The Purdue Veterinary Medicine community recognized faculty receiving awards for teaching, research, and service, as well as newly promoted faculty, during a celebration at the conclusion of the spring semester. Faculty, staff, and students gathered in Lynn 1136 to applaud the honorees during the 2024 Faculty Awards and Promotions Celebration held May 1.
“Our record of excellence as a college is possible because of our outstanding people,” PVM Dean Willie Reed said as he began the program. “With that in mind, it is appropriate that we acknowledge the accomplishments of our faculty.”
The first awards presented recognized excellence in teaching, with the honorees chosen on the basis of the results of a student ballot. Dean Reed explained that each year, veterinary students are asked to evaluate the teaching effectiveness of faculty using the following standard:
An outstanding teacher is one who demonstrates superior ability in communicating the chosen material to students and stimulates their desire to master the material. This teacher will also recognize their teaching responsibility does not stop at the classroom door, and therefore, will be ready to aid and motivate students in a counseling and advisory capacity, either formally or informally.
The results of the student ballot were used in choosing the recipients of the PVM Award for Excellence in Teaching in each year of the DVM program, as well as two all-college teaching awards – the PVM Alumni Outstanding Teacher Award, and the Zoetis Distinguished Teacher Award. Congratulations to the following teaching award recipients:
- Dr. Larry Adams, professor of small animal medicine, was selected by the Class of 2027 as the recipient of the PVM Award for Excellence in Teaching First-Year DVM Students. Dr. Adams teaches renal physiology and was praised for making complex concepts easy to understand and for demonstrating their clinical application.
- Dr. Joanne Messick, professor of veterinary clinical pathology, was selected by the Class of 2026 to receive the PVM Award for Excellence in Teaching Second-Year DVM Students. Dr. Messick teaches both the Hematology & Cytology course and teaches in the Applications & Integrations course as well as in the Clinical Chemistry course. Students expressed appreciation for her continual energy and enthusiasm for teaching and for always being willing to work with students who need help mastering concepts.
- Dr. Stephanie Thomovsky, clinical associate professor of veterinary neurology, was chosen by the Class of 2025 as the recipient of the PVM Award for Excellence in Teaching Third-Year DVM Students. Dr. Thomovsky teaches in the Neurosciences course in the first year and in neurology in the third year. She was recognized for her engaging teaching that reflects her exuberant personality and excitement about neurology, and for the teaching aids she employs to illustrate concepts.
- Dr. Mindy Anderson, clinical assistant professor of basic medical sciences, was selected by the Class of 2024 to receive the PVM Award for Excellence in Teaching Fourth-Year DVM Students. Dr. Anderson teaches the Pharmacology courses in year two. She was recognized for making pharmacology very practical, based on her years of experience as a veterinary nurse before she went back to school to earn her PharmD degree. The lasting impression Dr. Anderson has made on the Class of 2024 was reflected in the fact that they selected her as their top teacher during their second, third and fourth years!
Dean Reed next presented the Zoetis Distinguished Teacher Award. “We deeply appreciate the continuing support of our profession and College by Zoetis, and its sponsorship of this award, which is given annually to an outstanding teacher at each veterinary school in North America,” Dean Reed explained. The award recipient also is eligible to compete for the National Zoetis Distinguished Teacher Award. This year’s recipient is Dr. Stephanie Inoue, senior lecturer in the Department of Veterinary Administration. Dr. Inoue serves as the instructor of record for the second year Veterinary Skills & Competencies (VSAC) courses as well as the second semester Applications & Integrations (A&I) course. She also has a special interest in developing the students’ communication skills.
Dean Reed then presented the PVM Alumni Outstanding Teaching Award to Dr. Marxa Figueiredo, associate professor of basic medical sciences. Dr. Figueiredo teaches histology to the first-year DVM students and seeks to make histology more accessible to the students by aligning it with physiology. She also was recognized for promoting independent and critical thinking and encouraging group discussion. Additionally, students praised her patience and kindness.
As the program continued, several additional awards for outstanding faculty accomplishments were presented.
The Excellence in Teaching Award, sponsored by the College of Veterinary Medicine, was given to Dr. Sriveny Dangoudoubiyam, assistant professor of veterinary parasitology, on the basis of nominations made by peers. The award consists of a plaque, and a cash award, as well as an additional $3,000 in funds to support scholarly teaching activities. Dr. Dangoudoubiyam teaches parasitology to the second-year DVM students and has revised the parasitology course to include clear learning objectives and well-organized teaching materials. She also was praised for aligning her exams with her learning objectives and emphasizing the clinical relevance of the material.
The Zoetis Award for Veterinary Research Excellence, which recognizes faculty members for their roles in generating new knowledge through basic and clinical research, was presented to Dr. Uma Aryal, research associate professor in the Department of Comparative Pathobiology. Dr. Aryal serves as the director of the Purdue Proteomics Facility and in that role, supports and advances multiple research projects on the Purdue campus. He has developed novel methods to investigate post-translational modifications of proteins. In his own independent research on aging processes in cells, he has identified novel mechanisms that underlie protein aggregation and denaturation.
The College of Veterinary Medicine sponsors the PVM Excellence in Research Award, which recognizes faculty members for their roles in generating new knowledge through basic and clinical research. The recipient of this year’s award is Dr. Tim Lescun, professor of large animal surgery and director of the Center for Clinical Translational Research (CCTR). Dr. Lescun is recognized as a leader in the field of equine and translational orthopedic medicine. He has pioneered a finite element analysis method to investigate the response of bone to implants such as screws in fracture repair. In his role as Director of the CCTR, Dr. Lescun oversees core facilities in the college that support preclinical biomedical research on campus.
The PVM Excellence in Service Award was established to honor Purdue Veterinary Medicine faculty who have demonstrated consistent and sustained delivery of services through the college. This year’s award recipient is Dr. Chris Fulkerson, clinical associate professor of veterinary medical oncology. As the Oncology section chief in the Veterinary Hospital, Dr. Fulkerson leads the development of policies and processes that support providing exceptional service to clients, while emphasizing quality of life for residents, staff, and students. His efforts have led to strong, reciprocal relationships with referring veterinarians and community organizations such as Wolf Park. Dr. Fulkerson also has served as the chair of the curriculum committee since 2018, during a time when the DVM curriculum underwent substantial revision.
Dean Reed then concluded the celebration by recognizing each of the faculty members receiving promotions this year. As he called their names and shared about their accomplishments, the newly promoted faculty members came forward to each receive a hand-illustrated portrait, created by Professor Emeritus David Williams. Congratulations to the following faculty members who are receiving academic promotions (all promotions are effective July 1 unless otherwise noted):
To Associate Professor
- Kari J. Ekenstedt, associate professor of basic medical sciences (August 12, 2024)
- Sun Young Kim, associate professor of veterinary clinical sciences
- Shin Ae Park, associate professor of veterinary clinical sciences
To Clinical Associate Professor
- Melinda J. Anderson, clinical associate professor of basic medical sciences
To Clinical Professor
- Elizabeth J. Thomovsky, clinical professor of veterinary clinical sciences
- Stephanie A. Thomovsky, clinical professor of veterinary clinical sciences
- Nobuko Wakamatsu-Utsuki, clinical professor of comparative pathobiology
To Full Professor
- Sandra D. Taylor, professor of veterinary clinical sciences
- GuangJun Zhang, professor of comparative pathobiology (August 12, 2024)
Following the recognition ceremony, the honorees and guests reconvened in the Veterinary Medical Library for a reception.
