally about wellbeing in veterinary medicine. She is a consultant for VIN (Veterinary Information Network) and, through Vets4Vets, works one-on-one with veterinary students and veterinarians on personal and professional issues. Her expertise comes from lived experience in the veterinary profession and through the additional training she received by earning her master’s degree in pastoral counseling from Loyola University Chicago. Dr. Gaspar also furthered her education by completing the certificate program in mindfulness and psychotherapy through the Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy in Newton, Massachusetts, as well as a two-year certificate program in Adult Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy at the Chicago Institute. In addition, Dr. Gaspar facilitates an annual online course on mindfulness meditation for veterinarians and other veterinary team members, and an annual mindfulness meditation retreat.

Dr. Jeffrey Sutarik earned his Purdue DVM degree in 2005 and went into private practice in the Chicago suburb of Lombard, Illinois where he was respected as a gifted, dedicated, and caring veterinarian. He died in 2019 at the age of 41, and his passing inspired his parents to honor his memory by creating the Dr. Jeffrey A. Sutarik Memorial Wellness Lecture Series through a fund that also provides assistance for various student wellness initiatives.

Dr. Gaspar also will give the Wellness Keynote for registered attendees at the Purdue Veterinary Conference Wednesday, September 20. Her presentation entitled, “Veterinary Wellness: It’s More Than Bagels, Pizza, and Yoga,” will be given at 1:10 p.m. in Stewart Center. Online registration for the conference is closed but walk-in registration will be available Wednesday morning beginning at 7:30 a.m. in Stewart Center, Room 109.

Writer(s): Dr. Colleen Maguire Jackson and Kevin Doerr | pvmnews@purdue.edu

Stethoscope Celebration Welcomes New DVM and Veterinary Nursing Students to Purdue

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An important Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine tradition kicked-off the new school year for first-year veterinary medicine students in the Class of 2027 as well as veterinary nursing students in the Class of 2026 who are attending classes in Lynn Hall this fall for the first time. The annual Stethoscope Celebration was held September 5 in the Purdue Memorial Union Faculty Lounges. In addition to a full-course meal, the event featured remarks by Dean Willie Reed and the event sponsors, and culminated with the giving of complimentary stethoscopes to the students.

“This stethoscope-themed celebration has become an important, time-honored tradition for our college,” Dean Willie Reed said as he began the evening event and thanked the event sponsors – Patterson Veterinary, the Purdue Veterinary Alumni Association, and the Indiana Veterinary Medical Association.

After the meal was served, a representative of each sponsor was invited to share words of advice with the students. Then Dean Reed returned to the podium. “In many ways, tonight’s event is a picture of the teamwork that is so vital to the success of the veterinary medical profession,” Dean Reed said to the students. “As you progress through your education here, I hope you feel like you really are part of a team, working and learning together with your fellow students, and witnessing the teamwork modeled by our faculty and staff as well as our partner organizations.”

Dean Reed emphasized Purdue Veterinary Medicine is one of only four veterinary colleges in the United States that offers both DVM and Veterinary Nursing degree programs. “You will gain a lot of hands-on experience as part of your coursework and your rotations in the Purdue University Veterinary Hospital. And you will have the opportunity to start using your stethoscopes right away!”

Following the program, the students stepped outside to proudly display their shiny new stethoscopes for group photos and candid photo ops.

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

In Memory: Drs. Raymond Smith (PU DVM ’63); Arthur Bickford (PU MS ’64, PhD ’66), and Kathleen Murray (PU DVM ’82)

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The Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine is saddened by the recent passing of several alumni.

Dr. Raymond Smith

Dr. Raymond (Ray) Smith (PU DVM ’63), of Sheridan, Wyoming, passed away August 10. He was 93. 

Dr. Smith, or Ray as his friends and clients called him, served in the U.S. Air force during the time of the Korean War and attained the rank of staff sergeant before being discharged and enrolling as an undergraduate student at Purdue University. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in animal husbandry and then started veterinary school as a member of the College of Veterinary Medicine’s first class. After graduating in 1963, he and his family moved to Sheridan, Wyoming, where he entered private practice. Dr. Smith never completely retired, continuing his private practice work until his passing. 

A memorial service with military honors was held August 16 at the Ignite Sheridan Wesleyan Church.  Online condolences may be shared on the Sheridan Funeral Home website. Click here to view a complete obituary.

Dr. Arthur Bickford

Dr. Arthur (Art) Bickford (PU MS ’64, PhD ’66) of Turlock, California passed away July 29. He was 86.

Born and raised in northern Vermont, Dr. Bickford grew up on the family dairy farm. After high school graduation, he attended the University of Vermont and then the University of Pennsylvania where he earned his VMD (DVM equivalent degree) in 1960. He then pursued graduate study in veterinary pathology at the University of Vermont and Colorado State University before coming to Purdue University where he earned his Master of Science and PhD degrees in 1964 and 1966 respectively. He achieved diplomate status in the American College of Veterinary Pathologists in 1965 and is a founding diplomate of the American College of Poultry Veterinarians.

Dr. Bickford served in several positions at Purdue, beginning with instructor and assistant professor with the Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory from 1962-1966 and then as associate professor of veterinary pathology from 1968-1973. He then went to the University of California, Davis where he served as extension veterinarian and director of veterinary extension before accepting an appointment at the University of Missouri, Columbia as professor and chairman of veterinary pathology. In 1984, he returned to UC Davis, accepting the position of professor of clinical diagnostic avian pathology in the California Animal Health and Food Safety (CAHFS) Laboratory System. Prior to retirement in 2001 he served as chief of the Turlock Laboratory, interim chief of the Fresno Laboratory, and associate director of the Laboratory System.

