Skip to main content

Compelling Keynote to Kick-off Iverson Bell Regional Diversity Summit at Purdue

Promotional graphic for a regional diversity summit featuring diverse elements and a stylized silhouette.

The Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine will host the Iverson Bell Midwest Regional Diversity Summit beginning next Friday, May 18, with a keynote address by Glenn E. Singleton, founder of the Pacific Education Group, which seeks to achieve racial equity in education.  The Summit, which runs through Sunday, May 20, is designed for faculty, staff, and students to develop their cultural competency and support a diverse and inclusive academic environment.  Topics for the 2018 event will focus on learning to have planned, and in the moment, courageous conversations in the context of the curriculum, student affairs, and institutional culture.

The event kicks off with a luncheon Friday, when Mr. Singleton will deliver the keynote address.  He has devoted more than 30 years to constructing racial equity worldwide and developing leaders to do the same. He is the author of Courageous Conversations about Race: A Field Guide for Achieving Equity in Schools (2006), a protocol for sustained, deep dialog.

Kathy Wong (Lau), chief diversity officer at San Jose State University, along with Anna Yeakley, Intergroup Relations Program director at UCLA will assist in the facilitation of the Summit.  Additional sessions include Intergroup Dialogue Skills and a Panel Discussion featuring students, staff, and faculty.  Throughout the event, participants will spend time developing role play scenarios to demonstrate how to have both planned, and spontaneous, courageous conversations in the context of the curriculum, student affairs, and institutional culture.

On Saturday, May 19, Summit sponsor Zoetis, will honor two faculty/staff from a veterinary college in the Midwest region with the Zoetis Diversity and Inclusion Awards.  Recipients are chosen for their contributions towards supporting progress in achieving diversity and inclusion in their respective institutions.

The Iverson Bell Midwest Regional Diversity Summit is a collaboration involving the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, and the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine.

There’s still time to register, but you must register today.  Registration closes tonight, Friday, May 11, 2018.   Click here for more information about the Summit.

Writer(s): Andrea Brown, Kevin Doerr | pvmnews@purdue.edu

Recent Stories

Purdue Veterinary Medicine Welcomes New Clinical Residents and Specialty Intern

A new class of clinical residents arrived this summer at the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine to begin their specialty training. On July 16, 2026, the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences (VCS) held a welcome breakfast to introduce the new VCS residents to faculty and staff. The breakfast provided the opportunity for the new residents and a new specialty intern in neurology to meet current VCS residents, as well as the faculty and staff they will be working closely with during their time at Purdue.

American Board of Veterinary Toxicology Honors Purdue Professor and ADDL Senior Veterinary Toxicologist Steve Hooser

Dr. Steve Hooser, DVM, PhD, DABVT, professor of veterinary toxicology at the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine and senior veterinary toxicologist for the Indiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (ADDL), has received the American Board of Veterinary Toxicology's (ABVT) 2026 Service Award.  Given in recognition of a career that has shaped the field of veterinary toxicology for more than four decades, the award was announced July 13 at the ABVT Annual Business meeting held in Anaheim, California, in conjunction with the AVMA Convention 2026.

New Class of Veterinary Hospital Interns and Pharmacy Resident Welcomed to PVM

A total of 13 new interns and a new veterinary pharmacy resident began their advanced training in the Purdue University Veterinary Hospital this summer. The group of interns includes nine veterinarians who are completing a small animal rotating internship and four who are doing a large animal rotating internship. In addition, a pharmacy school graduate began the one year Wasson Veterinary Pharmacy Residency program, which is jointly offered by the Purdue Colleges of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy.

“Paws Up” for Lilia Beal-Preston and Mikey Galvin – brought to you by the PVM Wellness Committee

This week, we’re proud to recognize DVM students Lilia Beal-Preston and Mikey Galvin, who received a Paws Up recognition from a client after caring for the client's dog at the Purdue University Veterinary Hospital.

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

Today we are congratulating Jennifer Danaher, who is a department secretary for Veterinary Clinical Sciences, for being recognized as a helpful colleague in our college.

Boo the Miracle Dog: A Story of Bravery, Breakthroughs, and a Bond That Inspires

Our series of articles about animals and their owners who've found help and healing at the Purdue University Veterinary Hospital continues with the story of "miracle dog" Boo Davis. At 13 years old, Boo Davis is living proof of the power of persistence, expert veterinary care, and the unshakable love between a pet and her person. Affectionately known as Lisa’s “miracle dog,” Boo’s journey is one that not only has extended her life, but also has helped shape the future of cancer treatment for other pets, too.

Placating Pets to Help them COPE this Fourth of July

Despite the excellent tips experts provide each year for pet safety and welfare on the 4th of July, many pet families still run into trouble and lose their pets. What are we missing and how can we even better protect our animal companions? That question is answered in an article by Dr. Candace Croney, director of the Center for Animal Welfare Science.