Skip to main content

Taco ‘bout Appreciation! Tex Mex Food Truck Headlines PVM Faculty Staff Appreciation Event

Dean Willie Reed is joined by Faculty and Staff Appreciation event attendees
Dean Willie Reed (center) is joined by Faculty and Staff Appreciation event attendees (left-right) Mekyna Hall, laboratory research technician with the Center for Paralysis Research; Dr. Kenitra Hendrix, ADDL director; Dr. Sarah Steinbach, clinical associate professor of small animal internal medicine; Margie Veverke, ADDL accessioning clerk; and Dr. Craig Bowen, ADDL assistant director.

With summer winding down and fall classes set to begin, the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine hosted a Faculty and Staff appreciation event that featured tasty Tex Mex menus options served-up at the Mitchell’s Tex Mex Food Truck on Wednesday, August 10.  Attendees were treated to their choice of tacos, wet burritos or taco salads.  The meals were provided by the college to show PVM faculty and staff how much their dedication and hard work is appreciated.

A person is interacting with a vendor at a food truck, receiving food from the window.

Held from 11:30 – 1:30, the event not only featured great food but also opportunities for fellowship among colleagues as employees gathered near the entrance to the old Large Animal Hospital, which proved to be a perfect venue where the Mitchell’s Tex Mex food truck could park and open up for lunch-time food service.  More than 250 faculty and staff attended the event to get in on the great food and the chance to visit with colleagues on a beautiful sunny afternoon.

As people mixed and mingled while their food was prepared, Dean Reed took the opportunity to express to everyone his deep appreciation for their consistent effort and commitment to excellence throughout the year.  The festive lunchtime event served as a fitting wrap up to a busy summer marked by the return of several in-person annual programs, such as Boiler Vet Camp, which had been temporarily suspended due to the pandemic, as well as the opening of the new David and Bonnie Brunner Purdue Veterinary Medical Hospital Complex.  With the new hospital facilities up and running, the old Large Animal Hospital has been vacated, making the entrance to the old facility a convenient site for the Faculty Staff Appreciation event. 

Faculty and staff line up to get food from a food truck
Faculty and staff mix and mingle as they line-up to get their lunch Wednesday, August 10, at the entrance to the now vacated old Large Animal Hospital, where Mitchell’s Tex Mex food truck was serving meals as part of the college’s annual Faculty and Staff Appreciation event.

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.