Skip to main content

National SAVMA Symposium Recognizes PVM Faculty and Students

Purdue veterinary students at the national SAVMA Symposium

 

Purdue Veterinary students: William, Willis, Kayla Hoenert, and Kristi Crow

Purdue Senior SAVMA Delegate William Willis with Junior SAVMA Delegate Kayla Hoenert (center) and Purdue SAVMA President-elect Kristi Crow at the 2018 SAVMA Symposium, which they and Purdue SAVMA President Brenda Najar participated in as Purdue representatives. William and Kristi are holding awards that they accepted on behalf of Drs. Sandy San Miguel and Kevin Hannon, who they had nominated for the SAVMA Community Outreach Excellence Award and the SAVMA Teaching Excellence Award, respectively.

The Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine was well-represented at the 2018 SAVMA Symposium, which is the annual national conference of the Student American Veterinary Medical Association.  During the event held March 15-17 at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, two PVM faculty members received awards and more than two dozen PVM students participated in various lectures, labs, and special events.

The faculty members honored were Dr. Sandy San Miguel (PU DVM ’93), associate dean for engagement and professor of swine production medicine, and Dr. Kevin Hannon, associate professor of basic medical sciences.  Dr. San Miguel received the SAVMA Community Outreach Excellence Award.  The award selection is based on a nomination process.  The nomination is intended for students to publicly acknowledge how faculty members, clinicians, and other respected individuals engaged in a veterinary field have gone above and beyond their own professional responsibilities and duties to interact with and make a difference in the local and/or global community as servant leaders.  Dr. Hannon received the SAVMA Teaching Excellence Award.  The award is designed to honor outstanding teachers in the veterinary medical profession who deserve to be recognized for their impact on veterinary students.  Congratulations to both Dr. Hannon and Dr. San Miguel!

With support provided by Purdue SAVMA, 26 Purdue veterinary students attended the national SAVMA Symposium in Philadelphia.  In addition to attending lectures and wet-labs, the students also were able to participate in competitions and special events.  Special congratulations are in order for the Purdue Trivia Team, which received the highest score and won a new Merck Manual from Zuku Review.

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

Recent Stories

CPB faculty member receives research journal publication award

Dr. Christopher Rice, assistant professor of parasitology in Purdue Veterinary Medicine’s Department of Comparative Pathobiology (CPB), has been honored as the recipient of the 2026 Jack L. Beal Award for a paper published in the Journal of Natural Products.  The journal, in partnership with the American Society of Pharmacognosy (ASP) and American Chemical Society (ACS), announced in September the recipients of the Beal Award and two other research awards – the Arthur E. Schwarting Award and the A. Douglas Kinghorn Award for Best Perspective or Review. The awards recognize the best papers published each year in the Journal of Natural Products.

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

This week we want to give a big “high five” to Craig Weiderhaft who is a phone communications and front desk representative at the Purdue University Veterinary Hospital.

Dogs across the Midwest find customized care at the Evan and Sue Ann Werling Comparative Oncology Research Center

Studying canine cancer — including personalizing treatments, honing protocols and exploring new drugs, all of which will shed light on human cancer care — is the focus of veterinary researchers at a specialized center at the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine.

Faculty and staff contributions move Purdue Veterinary Medicine toward goal for Purdue United Way Campaign

With the 2026 Purdue United Way Campaign in full swing, Purdue Veterinary Medicine faculty and staff participation is advancing the college toward its campaign support goal. At the halfway point of the campaign, figures show the college is nearly halfway to its goal of raising $20,000.

In Memory – Dr. Raymond E. Plue (PU DVM ’68)

The Purdue Veterinary Medicine community is deeply saddened by the passing of Dr. Raymond E. Plue, who was a generous, fun-loving, adventuresome and larger-than-life alumnus. Dr. Plue passed away Saturday, October 10, 2026, in Columbia, Missouri. He was 81.