Skip to main content
College of Veterinary Medicine

Purdue Veterinary Student Wins Prize in Veterinary History Essay Contest

June 26, 2020

A professional headshot of a woman with long, dark hair, smiling against a soft, blurred background.

A string of strong performances by Purdue veterinary students in a national veterinary history essay contest continued this year with four entries being submitted, one of which placed second.  Congratulations to Anna Adams, of the DVM Class of 2021, who won second prize in the Smithcors Veterinary History Essay Contest for her essay entitled, “For the Love of Bastet: A History of Cats in Ancient Egypt.”  As a result, she has earned the publication of her essay in the Veterinary Heritage Journal and a scholarship.

Dr. Jessica Zeiger, a 2018 Purdue DVM graduate who serves as chairperson of the contest, said each of the four Purdue veterinary students who entered this year’s contest received strong praise from the judges. “Professor of Veterinary History David Williams has done an excellent job with the curriculum for his students,” Dr. Zeiger said.  Last year, Dr. Brooke Fourthman, of the DVM Class of 2019, won fourth place in the competition, and the previous year, Dr. Zeiger, who was a fourth-year student at the time, won first place.

Established in 1991, the annual J. Fred Smithcors Student Veterinary History Essay Contest provides a unique opportunity for veterinary students to learn about the heritage of their new profession by researching and writing about a veterinary history topic of their choice.  The contest is named in honor of the late J. Fred Smithcors, DVM, PhD, for his many contributions to veterinary history as founder of the American Veterinary Medical History Society (AVMHS), author of several books on veterinary history, educator, editor, and publisher.  Winners of the top four entries receive cash prizes donated in memory of Elizabeth Atwood Lawrence, VMD, PhD, who served twice as AVMHS president and was a contest judge for many years.

Participation in the essay contest is open to all DVM students currently enrolled in veterinary colleges in the United States, Canada, and West Indies. Students remain eligible to submit one or more essays during each of their four years of study until graduation.  Click here for more information about the essay contest.

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

Recent Stories

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

This week we express our gratitude to Jennifer Danaher, who is department secretary for Veterinary Clinical Sciences.

‘Purdue Pursuits’: A PVM angle on Purdue’s teaching and learning reading groups

Crafting meaningful and engaging course experiences has been at the top of Dielson Vieira’s mind ever since he joined the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine’s faculty in 2024. As a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Vieira is already adept at applying innovative teaching practices to classroom environments, but that doesn’t stop him from seeking out new ideas, approaches and perspectives — insights he gains through outlets like Purdue’s teaching and learning reading groups.

Top tier biology journal publishes PVM study that unlocks secrets of a drug-resistant fungal pathogen, which causes serious infections in humans

Though the name “Candida auris” is far from a household term, public health experts know it well because the multi-drug-resistant fungal pathogen, which causes serious human infections, has been classified as an urgent threat by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Antibiotic Threats Report (2019). Dr. Shankar Thangamani, Associate Professor of Microbiology and University Faculty Scholar in the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine’s Department of Comparative Pathobiology, is researching C. auris, aided by a 2.4 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). New research findings, just published in Nature Microbiology, show how C. auris adapts and evades the immune system.

In Print: ‘Translational Research Methods for Tauopathies’

A just-published 300-page volume edited by Jessica Fortin, Purdue assistant professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine’s Department of Basic Medical Sciences, provides a significant new resource for researchers studying a group of neurodegenerative diseases known as tauopathies. “Translational Research Methods for Tauopathies” provides detailed protocols intentionally selected to serve as a basis for research laboratories seeking to further treatments for such debilitating neurodegenerative diseases as Alzheimer’s and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

It’s Almost Here!

Though the annual Purdue Veterinary Conference is almost upon us, there’s still time to register and take advantage of this time-honored College of Veterinary Medicine fall tradition that combines excellent continuing education with fun opportunities for reconnecting with colleagues and classmates, networking, and learning about the latest veterinary trends and products. The 2026 Purdue Veterinary Conference takes place September 23–26 on the Purdue University campus. The annual event has something for everyone, from veterinarians to veterinary technicians, faculty, staff and students.