Purdue VBMA Club Hosts Picture-perfect Activity

portrait of a young woman with long, curly, dark hair wearing a red shirt. She is holding a cat that is also wearing a red shirt. — Of course, cats, like third-year veterinary student Kennedi Robinson’s companion Mowgli, kind of stole the show.

When veterinary students in the Purdue Chapter of the Veterinary Business Management Association (VBMA) were looking for a new event to host as a student organization, an intriguing idea came to mind that was easy to “picture” as a perfect success! So the club set out to plan the activity in order to meet an important need of the club members while also providing a fun chance for the students to get keepsake images of their furry study buddies.

portrait of a young man with short blonde hair posed with his gray and white dog in front of a dark gray background — Dogs knew how to turn on the charm too, like third-year veterinary student Devin Stalling’s canine companion Finn.

And the VBMA annual portrait event was born. This year marked the second time the VBMA chapter conducted the activity. Club members used a Google Doc to sign-up for portrait sessions with professional photographer Ed Lausch, who has photographed a number of events for the College of Veterinary Medicine, during the afternoon of December 5 in Lynn Hall room G210.

“The purpose of this event was to create an opportunity for VBMA members to get a professional portrait photo and pictures with their pets,” said Purdue VBMA Chapter President Katrina Gangstad of the DVM Class of 2028. “These headshots can be used for resumes or job applications.”

The activity also helps raise funds for other events for VBMA members, such as Lunch and Learn programs. National Veterinary Associates (NVA) generously sponsored the portrait photography and refreshments, so members only had to pay a small fee for their photo sessions. “During the event, members also were able to network with NVA to discuss job opportunities and externships,” Gangstad said.

three young women stand holding a variety of animals, the woman on the far left is holding an orange cat and is wearing a gray shirt. The woman in the middle is wearing stripes and is posed with a black medium sized dog. The woman on the right is wearing a white sweater and is holding a cat in one hand and a small dog in the other hand. — Some opted for the group photo approach, like (left to right) Megan Lemke, Alayna Lacy and Fiona Ridenour, all of the Class of 2027.

Nearly 50 club members participated, 40 of whom took advantage of the chance to get photos with their pets as well as their portrait pictures. “Participants liked best that photographer Ed Lausch took time with each animal to get the perfect shot,” Gangstad said. Not one to miss any details, she added, “We used squeaky toys to direct the dogs’ attention towards the camera.”

The pictures – worth the proverbial “thousand words” – tell the rest of the story. You can view the pictures at www.lauschphotography.com in the “Client Galleries” section. Look for the 2025 Purdue Veterinary Medicine gallery and use the password “2025PVM” to see the photos of the club members and pets.

“This is one of our favorite events that we put on annually, and our members look forward to it every year,” Gangstad shared.

A group of six young people stand in a line in front of a gray backdrop. They are wearing a variety of colors and are all dressed in business casual attire. One of the women on the right side of the photo is holding a small black dog. — Some of the event participants joined with club officers for a picture (left-right): Grant Heuing and Carter Blessing of the Class of 2029; VBMA Chapter Vice President Lois Sadlowski, President Katrina Gangstad and Treasurer Ashley Diecks, all of the Class of 2028; and Allison Miller, of the Class of 2029.

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

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