Purdue Veterinary Student Receives Scholarship from AKC Humane Fund, Inc.

November 3, 2023

Kennedi holds up a small painting canvas with a paw print and stethoscope inside a heart during student orientation earlier this year
Kennedi Robinson, of the DVM Class of 2027, pictured during a painting activity during orientation, is one of the 2023 recipients of the Sir John D. Spurling Scholarship.

The AKC® Humane Fund, Inc. has announced the 2023 recipients of the Sir John D. Spurling Scholarship and one is a first-year Purdue veterinary student. The scholarship, which celebrates the human-canine bond, is given to students enrolled in courses of study that contribute to the well-being of dogs and the advancement of responsible pet ownership. The scholarship is named in honor of Sir John D. Spurling, founder of PetPartners, Inc., which provides pet health insurance to pet owners throughout the United States.

The Purdue veterinary student selected as one of this year’s five scholarship recipients is Kennedi Robinson, of the DVM Class of 2027. In announcing the 2023 scholarship recipients, the president of the AKC Humane Fund, Doug Ljungren, said, “These five outstanding students are the future of exemplary pet care professionals. Each one of them has demonstrated their dedication to higher education and a passion for animal welfare, which are important to the AKC Humane Fund. We are pleased to award them with these scholarships and are excited to see what they do in the future.”

The AKC Humane Fund awards $2,500 to each of the five scholarship recipients, payable as tuition assistance to accredited institutions in which each student is enrolled in courses of study focusing on the care of pets.

The AKC Humane FundSM promotes responsible pet ownership through education, outreach, and grant-making. Through its programs, the AKC Humane Fund supports Parent Club Rescue activities; assists shelters for domestic abuse victims that permit pets; and provides resources for responsible dog ownership education.

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

Recent Stories

“Paws Up” – brought to you by the PVM Wellness Committee

Behind the scenes, Alicia Williams has been making PVM a kinder, stronger place.

Purdue Veterinary Medicine Computational Biologist Uses Big Data, AI and Math to Find Patterns in Cancer

With recent advances, cancer research now generates vast amounts of information. The data could help researchers detect patterns in cancer cells and stop their growth, but the sheer volume is just too much for the human mind to digest. Enter Nadia Lanman, research associate professor in the Department of Comparative Pathobiology, whose expertise in computational biology helps researchers at Purdue University distill solutions from the sea of numbers.

Purdue to Host Fourth Annual Antimicrobial Conference in February

With leadership by the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine, the Fourth Annual Conference on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) will be held at Purdue University West Lafayette February 25–26, 2026. With multidrug-resistant infections on the rise globally, this event brings together experts and practitioners across the spectrum of human, animal, and environmental health to address one of today’s most urgent public health challenges.

PVM Well-represented by Humans and Animals During Annual Homecoming Celebrations

Every fall, Boilermakers from near and far return to the campus in West Lafayette for the annual ritual known as Homecoming. And Purdue’s Homecoming events also attract plenty of non-alumni who are Purdue fans, patrons, prospective students, or clients of the Purdue University Veterinary Hospital. During this year’s Homecoming weekend October 24-25, Purdue Veterinary Medicine engaged with attendees in multiple ways, with the help of some furry companions.

Purdue University and Akston Biosciences Bring “First Dose of Hope” in New Cancer Immunotherapy Trial for Dogs with Urinary Bladder Cancer

The Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine, in partnership with Akston Biosciences Corporation, has initiated the enrollment of dogs with urinary bladder cancer in a clinical trial of a pioneering immunotherapy. The strategic partnership between Purdue and Akston was announced in August after the underlying technology was developed at the College of Veterinary Medicine and the Purdue Institute for Cancer Research (PICR).

“Paws Up” – brought to you by the PVM Wellness Committee

Today we share appreciation for Beth Laffoon, MS, RVT, and Holly McCalip, BS, RVT, who are both instructional technologists in the Veterinary Nursing Program.

MMAS Symposium Brings Participants Face to Face with Specialists and Species from Parrots to Pocket Pets

Thanks to Purdue Veterinary Medicine’s Exotic Animal Club and dedicated faculty, staff and students, nearly 100 in-person and on-line participants got a chance recently to gain valuable knowledge and insight about the Medicine of Mammalian and Avian Species. The two-day educational event known as the MMAS Symposium is a biennial conference, and the 2024 edition held in Lynn Hall November 9 and 10 featured an impressive program that included 22 lectures and several hands-on labs, organized into two tracks focusing on avian and mammalian species.

Veterinary Boilermakers Take Part in Purdue One Health Alumni Reunion

Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine faculty, staff and students turned out for Purdue University’s first One Health Alumni Reunion, which was held on the West Lafayette campus November 14-16. They joined more than 150 Boilermakers from a variety of medical professions who came together to network and participate in timely discussions with Purdue President Mung Chiang, First Lady Kei Hui and fellow alumni.