Awards Ceremony Recognizes Outstanding Faculty
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A longstanding Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine tradition of recognizing outstanding faculty during the annual Purdue Veterinary Conference continued in a virtual format in 2021. The annual Awards Celebration September 10 included the presentation of the prestigious Raymond E. Plue Outstanding Teacher Award along with several other awards for faculty service, research, and teaching.
The Raymond E. Plue Outstanding Teacher Award is funded by an endowment established by Dr. Plue, a member of the DVM Class of 1968, to recognize faculty members for their teaching ability, as well as their role in fostering interest in research. To be considered for this honor, a faculty member must be nominated by veterinary alumni in the five most recent graduating classes. The 2021 recipient is Dr. Darryl Ragland, associate professor of food animal production medicine in the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences and head of the Production Medicine Section in the Purdue University Veterinary Hospital.
Dr. Ragland earned his DVM degree at Tuskegee University before coming to Purdue for a residency in food animal medicine and surgery and continuing on to earn his PhD. He then joined the Purdue Veterinary Medicine faculty in 1999 as an assistant professor.
Dr. Ragland splits his time between clinical practice, teaching, and research. Much of his research focuses on swine nutrition, though recently he also published a study entitled, “Assessment of Biosecurity Policies and Practices for Controlling African Swine Fever Virus on Ukrainian Pig Farms.” To date, Dr. Ragland’s research has been published in 52 peer-reviewed publications.
Dr. Ragland also fulfills multiple teaching responsibilities in the college including teaching swine production medicine and nutrition to DVM students. In addition, Dr. Ragland recently became very involved in creating a new food animal medicine course for which he is now instructor-of-record. He also played a major role in the college’s animal husbandry courses, working with Emeritus Professor Michael Hill. Moreover, Dr. Ragland has served as the faculty advisor for 38 DVM students and has participated on graduate committees for more than 30 graduate students.
Recognize an Outstanding Educator
Click here to nominate an outstanding educator for the Raymond E. Plue Outstanding Teacher Award.
In addition to the Plue Award, eight other faculty awards were presented during the virtual awards program. The honors recognized the following individuals for outstanding teaching, research, and engagement:
Alumni Faculty Award for Excellence
Ann Weil, MS, DVM, DACVA
Clinical Professor of Anesthesiology, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences
Anesthesiology Section Head, Purdue University Veterinary Hospital
Zoetis Distinguished Teacher Award
Kevin Hannon, PhD
Associate Professor of Basic Medical Sciences, Department of Basic Medical Sciences
Alumni Outstanding Teaching Award
John Christian, DVM, PhD
Associate Professor of Veterinary Clinical Pathology, Department of Comparative Pathobiology
Section Head, Clinical Pathology Laboratory
Excellence in Teaching Award
Andrew Woolcock, DVM, DACVIM (SAIM)
Associate Professor of Small Animal Internal Medicine, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences
Zoetis Award for Veterinary Research Excellence
Maggie O’Haire, PhD
Associate Professor of Human-Animal Interaction, Department of Comparative Pathobiology
Excellence in Research Award
Marxa Figueiredo, PhD
Associate Professor of Basic Medical Sciences, Department of Basic Medical Sciences
Excellence in Service Award
Rebecca Wilkes, DVM, PhD
Associate Professor of Molecular Diagnostics, Department of Comparative Pathobiology
Molecular and Virology Section Head, Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory
Faculty Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion Award
Susan Mendrysa, PhD
Associate Professor of Basic Medical Sciences, Department of Basic Medical Sciences
The awards ceremony was just one of many highlights of the virtual 2021 Purdue Veterinary Conference September 7-10. The conference attracted 645 registered participants including veterinarians, veterinary nurses, and Purdue Veterinary Medicine faculty, staff, and students, who were able to attend without leaving home or office.
The conference line-up featured 67 sessions presented by 40 speakers. General education sessions were conducted in a live, synchronous format, hosted through the conference app, Whova. In the virtual Exhibit Hall, a total of 17 exhibitors provided videos, chat opportunities, and prizes for attendees who were able to peruse the virtual exhibits with a simple click or two.
Plan now to participate in the 2022 Purdue Veterinary Conference set for September 20-24 on the Purdue University West Lafayette campus.
Recognize Alumni for Excellence in the Veterinary Profession
Click here to nominate an outstanding alumnus for the Distinguished Alumnus Award (for DVM alumni).
Click here to nominate an outstanding alumnus for the Distinguished Veterinary Nursing Alumnus Award.
Writer(s): PVM News | pvmnews@purdue.edu
