Purdue Veterinary Medicine’s Office of Global Engagement and the Purdue Chapter of the International Veterinary Student Association (IVSA) hosted their annual Spring Extravaganza at the MatchBOX Coworking Studio in downtown Lafayette last Friday evening, March 22. The event attracted over 50 students from the College’s Veterinary Nursing and DVM programs.
Students enjoy a panel discussion with one of the many faculty members who attended the Spring Extravaganza to discuss diversity and inclusion in the veterinary field. 
Spring Extravaganza attendees dig into a buffet of Indian inspired dishes.
Students, staff, and visitors were able to enjoy a buffet of Indian inspired dishes and spend the evening interacting with people from a variety of cultures. This year’s Spring Extravaganza also included the opportunity for students to participate in panel discussions involving faculty and other veterinary professionals, asking questions about veterinary medicine, inclusiveness in the profession, and more. This year’s panelists included:
- Dr. Sarah Steinbach, assistant professor of small animal internal medicine, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences
- Dr. Andrea Pires dos Santos, assistant professor of veterinary clinical pathology, Department of Comparative Pathobiology
- Dr. Stacy Tinkler, clinical associate professor of large animal internal medicine, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences
- Dr. Malathi Raghavan, clinical associate professor and director of outcomes assessment and data management, Department of Veterinary Administration
- Dr. Sanjeev Narayanan, professor and head, Department of Comparative Pathobiology
- Dr. Sophie Lelievre, professor of cancer pharmacology, Department of Basic Medical Sciences
- Dr. Niwako Ogata, associate professor of animal behavior, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences
- Dr. Ori Stollar, resident in companion animal behavior, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences
- Dr. Larry Adams, professor of small animal internal medicine, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences
- Dr. Li-Jen Chang, resident in anesthesiology, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences
- Dr. Philip De Shield (PU DVM 2014), veterinarian at the Animal Medical Centre in Belize
- Dr. Kenneth Tu, graduate student, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences
Also joining in the panel discussions were two students from the University of Zurich.
Each year in conjunction with the Spring Extravaganza, a special guest comes to the College and speaks on special topics during the week leading up to the event. This year’s special guest was Dr. Phillip De Shield, who earned his DVM degree from Purdue University in 2014, and now works as a veterinarian at the Animal Medical Centre in Belize. Dr. De Shield addressed a number of topics including rural veterinary medicine, wildlife veterinary medicine, and what it is like to be a global veterinarian.
The Spring Extravaganza also included a ceremony honoring 28 students who completed the Global Veterinary Medicine Certificate Program. Dr. Kathy Salisbury, associate dean for academic affairs, presented the certificates to the recipients. Created to provide PVM students with a complete cross-cultural experience, the certificate program is designed to improve students’ understanding of global veterinary medicine and awaken a global consciousness.
The Spring Extravaganza ended with recognition of the outgoing 2018-2019 IVSA officers and introduction of the incoming officers. The outgoing officers received watches to thank them for their hard-work during their terms as officeholders. The outgoing officers are: Sarah Bohac, president; Stephanie Morgenstern, treasurer; Caitlin Smith, exchange officer; and Danielle Miller, One Health chair. The new officers for the upcoming 2019-2020 academic year include: Madeleine Bryan, president; Julia O’Rourke, treasurer; and Javier Pino, exchange officer. Additionally, the following students were introduced as officer-elects: Tuan Huynh, president-elect; Haley Nowakowski, treasurer-elect, and Maya Patterson, exchange officer-elect.