Skip to main content

United Way Shares PVM Family’s Story as College Approaches it’s Purdue United Way Goal

Angela Pickett, PVM United Way champion, with her son, Charlie.
Angela Pickett, PVM United Way champion, with her son, Charlie.

With the Purdue United Way Campaign in week 6, the United Way of Greater Lafayette shared the story of a Purdue Veterinary Medicine family to highlight just how much impact giving local has on the local community.  The story is that of Angela Pickett, executive assistant to the dean, and her son, Charlie, who both have experienced the impact of the United Way and its programs. 

Angela shared that Charlie, now 17, has participated in various Autism support programs over the last few years. “Grant’s House and the Wabash Center is a bright spot for my family,” Angela said. “My son participated in their after-school care and summer camp programs, and benefited from their job coaching. I’ve seen firsthand the positive impact of these services.”

As a partner agency of the United Way of Greater Lafayette, Wabash Center is dedicated to providing life-changing services for our neighbors with disabilities or special needs. “With the support of United Way of Greater Lafayette and our partnership with the Purdue Autism Research Center, Wabash Center is growing our services for children and young adults with Autism and more,” said Wabash Center President and CEO Jason McManus. 

Giving to Purdue United Way helps you make stories like Angela’s possible. Donations support 24 local nonprofits, including the Wabash Center, ensuring that every dollar stays right here in our community. “For Boilermakers, Purdue United Way isn’t just tradition – it’s how we show up for our own community,” said Jim Bullard, 2025 Purdue United Way Campaign Champion and the Dr. Samuel R. Allen Dean of the Mitch Daniels School of Business. “We give because we care about our friends, neighbors, and the funded partner agencies making a difference every day. Together, our local giving has a lasting impact.”

Angela, who is PVM’s United Way Campaign champion, emphasizes it’s easy to make your 2025 pledge today by visiting Purdue United Way.  You can participate by either selecting “Give Now” or “I don’t wish to give.” The college is steadily approaching its Purdue United Way fundraising goal.  To date, nearly $15,000 has been raised toward the PVM goal of $20,000.

For more information, check out Purdue United Way Frequently Asked Questions.

Writer(s): Kevin Doerr | 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.