Alumni Reception Brings Together PVM Graduates at WVC Annual Conference

February 21, 2020

PVM alumni are seated enjoying refreshments at the reception — Dr. Jennifer Sexton (left) of the DVM Class of 2016 with fellow alumni in the DVM Class of 2018, Drs. Lilliana Munoz, Kristen Mozeika, Elexa Baron, and Sarah Dengler, at the Purdue Alumni Reception during the WVC Conference.

PVM alumni stand together for a photo at the reception — The first recipient of a scholarship created by the DVM Class of 1983, Dr. Cody Land of the of the DVM Class of 2019 (2nd from left), enjoyed visiting at the reception with three Class of ‘83 members (left-right), Drs. Bandon Mills, Kevin Bannister, and Mark Hilton.

Alumni and friends of the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine, gathered for the annual PVM Alumni Reception during the 2020 WVC Annual Conference in Las Vegas, Nev. The event at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center on Monday evening, February 17, attracted about 45 attendees who were able to renew acquaintances, catch-up with classmates, visit with PVM faculty who were present, and hear an update from Dean Willie Reed about the new Veterinary Teaching Hospital project.

Attendees also had the opportunity to meet the two Purdue Veterinary Medicine graduates who ran as candidates for WVC leadership positions. Dr. Debbie White (PU DVM ’94), a candidate for vice president, and Dr. Miguel Ortiz (PU DVM 2009), a candidate for director, both were introduced by Dean Reed and had the opportunity to speak to their fellow alumni. The results of their successful campaigns for seats on the WVC Board of Directors were announced two days later.

Recent Stories

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

This week we express our gratitude to Jennifer Danaher, who is department secretary for Veterinary Clinical Sciences.

‘Purdue Pursuits’: A PVM angle on Purdue’s teaching and learning reading groups

Crafting meaningful and engaging course experiences has been at the top of Dielson Vieira’s mind ever since he joined the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine’s faculty in 2024. As a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Vieira is already adept at applying innovative teaching practices to classroom environments, but that doesn’t stop him from seeking out new ideas, approaches and perspectives — insights he gains through outlets like Purdue’s teaching and learning reading groups.

Top tier biology journal publishes PVM study that unlocks secrets of a drug-resistant fungal pathogen, which causes serious infections in humans

Though the name “Candida auris” is far from a household term, public health experts know it well because the multi-drug-resistant fungal pathogen, which causes serious human infections, has been classified as an urgent threat by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Antibiotic Threats Report (2019). Dr. Shankar Thangamani, Associate Professor of Microbiology and University Faculty Scholar in the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine’s Department of Comparative Pathobiology, is researching C. auris, aided by a 2.4 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). New research findings, just published in Nature Microbiology, show how C. auris adapts and evades the immune system.

In Print: ‘Translational Research Methods for Tauopathies’

A just-published 300-page volume edited by Jessica Fortin, Purdue assistant professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine’s Department of Basic Medical Sciences, provides a significant new resource for researchers studying a group of neurodegenerative diseases known as tauopathies. “Translational Research Methods for Tauopathies” provides detailed protocols intentionally selected to serve as a basis for research laboratories seeking to further treatments for such debilitating neurodegenerative diseases as Alzheimer’s and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

It’s Almost Here!

Though the annual Purdue Veterinary Conference is almost upon us, there’s still time to register and take advantage of this time-honored College of Veterinary Medicine fall tradition that combines excellent continuing education with fun opportunities for reconnecting with colleagues and classmates, networking, and learning about the latest veterinary trends and products. The 2026 Purdue Veterinary Conference takes place September 23–26 on the Purdue University campus. The annual event has something for everyone, from veterinarians to veterinary technicians, faculty, staff and students.