A member of Purdue Veterinary Medicine’s DVM Class of 2012 is the newest recipient of the Purdue Department of Animal Sciences Distinguished Mid-Career Alumni Award. Dr. Daniel Wilson, of Needham, Indiana was presented with the award Friday, May 1 at the 2026 Outstanding Students and Distinguished Alumni Awards Program that recognized students and alumni for their achievements, leadership and contributions to the department and industry.
Dr. Wilson received his bachelor’s degree in animal sciences from Purdue in 2008 before continuing on to earn his Purdue DVM degree four years later. He is the founder and lead veterinarian of Wilson Vet Co., an independent poultry veterinary practice dedicated to commercial poultry health and production systems.
Since Dr. Wilson founded the practice in 2017, it has grown to a team of six veterinarians serving producers across nearly 30 states, providing veterinary oversight for more than 100 million U.S. commercial egg layers. Dr. Wilson focuses on preventive medicine, biosecurity strategies and data-driven health management to support complex production systems.
“A lot of the opportunities that shaped my career started at Purdue,” Dr. Wilson said. “Whether it was working at the ASREC poultry unit or conducting undergraduate research under Scotti Hester, PhD, those experiences gave me a practical foundation and my first real exposure to commercial poultry as a career path. In addition, involvement in clubs and programs like the Midwest Poultry Consortium helped me discover opportunities I didn’t even know existed at the time.”
Dr. Wilson and his wife Erin have two children. Outside of work, he volunteers as a club swim official and enjoys supporting Purdue athletics.
This year marked the first time the Animal Sciences Department honored its Outstanding Students and Distinguished Alumni Award recipients together at the same ceremony. The program included recognition of Outstanding Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, Senior and Transfer Student award recipients as well as awards for Distinguished Alumni in the Early Career, Mid-Career and Lifetime categories.
Established in 2002, the Animal Sciences Department Distinguished Alumni Awards program recognizes individuals for outstanding accomplishments and significant contributions to their professions and society. Recipients are selected annually by a committee of Animal Sciences faculty members based on leadership, professional accomplishments and service outside of their careers.
