It’s official – Dr. Kyle Shipman (PU DVM 2015) is the new Indiana State Veterinarian. The decision to select Dr. Shipman to fill the vacancy was made by the 11 members of the Indiana State Board of Animal Health during their regular January meeting, which was followed by formal approval from the governor.
Dr. Shipman has been serving as interim state veterinarian since November, when Dr. Bret Marsh retired from the position and assumed his new role as dean of the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine.
As state veterinarian, Dr. Shipman will serve as chief administrative officer for the state’s two animal-focused boards under the umbrella of the Indiana Center for Animal Policy:
- The Indiana State Board of Animal Health (BOAH), with day-to-day operations that include state meat and poultry inspection, dairy inspection, animal health and care programs, and disaster preparedness.
- Indiana Board of Veterinary Medicine, which is the board that oversees professional licensing/registration and disciplinary action for veterinarians and registered veterinary technicians in Indiana.
“My goal is to continue to deliver the high standards of service that the citizens of Indiana and the veterinary profession have come to expect from our team,” Dr. Shipman said. “I look forward to meeting Hoosiers in their communities statewide and partnering with stakeholders to safeguard Indiana’s animals, citizens and food supply.”
A Purdue graduate, Dr. Shipman earned his BS degree in animal sciences from the College of Agriculture and went on to enroll in the College of Veterinary Medicine, earning his DVM degree in 2015. The following year he joined BOAH, where he has served as director of the Animal Programs Division.
Shortly after joining BOAH, Dr. Shipman played a significant role in the agency’s response to the 2016 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) event in Dubois County. He also has helped lead the response to bovine tuberculosis in cattle in Southeastern Indiana.
Dr. Shipman has continued to further his knowledge about responding to diseases of high consequence. In early 2020, he traveled to Uganda to participate in an international, hands-on training course to learn first-hand how to diagnose and respond to cases of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). He also is a USDA-certified and trained Foreign Animal Disease Diagnostician, and in 2020, completed Indiana AgriInstitute’s two-year Agricultural Leadership Program as part of Class 18.
