Skip to main content

Reception at WVC in Las Vegas Celebrates PVM Alumni and Friends

PVM alumni gather at WVC reception.

Purdue alumni gather at the PVM reception during the Western Veterinary Conference in Las Vegas. (Front row, left-right) Dr. Mark Hilton (PU DVM ’83), WVC immediate past-president, with Purdue veterinary students Mary Jordan and Morgan Fortune, both of the DVM Class of 2019; (back row, left-right) Dr. Miguel Ortiz (PU DVM 2009), Dr. James Dirksen (PU DVM 2017), Dr. Rhett Swasey (PU DVM 2006), Dr. Jerlyn Sponseller (PU DVM ’95), and Dr. Deanna Van Camp (PU DVM 2017).

More than 40 Purdue Veterinary Medicine alumni and friends turned-out for the annual Purdue Alumni Reception at the Western Veterinary Conference (WVC) in Las Vegas, Nev.  They renewed acquaintances, visited with PVM faculty who were in attendance, and heard an update on the College and Ever True fundraising campaign goals from Dean Willie Reed.  In some cases, members of a given class would realize they had enough classmates present for a mini reunion.  The reception was held March 5 at the Mandalay Bay Conference Center, which was the site for the WVC Conference.

Writer(s): Susan Xioufaridou | 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.