Purdue Professor Emeritus Bill Blevins Wins Lifetime Achievement Award at ACVR Annual Meeting

Dr. Bill Blevins (center) with Ryan King (left), ACVR President, and Dr. Linda Homco, of the Purdue DVM Class of 1979, who nominated Dr. Blevins for the Bernstein Lifetime Achievement Award, which requires support from two other members and the unanimous approval of the ACVR’s governing body.

The American College of Veterinary Radiology (ACVR) gave its esteemed Lifetime Achievement Award for 2024 to a Purdue Professor Emeritus well known to countless Purdue Veterinary Medicine alumni for the expertise he taught them about all things Diagnostic Imaging during his long Purdue career. Dr. William (Bill) Blevins, Professor Emeritus of Diagnostic Imaging and a member of the Purdue DVM Class of 1968, received the Bernstein Lifetime Achievement Award at the ACVR’s annual meeting, which was held October 30 through November 2, 2024 in Norfolk, Virginia. The award is for outstanding contributions to the ACVR.

During the award presentation, Dr. Bevins was recognized as a specialist who is passionate about diagnostic imaging and radiates that passion to others. It was noted that one of his greatest attributes is teaching, with the consistent goal of helping people to understand. He also was praised as someone who gets the most enjoyment out of seeing others understand a new concept and use it to solve problems.
Board-certified by the ACVR in 1973, Dr. Blevins served on the Purdue Veterinary Medicine faculty from 1970 until his retirement in 2009. In his current role as a consultant and editor of the Diagnostic Imaging folder for the Veterinary Information Network, he has the opportunity to continue teaching on a one-on-one basis. He is known for never being satisfied with just “recognizing” or “identifying” an appearance on an image – but rather insisting on understanding WHY it is there.

He also was recognized for being a learner. It was pointed out that in 1983, he obtained the college’s first ultrasound machine, at a time when there were no textbooks on veterinary ultrasound. So he had to discover the knowledge for himself. As a result of collaboration with human medicine, other veterinary radiologists, and his own discovery, ultrasound imaging became an integral part of the college’s diagnostic imaging service.

Dr. Blevins also formed collaborative groups with the University of Illinois, Michigan State University and Ohio State University that involved impromptu meetings, which included sharing of information and questions that helped everyone to learn.

As the award ceremony concluded, a quote was offered from painter and sculptor Pablo Picasso: “The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.” The award presentation then ended with the observation, “That would be Bill.”

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

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