Summer Picnic Helps Kick-off Summer of Research for Veterinary Student Scholars

June 7, 2024

Participants in the 2024 Veterinary Research Scholars Summer Program gathered for a group photo at the kick-off cookout May 30 at historic Fort Ouiatenon on the banks of the Wabash River.

Beautiful summer weather provided a perfect setting at the Fort Ouiatenon historical park in Tippecanoe County for the annual cookout hosted by the Purdue Veterinary Medicine Office of Research in honor of this year’s summer research scholars. The Veterinary Scholars Summer Research Program provides opportunities for current Purdue DVM students and undergrads from Purdue and other universities to explore careers in clinical, diagnostic, and basic biomedical research. The students work with faculty mentors to design and conduct summer research projects, while also participating in weekly seminars as well as other learning activities. The summer picnic Thursday, May 30, brought together student participants and faculty mentors for food, games and fellowship.

Gabrielle Bressler of the Purdue DVM Class of 2026 and Associate Dean for Research Harm HogenEsch demonstrate exemplary concentration as they teamed-up for a game of cornhole.

The participants in this year’s Veterinary Scholars Summer Research Program include ten Purdue DVM students – seven from the Class of 2027 and three from the Class of 2026. Additionally, there are six undergraduate students, including three from Purdue and one each from Prairie View A&M University in Texas, Vanderbilt University in Tennessee, and Franklin College in Indiana. The participants are being mentored by 16 faculty, representing the Departments of Basic Medical Sciences, Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Comparative Pathobiology, and the Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory. Dr. Harm HogenEsch, Purdue Veterinary Medicine associate dean for research and Distinguished Professor of Immunopathology, and Dr. Eli Asem, professor of physiology in the Department of Basic Medical Sciences, organize the program by matching students and faculty. PVM Office of Research staff member Erin Lane provides administrative and logistical assistance.

This year’s program began with an introduction and orientation session May 29. Seminars involving informal presentations and discussions with scientists on different topics related to biomedical research are held each Wednesday. On Wednesday, June 26, the students will attend an all-day seminar jointly conducted by Purdue and the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine at the Illinois campus in Urbana-Champaign. The Purdue Summer Research Program will conclude with a Research Poster Session scheduled for 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Tuesday, August 6 in Lynn G119/155. Then, the veterinary student participants will attend the Boehringer Ingelheim – National Veterinary Scholars Symposium, which will be held in St. Paul, Minnesota August 8-10. A special thank you to Boehringer Ingelheim for serving as the college’s funding partner for the program, and to the PVM faculty members serving as mentors. In addition, one student received stipend support from the Morris Animal Foundation and one student received support from the American Veterinary Medical Foundation.

Dr. Michelle Tucker (left), who serves as a Summer Research Program faculty mentor, visits with veterinary students Shion Otsuka, Audrey Wood and Madelynn Luebcke, all of the Class of 2026.

Dr. Eli Asem with undergraduate students Ally Schimpf (Purdue), Ruby Linton (Prairie View A&M), and Maddie Claybrooke (Franklin College).

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.