More PVM Students Earn Certificates of Diversity and Inclusion in Veterinary Medicine

February 28, 2020

Dean Reed stands beside a group of students holding up their certificates — Dean Willie Reed honored seven first-year DVM students in VM 82500 at the beginning of class on February 25 for earning their Certificates of Diversity and Inclusion in Veterinary Medicine: (back row, left-right) Evan Ward, Malaycia Goldsmith, Keri Anderson, and Samantha Larkin; (front row, left-right) Jenny Oberhelman, Taryn Stevens, and Elimar Ruiz Cortes.

The Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine is recognizing a group of DVM and veterinary nursing students who recently completed their Certificates of Diversity and Inclusion in Veterinary Medicine. Developed in conjunction with the American Veterinary Medical Association and the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges, the certificate program is offered through PVM’s Center of Excellence for Diversity and Inclusion in Veterinary Medicine.

Requirements for earning the certificate include cultural competency assessments, completion of a series of online modules, community service, participation in approved activities, and submission of a capstone paper detailing how the person will use the information learned through the program to strengthen diversity and inclusion in veterinary medicine. All students currently enrolled at PVM are registered for the program and are required to complete the online modules. Then they may choose to complete the rest of the requirements on their own time.

First-year DVM students finish the online modules as part of the required VM 82500 class, “Current Issues in Veterinary Medicine.” Seven of the students in the DVM Class of 2023, six students in the Veterinary Nursing Class of 2020, and a fourth-year DVM student, who is away on a study abroad experience, went the extra mile to earn their Certificates of Diversity and Inclusion in Veterinary Medicine by completing the additional requirements. The first-year students in VM 82500 who completed the program were recognized individually by Dean Willie Reed at the beginning of class on February 25, when he personally presented their certificates.

Congratulations to all of the following PVM students for recently completing the Certificate of Diversity and Inclusion in Veterinary Medicine program:

DVM Class of 2023:

Keri Anderson
Malaycia Goldsmith
Samantha Larkin
Jenny Oberhelman
Elimar Ruiz Cortes
Taryn Stevens
Evan Ward

DVM Class of 2020:

Danielle Miller

Veterinary Nursing Class of 2020:

Megan Allan
Marie Herring
Evelyn Foster
Sydni Mullet
Caitlin Obren
Erica Wright

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

Recent Stories

Indiana FFA Names PVM’s Julia Wickard as One of Five New Board Members

Executive Director of the Purdue Veterinary Alumni Association and Constituent Liaison Julia Wickard is one of five newly named members of the Indiana FFA Foundation board of directors. The appointments took effect July 1.

Alumnus and Oncology Specialist Dr. Christopher Fulkerson Appointed as Associate Dean for Purdue Veterinary Hospitals

Purdue Veterinary Medicine Dean Bret D. Marsh, DVM, has named Dr. Christopher Fulkerson as Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs and Chief Veterinary Officer for the Purdue Veterinary Hospitals. The appointment was announced July 1, the same day that Dr. Fulkerson’s promotion to full Clinical Professor of Veterinary Medical Oncology took effect.

“Paws Up” for the ADDL Accessioning and Molecular Teams – brought to you by the PVM Wellness Committee

This week, we express our sincere gratitude to our ADDL Accessioning and Molecular Teams (and cross trained individuals).

PVM Dean Bret Marsh Shares College Update with Swine Producers and Industry Partners at Major Swine Event in Indianapolis

Swine Health was the focus of a significant event recently at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis as swine industry partners and swine producers gathered for the National Junior Summer Spectacular (NJSS) and Summer Type Conference (STC). The event was held at the end of June in the Fall Creek Pavillion and included a Swine Health Briefing that featured swine industry and veterinary medicine leaders including Purdue Veterinary Medicine Dean Bret Marsh, who also had an opportunity to provide an update on the College of Veterinary Medicine.

2026 Annual Recognition Ceremony Honors VCS Residents, Graduate Students, and PVH Interns

On Monday, June 29, 2026, more than 100 faculty and staff from the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences and the Purdue University Veterinary Hospital gathered at Thomas Duncan Hall for the 2026 Resident and Intern Recognition Ceremony. This annual event provides a great opportunity to honor and celebrate the contributions of the residents, interns, and graduate students who are completing their programs this summer.

New Administrative Assistant Joins PVM Office of Student Success

The Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine welcomes Charity Holden as the new administrative assistant in the Office of Student Success.

“Paws Up” for Scott Fix – brought to you by the PVM Wellness Committee

This week we are highlighting Scott Fix who is the Lead Facilities Manager in the Department of Veterinary Administration.

Remembering Zeus: A Legacy of Loyalty and Love

We continue our series of articles about animals and their owners who’ve found help and healing at the Purdue University Veterinary Hospital by sharing the story of a beloved dog named Zeus. For Amy Fitzsimmons-Blaising, Zeus wasn’t just a dog, he was her spirit animal and best friend. A proud Giant Schnauzer bred in Bedford, Indiana, Zeus had been the heart of Amy’s home for 11 unforgettable years. Then, in October 2024, Zeus’s health challenges began, when he started coughing and showing signs that looked like seizures. After rushing him to a local veterinary urgent care facility, Amy learned he was in congestive heart failure, and she turned to the Purdue University Veterinary Hospital for help.

PVM Scholar Receives Purdue WGHI Pilot Grant Aimed at Advancing Women’s Health

Purdue University’s Women’s Global Health Institute (WGHI) has announced six pilot research grant awards aimed at solving critical problems in women’s health and quality of life, and one of recipients is Purdue Veterinary Medicine faculty member Viju Vijayan Pillai. Dr. Pillai is assistant professor of anatomic pathology in the College of Veterinary Medicine’s Department of Comparative Pathobiology.

The universal socket set of vaccines: Innovative technology heralds more effective, more efficient vaccines

You fight fire with fire. And Purdue Veterinary Medicine vaccine expert Suresh Mittal fights viruses with viruses. Using innovative techniques, Dr. Mittal, Distinguished Professor of Virology in the College of Veterinary Medicine’s Department of Comparative Pathobiology, develops novel vaccines for viral infections including avian influenza.