Purdue Veterinary Medicine Fosters Learning and Engagement linking people, animals and agriculture at Indiana State Fair

two veterinary professionals are standing and doing an examination of a small sheep. Both people are wearing short-sleeve black shirts and gloves. — Purdue 4th-year veterinary students Victoria Shaw and Courtney Matty check on the health of a lamb in “Momma Town” at the Indiana State Fair.

In just more than two weeks’ time during the month of August, the 2026 Indiana State Fair served up an abundance of fun, food, and festivities, and in the midst of it all, faculty, staff and students from the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine were visible and vibrant participants. Purdue Veterinary Medicine representatives made a difference in a variety of ways, from providing veterinary care for the animals on the fairgrounds, to helping animal agriculture organizations as volunteers, to conducting veterinary checks on animals at the annual 4-H State Fair Dog Show and Cat Show.

Veterinary medical professionals are in a pen with a black and white cow, performing an imaging procedure with ultrasound equipment. — Dr. Laura May, food animal clinician, teaches veterinary students about using a portable ultrasound machine during their clinical rotation at the State Fair.

2026 proved to be another successful year for the Indiana State Fair in Indianapolis, which opened Friday August 7 and ran through Sunday, August 23. Final figures showed that more than 800,460 people attended and had the opportunity to view more than 48,000 exhibits including numerous 4-H and open exhibits, many of which featured animals, both small and large.

A large group of people wearing black shirts and blue gloves is standing in an animal pen with a small cow — Fourth-year veterinary students who participated in the State Fair clinical rotation (left-right) Kat Angeles, Taylor Orefice (Ross University clinical year student), Victoria Shaw, Paige Terry (St. George’s University clinical year student), Lexi Giddons, Hallie Sorg, and Courtney Matty.

Looking after the veterinary needs of the livestock and poultry at the fair was a group of fourth-year Purdue veterinary students who were led and instructed by Dr. Bethany Funnell, clinical associate professor of bovine theriogenology, and Dr. Laura May, food animal clinician in the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences. The students gained invaluable hands-on experience in food animal medicine while ensuring the safety and well-being of the animals exhibited at the fair. Their presence also offered exhibitors and families the opportunity to see future veterinarians in action, and reflected the College’s commitment to preparing skilled practitioners who understand both animal health and agricultural production. Over the course of the Fair’s two-week run, they treated 30 animals.

Special thanks to the following fourth-year Purdue veterinary students and clinical year students who helped provide this service:

Kat Angeles
Lexi Giddons
Courtney Matty
Taylor Orefice (Clinical Year Student from Ross University)
Victoria Shaw
Hallie Sorg
Paige Terry (Clinical Year Student from St. George’s University)

Purdue Veterinary Medicine Dean Bret Marsh also engaged with fairgoers in multiple settings, including addressing exhibitors in the beef, dairy, swine, sheep and goat barns over the microphone during the livestock shows. At the Indiana Rural Caucus, Dean Marsh and other Purdue representatives joined agricultural leaders to discuss pressing issues and emphasize the importance of training veterinary professionals who can serve livestock producers, protect animal health, and ensure food security across the state.

A man wearing a long sleeve white shirt is speaking into a microphone — Dean Bret Marsh spoke at the Indiana Rural Caucus session held during the State Fair

The college also supported and was represented at several other signature State Fair events, including the annual Pork Breakfast that opened the fair, the Harvest Dinner showcasing Indiana agriculture and its youth, and the Grand Drive and Supreme Drive, where the state’s top livestock exhibitors showcased the best of the barns as they competed for the top prize in the Corteva Coliseum. Faculty, staff and students also showed their support of Indiana agriculture by volunteering at two of the producer organization food stands – the American Dairy Association of Indiana Dairy Bar on August 13, and the Indiana Beef Cattle Association Hoosier Ribeye Stand on August 19. And they stayed busy working behind the counters, as the food tents definitely were popular. The Dairy Bar, for example, served a total of 62,000 milkshakes and 38,600 grilled cheese sandwiches over the run of the fair!

A large group of people are standing around a cow statue. The cow appears to be standing on a wheel of cheese. — The PVM volunteer team that served-up ice-cream, shakes and grilled cheese sandwiches at the Dairy Bar paused for a group photo during a rare quiet moment at the start of their morning shift on August 13.

A small group of people appear ready for food preparation. They are standing at a metal table handling bread, and are wearing visors and gloves. — PVM volunteers who helped out at the Hoosier Ribeye Stand August 19 included (left-right) Purdue pre-vet student Valeria Delgado, Dr. Craig Bowen, Kelly Dold, Leslie Martin, Susan Xioufaridou and Amy Willoughby.

Four men are standing in a barn doorway. — Dr. Leon Thacker (left) at the historical veterinary clinic building with Dean Bret Marsh, Dr. Gordon Cripe (PU DVM ’69) and Gary Emsweller, superintendent of the Indiana State Fair Pioneer Village.

Another meaningful highlight involved volunteers who assisted Dr. Leon Thacker, former Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory director and professor emeritus of comparative pathobiology, at the veterinary clinic building in the Pioneer Village. The historical veterinary clinic provides visitors with an educational glimpse into the history of animal health and the role of veterinary medicine in Indiana’s agricultural heritage. Dr. Thacker coordinated arrangements for the clinic to be open and staffed with volunteers during the fair.

Then on the last weekend of the State Fair, Purdue Veterinary Medicine volunteers, including veterinary students and clinicians, provided veterinary support for the ever popular 4H Dog Show Saturday, August 22. The students worked in teams and examined 302 dogs with their handlers in about three hours. Each team began bright and early in the morning and performed a brief physical exam on each dog, looking for contagious diseases or other health concerns. Nearly a dozen students participated including seven members of the DVM class of 2027, two clinical year students, a pre-vet student, two graduate students and a visiting veterinary student from Western University. The teams worked under the guidance of two Purdue Small Animal Primary Care clinicians – Drs. Steve Thompson and Preston Collins – with the help of Jess Douglas, Small Animal Primary Care veterinary assistant.

Special thanks to the following PVM student volunteers:

DVM Class of 2027

Michael Anderson
Kat Garcia
Caden Helfrich
Bryanna Lopez
Shion Otsuka
Kaitlin Pfeiffer
Nolan Turoci

Pre-Vet

Destiny Morales

Clinical Year Students

Voris Bryant
Clara Murta

Western University Veterinary Student (who was here for a clinical pathology rotation)

Natalie Kossuth

Purdue Behavior Medicine Graduate Students

Reina Nishiura, BVSc

Two people are featured in the photo on opposite sides of the table with a dog between them — Purdue veterinary student Shion Otsuka examines a 4-H member’s dog at the State Fair 4-H Dog Show.

A large group of volunteers are posed for a photo, holding a large sign with green and white text, and a dog is in front of the group. — Purdue veterinary students, staff and faculty who helped with the 4-H Dog Show at the State Fair pose for a group photo with one of the show dogs named Cinder.

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

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