Skip to main content
College of Veterinary Medicine

PVM Veterinary Nursing Team Earns Honors at AVTE Conference

August 23, 2019

A group photo of individuals posing together with a plaque in a well-lit setting.
Veterinary Nursing team members gather for a group photo at the 2019 AVTE annual conference: (front row, left-right) Purdue Veterinary Nursing Program Director Bianca Zenor, Courtney Waxman, Josh Clark, and Shelly Opperman; (back row, left-right) Paige Allen, Jennifer Smith, Jordan Williams, Liane Shaw and Pam Phegley.

The Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine’s Veterinary Nursing team recently attended the Association of Veterinary Technician Educators (AVTE) annual conference and received national recognition.  The conference was held at the end of July in New Orleans, La.

Congratulations to Purdue Veterinary Nursing Distance Learning Instructional Technologists Courtney Waxman, CVT, RVT, VTS (ECC) and Josh Clark, MS, RVT, who received national awards.  Courtney received the AVTE/Wiley-Blackwell Award, which was established to honor new educators who are recognized by their students and colleagues as already making an extraordinary contribution to veterinary technology and who have been teaching for less than three years.  Josh won a $2,500 AVTE Active Member Scholarship, which he will use to attend an upcoming FRANK Communication Workshop at Colorado State University and then incorporate what he learns into the Purdue Veterinary Nursing program.  He also will have the opportunity to present at an upcoming AVTE conference.

Assistant Director for Academic Advising and Recruiting Paige Allen, MS, RVT, and Academic Advisor Shelly Opperman both served as presenters at this year’s conference.  Their presentation focused on the topic: “The Student Road to Success: We Fill the Potholes.”  The talk identified current student support services, discussed future services to meet the needs of the changing population and explained the changing attributes of veterinary nursing students.

Also attending the AVTE annual conference from PVM were Veterinary Nursing Program Director Bianca Zenor, DVM; Clinical Rotation/Mentorship Coordinator Pam Phegley, RVT; Instructional Technologist Jen Smith, RVT, RLAT; Senior Instructional Technologist Jordan Williams, RVT, VTS (Anesthesia and Analgesia); and Diagnostic Imaging Instructional Technologist Liane Shaw, RVT. “PVM’s strong showing at this year’s AVTE Conference demonstrates the continued success and growth of the Purdue Veterinary Nursing program as well its commitment to lifelong learning,” said Dr. Zenor. 

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

Recent Stories

Indiana FFA Names PVM’s Julia Wickard as One of Five New Board Members

Executive Director of the Purdue Veterinary Alumni Association and Constituent Liaison Julia Wickard is one of five newly named members of the Indiana FFA Foundation board of directors.  The appointments took effect July 1.

Alumnus and Oncology Specialist Dr. Christopher Fulkerson Appointed as Associate Dean for Purdue Veterinary Hospitals

Purdue Veterinary Medicine Dean Bret D. Marsh, DVM, has named Dr. Christopher Fulkerson as Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs and Chief Veterinary Officer for the Purdue Veterinary Hospitals. The appointment was announced July 1, the same day that Dr. Fulkerson’s promotion to full Clinical Professor of Veterinary Medical Oncology took effect.

“Paws Up” for the ADDL Accessioning and Molecular Teams – brought to you by the PVM Wellness Committee

This week, we express our sincere gratitude to our ADDL Accessioning and Molecular Teams (and cross trained individuals).

PVM Dean Bret Marsh Shares College Update with Swine Producers and Industry Partners at Major Swine Event in Indianapolis

Swine Health was the focus of a significant event recently at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis as swine industry partners and swine producers gathered for the National Junior Summer Spectacular (NJSS) and Summer Type Conference (STC).  The event was held at the end of June in the Fall Creek Pavillion and included a Swine Health Briefing that featured swine industry and veterinary medicine leaders including Purdue Veterinary Medicine Dean Bret Marsh, who also had an opportunity to provide an update on the College of Veterinary Medicine.

2026 Annual Recognition Ceremony Honors VCS Residents, Graduate Students, and PVH Interns

On Monday, June 29, 2026, more than 100 faculty and staff from the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences and the Purdue University Veterinary Hospital gathered at Thomas Duncan Hall for the 2026 Resident and Intern Recognition Ceremony. This annual event provides a great opportunity to honor and celebrate the contributions of the residents, interns, and graduate students who are completing their programs this summer.

New Administrative Assistant Joins PVM Office of Student Success

The Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine welcomes Charity Holden as the new administrative assistant in the Office of Student Success.

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

This week we are highlighting Scott Fix who is the Lead Facilities Manager in the Department of Veterinary Administration.

Remembering Zeus: A Legacy of Loyalty and Love

We continue our series of articles about animals and their owners who’ve found help and healing at the Purdue University Veterinary Hospital by sharing the story of a beloved dog named Zeus. For Amy Fitzsimmons-Blaising, Zeus wasn’t just a dog, he was her spirit animal and best friend. A proud Giant Schnauzer bred in Bedford, Indiana, Zeus had been the heart of Amy’s home for 11 unforgettable years. Then, in October 2024, Zeus’s health challenges began, when he started coughing and showing signs that looked like seizures. After rushing him to a local veterinary urgent care facility, Amy learned he was in congestive heart failure, and she turned to the Purdue University Veterinary Hospital for help.

PVM Scholar Receives Purdue WGHI Pilot Grant Aimed at Advancing Women’s Health

Purdue University’s Women’s Global Health Institute (WGHI) has announced six pilot research grant awards aimed at solving critical problems in women’s health and quality of life, and one of recipients is Purdue Veterinary Medicine faculty member Viju Vijayan Pillai. Dr. Pillai is assistant professor of anatomic pathology in the College of Veterinary Medicine’s Department of Comparative Pathobiology.

The universal socket set of vaccines: Innovative technology heralds more effective, more efficient vaccines

You fight fire with fire. And Purdue Veterinary Medicine vaccine expert Suresh Mittal fights viruses with viruses. Using innovative techniques, Dr. Mittal, Distinguished Professor of Virology in the College of Veterinary Medicine’s Department of Comparative Pathobiology, develops novel vaccines for viral infections including avian influenza.