Purdue VOICE receives Chapter of the Year and Excellence in Servitude and External Relations Awards

February 11, 2022

This year, the Purdue Veterinary Medicine Chapter of Veterinarians as One Inclusive Community for Empowerment (VOICE) was recognized by the national VOICE organization with two awards: Excellence in Servitude and External Relations and Chapter of the Year. The Excellence in Servitude and External Relations Award recognizes a VOICE chapter which, in the past year, demonstrated exceptional commitment to serving their community through service and outreach. The Chapter of the Year is awarded annually to a chapter that fully encompasses the purpose of VOICE and exceeds the chapter requirements that are spelled out in the National Constitution and Bylaws.

The Purdue chapter was notified of the awards in early January in conjunction with the VOICE National Meeting held virtually January 7-9, 2022. Each award includes a $500 prize, meaning the Purdue chapter received a total of $1,000 to support future programming and the chapter’s continued excellence.

“We want to express our gratitude towards VOICE National for these awards,” said Purdue VOICE Chapter President Tyra Jenkins. “We work hard to help make the college as inclusive and welcoming as possible and we plan to use this funding to keep promoting diverse and inclusive programming for our community.”

Purdue VOICE is a unique organization that seeks to bridge the gap between professors, veterinary students, and veterinary nursing students, encouraging people from various backgrounds to exchange ideas, celebrate diversity, and discover common ground. All are welcome to experience chapter events, such as panel discussions and keynote speakers, and to learn more about the PVM family both personally and professionally.

“We believe VOICE is an important organization because its events are hosted by students for students,” Tyra said.

VOICE National is a student-run organization that seeks to increase awareness, respect, and sensitivity to differences among all individuals and communities in the field of veterinary medicine. VOICE also aims to celebrate diversity within the profession, to encourage campus environments that embrace diversity and promote the success of all students, and to emphasize the importance of cross-cultural awareness in veterinary medicine to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse clientele.

In addition to the Chapter of the Year and Excellence in Servitude and External Relations awards, the national organization also presented awards for Programming Excellence and the Most Improved Chapter during the national meeting.  Those awards went to VOICE chapters at the University of Georgia and Colorado State University, respectively.

Writer(s): Hailee Rolofson, PVM Communications Intern | pvmnews@purdue.edu

Recent Stories

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

The Wellness Committee would like to extend a heartfelt Paws Up to Laurie Marsh, who is a supervisor for the Emergency Critical Care & Small Animal Reception team.

Purdue VBMA Club Hosts Picture-perfect Activity

When veterinary students in the Purdue Chapter of the Veterinary Business Management Association (VBMA) were looking for a new event to host as a student organization, an intriguing idea came to mind that was easy to “picture” as a perfect success!  So the club set out to plan the activity in order to meet an important need of the club members while also providing a fun chance for the students to get keepsake images of their furry study buddies.

PVM Faculty Legends Honored at 25th Annual Healing Oasis Wellness Center Conference 

The theme “Knowledge – Like a Precious Metal, is PRICELESS,” proved especially appropriate for the 25th anniversary of the annual Healing Oasis Wellness Center Conference spearheaded by a Purdue Veterinary Medicine alumnus, Dr. Pedro Rivera.  That’s because the conference, held at the end of 2025 at the National University of Health Sciences in Lombard, Illinois, gave special recognition to legendary Purdue Veterinary Medicine educators Kathy Salisbury and Ron Hullinger.

How the Brain Recognizes What It’s Seen Before and Why It Matters for Autism Research

When you walk into a familiar place — your kitchen, a classroom, or your neighborhood — your brain instantly starts matching what you see with memories of past experiences. A new study from Purdue University reveals a key piece of how that recognition process works, and why it may be disrupted in conditions such as Fragile X syndrome, a leading inherited cause of autism.

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

Today we are recognizing Chloe Morris, RVT, who is a veterinary technologist in Anesthesiology in the Purdue University Veterinary Hospital.

Partnership to make Purdue Veterinary Nursing Distance Learning program available to employees at more than 1,000 general practice veterinary hospitals

Already Purdue’s largest online program, the College of Veterinary Medicine’s Veterinary Nursing Distance Learning program is partnering with National Veterinary Associates General Practice to offer the VNDL program to technicians at NVA’s more than 1,000 general practice veterinary hospitals.

PVM Distinguished Professor Suresh Mittal to Speak at Purdue’s Westwood Lecture Series

The Westwood Lecture Series is part of Purdue President Mung Chiang’s efforts aimed at enhancing the intellectual vibrancy of the Purdue West Lafayette campus, and the next featured speaker is Purdue Veterinary Medicine’s Distinguished Professor of Virology, Dr. Suresh Mittal. His presentation entitled, “Universal Influenza Vaccine — An Aspiration or Reality?” is scheduled for January 28, and registration for the lecture is now open.

PVM Concludes 2024 with Recognition of Service Anniversaries and Award-winning Staff

As 2024 came to a close at Purdue University, the College of Veterinary Medicine continued a long-standing tradition of celebrating staff service anniversaries and recognizing staff and faculty accomplishments at the Staff Service Recognition Ceremony. Held in Lynn 1136 on Wednesday, December 18, the ceremony honored more than 70 PVM personnel.