Weeklong Celebration Focuses on Thanking Purdue Veterinary Nurses

October 15, 2021

Throughout next week, October 17-23, the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine will recognize the important role that veterinary nurses play in veterinary medicine by celebrating Veterinary Nursing Appreciation Week. Although our veterinary nurses and the work they do are appreciated every day, next week the Purdue Veterinary Medicine family is encouraged to reflect on their significant skills and tireless efforts that are so vital in providing compassionate care for animal patients and contributing to the advancement of both animal and human health and well-being.

To help show appreciation, the college will host a variety of special themed meals for PVM’s veterinary nurses. As an added safety precaution during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, all items will be served in individually packaged grab-and-go containers. This format enables the college to continue annual Veterinary Nursing Appreciation Week traditions, while still respecting social distancing guidelines, as we all show our veterinary nurses how thankful we are for them.

“At Purdue Veterinary Medicine, we take enormous pride in the fact that we educate the entire veterinary team,” said Dr. Chad Brown, director of the Veterinary Nursing Program. “I encourage everyone to take the time to say thank you to the college’s veterinary nurses, whether in clinics, labs, or the classroom.” The special treats planned for PVM’s veterinary nurses next week include:

YOU ARE “EGG-CELLENT” BREAKFAST SANDWICHES

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 19

7:30 – 8:30 a.m. | Lynn, East Foyer (under the stairs)

YOU ARE OUR HEROES! SUBWAY BOXED LUNCHES

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 21

11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. | Lynn, East Foyer (under the stairs)

Dietary considerations will be accommodated as much as possible for all events.

Additionally, gifts from the college will be distributed by veterinary nursing supervisors and others beginning on Wednesday, October 20.

Also, during the week follow along on the College of Veterinary Medicine’s social media accounts for special features as we spotlight the important role of veterinary nurses!  #vetlife #NVTW2021 #VetTechWeek

A special thank you to this year’s Veterinary Nursing Appreciation Week event organizers: Megan Brashear, CVT, VTS (ECC), Purdue University Small Animal Hospital veterinary nursing manager; Brandi Maxie, RVT, Large Animal Hospital veterinary nursing supervisor; Ashli Selke, RVT, clinical laboratory coordinator and distance learning instructional technologist in the Veterinary Nursing Program; Donna Tudor, RT, diagnostic imaging technologist supervisor; Jolene Knuth, RVT, anesthesiology veterinary nursing supervisor; Tami Lind, RVT, VTS (ECC), emergency and critical care veterinary technician supervisor; as well as Susan Xioufaridou, director of alumni relations and special events.

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

Recent Stories

“Paws Up” – brought to you by the PVM Wellness Committee

Behind the scenes, Alicia Williams has been making PVM a kinder, stronger place.

Purdue Veterinary Medicine Computational Biologist Uses Big Data, AI and Math to Find Patterns in Cancer

With recent advances, cancer research now generates vast amounts of information. The data could help researchers detect patterns in cancer cells and stop their growth, but the sheer volume is just too much for the human mind to digest. Enter Nadia Lanman, research associate professor in the Department of Comparative Pathobiology, whose expertise in computational biology helps researchers at Purdue University distill solutions from the sea of numbers.

Purdue to Host Fourth Annual Antimicrobial Conference in February

With leadership by the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine, the Fourth Annual Conference on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) will be held at Purdue University West Lafayette February 25–26, 2026. With multidrug-resistant infections on the rise globally, this event brings together experts and practitioners across the spectrum of human, animal, and environmental health to address one of today’s most urgent public health challenges.

PVM Well-represented by Humans and Animals During Annual Homecoming Celebrations

Every fall, Boilermakers from near and far return to the campus in West Lafayette for the annual ritual known as Homecoming. And Purdue’s Homecoming events also attract plenty of non-alumni who are Purdue fans, patrons, prospective students, or clients of the Purdue University Veterinary Hospital. During this year’s Homecoming weekend October 24-25, Purdue Veterinary Medicine engaged with attendees in multiple ways, with the help of some furry companions.

Purdue University and Akston Biosciences Bring “First Dose of Hope” in New Cancer Immunotherapy Trial for Dogs with Urinary Bladder Cancer

The Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine, in partnership with Akston Biosciences Corporation, has initiated the enrollment of dogs with urinary bladder cancer in a clinical trial of a pioneering immunotherapy. The strategic partnership between Purdue and Akston was announced in August after the underlying technology was developed at the College of Veterinary Medicine and the Purdue Institute for Cancer Research (PICR).

“Paws Up” – brought to you by the PVM Wellness Committee

Today we share appreciation for Beth Laffoon, MS, RVT, and Holly McCalip, BS, RVT, who are both instructional technologists in the Veterinary Nursing Program.

MMAS Symposium Brings Participants Face to Face with Specialists and Species from Parrots to Pocket Pets

Thanks to Purdue Veterinary Medicine’s Exotic Animal Club and dedicated faculty, staff and students, nearly 100 in-person and on-line participants got a chance recently to gain valuable knowledge and insight about the Medicine of Mammalian and Avian Species. The two-day educational event known as the MMAS Symposium is a biennial conference, and the 2024 edition held in Lynn Hall November 9 and 10 featured an impressive program that included 22 lectures and several hands-on labs, organized into two tracks focusing on avian and mammalian species.

Veterinary Boilermakers Take Part in Purdue One Health Alumni Reunion

Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine faculty, staff and students turned out for Purdue University’s first One Health Alumni Reunion, which was held on the West Lafayette campus November 14-16. They joined more than 150 Boilermakers from a variety of medical professions who came together to network and participate in timely discussions with Purdue President Mung Chiang, First Lady Kei Hui and fellow alumni.