Creator of College’s Wellness Program Honored at Farewell Reception

August 9, 2019

Dr. Nan holds a framed photo of the Continuum sculpture with Dr. Salisbury and Dean Reed by her side — Purdue Veterinary Medicine Therapist and Counselor Luana Nan with Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Kathleen Salisbury (left) and Dean Willie Reed at a farewell reception July 29. Guests autographed a commemorative photo of the College’s Continuum sculpture, which was presented to Dr. Nan in appreciation for her role in building a counseling and wellness program.

After more than six years with the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine, during which she created a counseling and wellness program, Dr. Luana Nan, PVM therapist and counselor, is heading west to be closer to her daughter in Utah. She will be working at the University of Utah in the university counseling center.

Dr. Nan earned a Bachelor of Science degree in physics at the University of Bucharest, a bachelor’s degree in psychology at the University of Utah, a master’s degree in counseling psychology at the University of Illinois and then a PhD in counseling psychology at the University of Illinois. She worked as a psychologist at IUPUI before coming to Purdue in 2013, when she immediately began building a PVM wellness program from scratch. Her position involved providing support for veterinary medicine and veterinary nursing students in various forms, such as personal, academic, and relationship counseling. “When I was putting the program together, I talked to professionals with similar positions at other universities and collected information on what veterinary medicine and veterinary nursing students need. All of this knowledge was valuable in crafting the PVM Counseling and Wellness Services that exist today,” said Dr. Nan.

Dr. Nan stands with her Student Services colleagues at her farewell reception — Dr. Luana Nan is joined by her colleagues from the Student Services Office (left-right): Lori Stout, Amanda Taylor, Suzanne Kennedy, Dr. Jim Weisman, and Carol Zink.

Purdue Veterinary Medicine staff held a farewell reception for Dr. Nan on July 29, where Dr. Kathleen Salisbury, associate dean for academic affairs, and Dean Willie Reed spoke about Dr. Nan’s positive impact during her time here. “The wellness program and wellness committee that Dr. Nan has developed have been wonderful. She has educated all of us about wellness issues and will be leaving a big mark on PVM,” said Dr. Salisbury. Dean Reed added, “Dr. Nan has been an integral part of the PVM family and has touched the hearts of so many students. We are forever grateful to her for what she has done for our community.”

Dr. Salisbury presented Dr. Nan with a photo of the Continuum sculpture that all the attendees at the farewell reception were invited to sign. “This experience has been so valuable, and I am so glad I have had the opportunity to grow with all of you,” Dr. Nan said.

The Purdue Veterinary Medicine family will miss Dr. Nan and we wish her the best in her new position!

Writer(s): Maya Sanaba, PVM Communications Intern | pvmnews@purdue.edu

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.