Dr. Iverson Bell, Jr. Gives Keynote Address During PVM’s Inclusive Excellence Week

Dr. Iverson Bell, Jr. pictured with <a href=Purdue VOICE officers" class="wp-image-3483" />
Dr. Iverson Bell, Jr. is joined by officers of PVM’s VOICE Chapter (left-right): Destiny Evans, vice-president; Walter-John McGowan, social chair; Annadele Harris, broad spectrum liaison; Taylor Bolinger, historian; Linette Aponte, secretary; Jesse Whitfield, treasurer; and Edris Grate, president.

The 2019 VOICE (Veterinarians as One Inclusive Community for Empowerment) Inclusive Excellence Week was punctuated with a Martin Luther King, Jr. Keynote Address on Wednesday, January 23, by Dr. Iverson C. Bell, Jr., who is a teacher, training doctor, and psychiatrist at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center.  Dr. Bell is one of four Black training directors out of 248 psychiatry residency programs and one of the 840 Black psychiatrists out of 28,000 in the U.S. He also is known in veterinary circles as the son of a small animal veterinarian who practiced in Terre Haute, Ind., and lectured at Purdue.  Dr. Iverson Bell, Sr. worked tirelessly to promote equal opportunity for all and to increase diversity in the veterinary profession, and his legacy is honored through both the national Iverson Bell Symposium hosted by the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC), and the Iverson Bell Midwest Regional Diversity Summit.

Dr. Iverson Bell, Jr. pictured
Dr. Iverson Bell, Jr. gives the keynote lecture for PVM’s Inclusive Excellence Week.

The address by Dr. Iverson Bell, Jr., titled “Wellness Challenges for Students and in the Real World”, introduced the idea of coping with burnout by making decisions for the intended outcome of holistic fulfillment. In particular, Dr. Bell encouraged individuals to make career decisions around their love and joy for the work and to also serve as peer support for individuals who may be experiencing burnout in school and/or in their career. He emphasized that self-care plays an integral part in reaching personal fulfillment. The event was co-sponsored with PVM’s Diversity Action Committee (DAC).

The keynote address was one of several special events during Purdue Veterinary Medicine’s Inclusive Excellence Week, presented by VOICE.  “Initiated in the spring of 2018, Inclusive Excellence Week is designed to inspire, empower, and engage groups by sparking discussions around diversity and inclusion,” said VOICE president Edris Grate, of the DVM Class of 2021. He added, “It was an honor to host Dr. Iverson Bell, Jr., not only for his knowledge pertaining to wellness and psychology, but also for the legacy of his father, Dr. Iverson Bell, Sr.”

Writer(s): Latonia Craig and Kevin Doerr | pvmnews@purdue.edu

Recent Stories

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

Today we extend appreciation for Kyle Moffitt who is a Senior IT Technician in PVMIT.

Purdue Veterinary Hospital Participates in One-Day National Effort to Preserve Sight of Service Dogs

The Purdue University Veterinary Hospital’s Ophthalmology Service came to the aid of canines dedicated to lives of service recently during a special day set aside for checking the eye health of service dogs. On May 12, the Ophthalmology Service participated in the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists (ACVO)/Epicur National Service Animal Eye Exam event by providing free eye exams for qualified service dogs.

Sophie’s Comeback: Purdue Veterinary Specialists Help a Lame Dog Walk Again

A series of articles about animals and their owners who’ve found help and healing at the Purdue University Veterinary Hospital continues today as we share Sophie’s story. This story begins two years ago when an Easter morning emergency resulted in Sophie being brought to the hospital where veterinarians in the Neurology and Neurosurgery Service gave the paralyzed dog a second chance to walk.

Summer Break Signals Start of Summer Research for Purdue Veterinary Scholars

A feast of classic Indiana picnic food marked the traditional kick-off for the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine’s Veterinary Scholars Summer Research Program. The annual program provides an opportunity for Purdue veterinary students as well as undergraduate students from Purdue and other universities to experience what it is like to conduct clinical and basic science research as they work with a faculty mentor to carry out a summer research project.