Throughout his career Dr. Bickford focused his research efforts on characterization of new and unusual avian diseases such as transient paralysis, adenoviral infections and clostridial infections, with particular attention to diagnostic and pathogenetic considerations. Dr. Bickford is remembered for always being thoughtful of those who were coming up in the field, and welcomed opportunities to mentor those building their own careers. Yet, he also remained dedicated to working on his own contributions, joining editorial boards for avian and poultry journals, and staying active in professional organizations, including the American Veterinary Medical Association (delegate from the American Association of Avian Pathologists and Scientific Program Committee member), the Western Poultry Disease Conference (President 1979), the American Association of Avian Pathologists (President 1983), the Western Veterinary Conference (President 2000), and the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians (Secretary/Treasurer 1997-2001). 

Dr. Bickford was honored with multiple awards, including the AAAP’s C.A. Bottorff Award and the E.P. Pope Award from the AAVLD. At UC Davis, the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory Turlock Branch was dedicated and named the Arthur A. Bickford-Bruce R. Charlton Turlock Branch Laboratory.

In addition to his accomplishments in veterinary medicine, Dr. Bickford also took time to nurture a life outside his work. He served his community through organizations like the Optimists, Kiwanis, and Rotary, and was known for his love for animals, including family pets, and his dedication as a loving husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather.

A memorial service was held at Allen Mortuary August 19. Donations in Dr. Bickford’s memory may be made to the Arthur A. Bickford Endowed Avian Residency Program Fund. Click here to view a complete obituary.

Dr. Kathleen Murray

Dr. Kathleen Murray (PU DVM ’82) of Onset, Massachusetts, passed away July 20 at Cape Cod Hospital after a brief illness. She was 68.

Dr. Murray demonstrated an affection for animals of all types at an early age, beginning with a donkey followed by many other ponies, horses, dogs, and other animals. She was active in 4-H and an accomplished equestrian, riding in many local competitions. She also worked at Brockton Animal Hospital through high school and during summers while in college.

Dr. Murray earned her Bachelor of Science degree in 1977 at the University of Rochester, where she graduated summa cum laude before coming to Purdue University to enroll in the College of Veterinary Medicine. After earning her DVM degree in 1982, she went on to do post-doctoral work at Penn State Milton Hershey Medical Center and Tulane University and became board certified by the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine in 1986. 

After working for Merck Research Laboratories, Dr. Murray joined Charles River Laboratories in Wilmington, Massachusetts in 1988 as a laboratory animal veterinarian and scientific director. She advanced quickly with positions of increasing responsibility, becoming a recognized leader in research and pharmaceutical drug discovery and development.

Cherished as a friend, colleague, and mentor to many at Charles River, Dr. Murray spent the last 12 years as executive director of Global Preclinical Laboratory Animal Medicine, and continued to provide support to Charles River even beyond her retirement in 2022.

Services and burial were privately held. Donations in Dr. Murray’s memory may be made to the Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society. Click here to view a complete obituary.

Writer(s): Purdue Veterinary Medicine News | pvmnews@purdue.edu

Virtual Learning Cafés to Foster Critical Conversations in Diversity

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The Purdue Veterinary Medicine Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion once again is offering the Virtual Learning Café series this fall, with topics designed to facilitate discussion with the intent to enlighten, encourage, and inspire people to get engaged. The interactive online sessions also are intended to provide opportunities for college faculty, staff, and students to network, dialogue, and enhance intercultural competency skills. The Virtual Learning Café schedule this semester will include a variety of discussions held monthly from 12:30 – 1:20 p.m. Links to the online discussions will be provided to those who register. Up to 25 registrants attending each virtual café will be eligible to receive a book after the session. 

The first talk, entitled “Building the Skills of Emotional Intelligence,” is scheduled for Wednesday, September 25, and will feature a presentation by Dr. Mel Campbell, psychologist, motivational speaker, and author. Dr. Campbell combines theories of motivation and psychology to help others learn how to improve customer services, sales, and communication skills.

The next café will take place on Wednesday, October 18, and features Kelsey Chapman, assistant director of the Purdue University LGBTQ Center, who will speak about “Best Practices for LGBTQ Inclusion.” Kelsey has over five years of experience in LGBTQ student affairs, with specializations in educational programming and support services. As a cultural competencies training facilitator, she has trained Purdue students, staff, faculty, and Greater Lafayette community members on intersectional and inclusive allyship to the LGBTQIA+ community.

The final café for the fall semester entitled, “Neurodiversity,” is scheduled for Friday, November 10 with Regina Carey, impact coach and passion instigator. Regina teaches people how to take action in their lives by slowing down to speed up. Regina advises that, especially for professionals with Invisible Disabilities (ADD, learning disabilities, anxiety, dyslexia, and chronic health issues), life moves fast and the stressors can add up quickly creating difficult obstacles to overcome. The goal of her work is to help people who have found themselves in an overwhelming and stressful lifestyle move forward by paying close attention to language, and letting go of worry.

Click here to register for the upcoming Virtual Learning Cafés.

Writer(s): Allison Gardner | pvmnews@purdue.edu