The American College of Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS) and the ACVS Foundation have announced the recipients of several prestigious awards, and one of the awardees is Purdue Veterinary Medicine Professor Emeritus Jan Hawkins, DVM, DACVS. The ACVS Board of Regents selected Dr. Hawkins as the recipient of the Al and Carolyn Schiller Distinguished Service Award in recognition of his exceptional contributions to ACVS through decades of dedicated volunteer leadership and service.
Dr. Hawkins earned his DVM degree at North Carolina State University before completing an internship in large animal medicine and surgery at Texas A&M and a residency program in large animal surgery at the University of Pennsylvania. He joined the Purdue Veterinary Medicine faculty as assistant professor of large animal surgery in 1996 and became board certified by the ACVS that same year. Shortly thereafter, he began volunteering with the ACVS.
Dr. Hawkins’ involvement with the ACVS has included serving on the Veterinary Surgery Editorial Review Board and as a longtime speaker and seminar chair at the ACVS Veterinary Symposium (now Surgery Summit). He also has held numerous ACVS leadership roles, including the chair of the Resident Credentialing Committee, assistant chair of the Symposium Committee, large animal regent on the ACVS Board of Regents, ACVS president-elect, ACVS president, chair of the Board of Regents, and chair of the Nominating Committee. He helped shape the strategic direction of the ACVS, strengthen standards in surgical training and certification, and advance professional development for members at every career stage. As chair of the ACVS Board of Regents, he helped lead major bylaws revisions and governance changes that continue to strengthen the ACVS. His lasting impact is reflected in the many ACVS surgeons who credit him as a mentor and leader, earning him recognition as an ACVS Honored Mentor in 2023.
Dr. Hawkins retired as Purdue professor of large animal surgery in 2024. Dr. Tim Lescun, BVSc, MS, PhD, DACVS, Purdue professor of large animal surgery, head of the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, and current member of the ACVS Board of Regents, commented about Dr. Hawkins, “I can still remember Jan telling me, ‘We gain so much from the ACVS that it is our duty to give back. If you are going to be on a committee, be the chair or be involved.’”
The Al and Carolyn Schiller Distinguished Service Award was one of four prominent awards announced October 8 at the Mark W. Allam Lecture and Awards Ceremony, which was held during the 2026 ACVS Surgery Summit in Charlotte, North Carolina. Founded in 1965, ACVS is the specialty board which sets the certification standards for advanced professionalism in veterinary surgery and provides the latest in surgical educational programs. ACVS is the AVMA-recognized veterinary specialty organization™ for certification of veterinarians in large animal surgery and small animal surgery. By fostering the highest standards of excellence in veterinary surgery, ACVS is helping the veterinary profession achieve its goals of providing outstanding service to the public and care for animals. There are 2,687 ACVS Diplomates. More information is available here.
