New PVM Interim Assistant Dean for Clinical Education Named

As of this week, Dr. Wendy Townsend, professor of Ophthalmology in the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, has begun serving as interim assistant dean for clinical education in the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine. Her appointment was effective Wednesday, April 16.

“I am very pleased Dr. Townsend has agreed to assume this responsibility, and I look forward to working with her in this new role,” said Bret Marsh, DVM, dean of the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine.

Dr. Townsend succeeds Dr. Jim Weisman, who today (Friday, April 18) is completing his last day on the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine faculty as he transitions to his new role as chief of academic affairs, research and accreditation for the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). A reception was held in Dr. Weisman’s honor Wednesday, when he was recognized for his 17 years of dedicated and visionary service to the college. A story on the reception will be published at a later date.

A Lexington, Kentucky native, Dr. Townsend earned her DVM degree at Auburn University and then completed her residency at Purdue in 2003, when she was board certified by the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists. She then served seven years on the faculty at Michigan State University before returning to Purdue to join the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences faculty. Dr. Townsend’s particular areas of interest include equine ophthalmology, especially cataract surgery, corneal disease and uveitis, as well as golden retriever pigmentary uveitis and ocular drug delivery. She also serves as Small Animal Chief of Staff in the Purdue University Veterinary Hospital, and provides ocular examinations and surgeries on all species of animals.

Writer(s): Kevin Doerr | 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.