Since 2019 marks Purdue Veterinary Medicine’s 60th Anniversary, the College is getting ready for a special Kick-off Celebration in just three weeks. Held as part of the Indiana Veterinary Medical Association’s (IVMA) annual meeting in Indianapolis, the luncheon on Friday, March 1, is designed for PVM faculty, staff, students, alumni, and friends of the College, and will feature a keynote address by PVM alumna Karen Cornell (PU DVM ’88, PhD ’93) as well as entertainment by the Purdue Musical Organization’s group called the “Voiceovers.” Dr. Cornell is a professor and associate dean for professional programs at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. Her talk is entitled, “The Continuum of Veterinary Medicine: Meeting at the Nexus of Change from Plow Horse to Poodles, from Anthrax to Zika, from Student to CEO.”
The 60th Anniversary Kick-off Luncheon is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m., at the Marriott Indianapolis East Veterans Hall, 7202 E. 21st St., Indianapolis. PVM family members who are attending do not need to be an IVMA annual meeting registrant. However, those who plan to attend other events at the conference must be registered as a meeting attendee through the IVMA. A motor coach will be available for people riding from Lynn Hall to the IVMA annual meeting for this event. The motor coach will depart Lynn Hall at 9:00 a.m. and return around 3:30 p.m. If you are interested in riding the motor coach, register today using the link above. Motor coach seating is limited.
“We are excited to launch our PVM 60th Anniversary year of celebration on Friday, March 1, in Indianapolis,” Dean Willie Reed said. “We have arranged round trip transportation from Lynn Hall. It is my hope that our faculty, staff, and students will take part in this event and the other events that will be held later this year. Please work with your supervisor to seek approval to join us for the 60th Anniversary Kick-off event.”
Dr. Cornell is a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons and is currently a member of the Board of Regents for the same organization. She is a soft tissue surgeon with a primary interest in communication skills training for veterinary professionals, teaching methodologies, and reconstructive surgery. After earning her DVM degree at Purdue University in 1988, Dr. Cornell worked for two years in private practice and then returned to Purdue to complete an internship, small animal surgery residency, and PhD. She served on the faculty at the University of Georgia for 18 years prior to accepting an appointment at Texas A&M University in 2016.
Dr. Cornell is a two-time recipient of the Carl Norden-Pfizer Distinguished Teaching Award, and in 2011 she was named a Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor, the highest award for teaching at the University of Georgia. Dr. Cornell became involved with communication training in 2003 when she was a participant in the first Bayer Communication Project train-the-trainer program for veterinary faculty. She has served as a trainer for each of the subsequent annual veterinary faculty courses offered by the Institute for Healthcare Communication. Dr. Cornell’s previous private practice experience and current role in teaching veterinary students afford her a unique appreciation for the importance of communication and leadership in veterinary practice, and for the necessity of providing practical training in both areas to all members of the veterinary healthcare team.
The Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine opened its doors to its first incoming class of veterinary students in 1959, making 2019 the College’s 60th Anniversary. Planned 60th Anniversary celebrations include a special international continuing education program in Belize and Guatemala with the Belize Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic/Wildlife Institute April 7 – 14, focusing on multiple aspects of wildlife medicine and rehabilitation. Additional planned activities include trips suitable for families of PVM alumni, faculty, and staff to Fair Oaks Farm in June and the Indianapolis Zoo in July. To officially mark the day of the College’s 60th Anniversary, a PVM Birthday Celebration will be held September 9 when, 60 years prior, Purdue’s very first class of veterinary students attended their first day of classes in the newly minted School of Veterinary Science and Medicine, as it was called then. The 60th Anniversary celebrations will reach their climax during the 2019 Purdue Veterinary Conference, which will feature a special event called, “PVM through the Decades — 60th Celebration!” to be held Thursday, September 19.
In addition, arrangements have been made for various men’s and women’s apparel items that will include PVM’s 60th Anniversary graphic. The initial order will be made by February 15, to ensure delivery of the items prior to the March 1 Kick-off event. The order form and payment should be submitted to Student Services as soon as possible.
The College’s anniversary coincides with the 150th Anniversary of Purdue University’s founding. Purdue’s Sesquicentennial celebrations are focused on the theme, “150 Years of Giant Leaps,” inspired by Purdue alumnus Neil Armstrong’s historic statement on the moon.
