The Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine will recognize two more graduates as Distinguished Alumni in September during the 2024 Purdue Veterinary Conference. One honoree is Dr. F. Claire Hankenson, of the DVM Class of 1997. The other is Dr. Kelly G. Whitesel, of the DVM Class of 1972.
The Distinguished Alumni Awards will be presented on Wednesday evening, September 18, at the annual Alumni and Friends Celebration in the Purdue Memorial Union North Ballroom. The event is open to all faculty, staff, and students and Purdue Veterinary Conference registrants. The celebration will begin with a reception that includes hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar at 4:30 p.m., with the program to follow at 5:00 p.m.
The college’s Distinguished Alumnus Award program was established in 1978 by members of the DVM Class of 1967 as a memorial tribute to their classmate, Dr. David Mullis, who was honored posthumously as the first award recipient. Since then, of the college’s more than 3,500 Doctor of Veterinary Medicine graduates, and more than 1,200 Veterinary Nursing degree recipients, a total of 71 have been honored as Distinguished Alumni.
When Dr. Hankenson was a veterinary student at Purdue, she demonstrated great interest in research and enrolled in the NIH-Merial program under her mentors – Drs. Terry Bowersock, Harm HogenEsch, and Mark Suckow. After earning her Purdue DVM degree in 1997, Dr. Hankenson pursued advanced training at the University of Washington, where she completed a laboratory animal medicine residency and earned her MS in Microbiology within the laboratory of Dr. Julie Overbaugh at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. She went on to achieve board certification by the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine (ACLAM) in 2002 and has become highly respected in her field.
Today, Dr. Hankenson is the Associate Vice Provost for Research and Executive Director of University Laboratory Animal Resources (ULAR) at the University of Pennsylvania, and holds a faculty appointment as Professor of Pathobiology (CE) in the School of Veterinary Medicine. Previously she served as the attending veterinarian and director for Campus Animal Resources at Michigan State University where she also was a member of the College of Veterinary Medicine faculty for more than six years.
Dr. Whitesel earned his Purdue DVM degree in 1972 and went on to build a very successful mixed animal practice in Delaware County, Indiana. He is known for his dedication to animal health, not only at his clinic but also on the farms around his home. As an avid participant in and longtime supporter of 4-H, Dr. Whitesell encouraged his own children and grandchildren to become active 4-H participants. During his career, Dr. Whitesel also mentored many aspiring veterinary professionals, a number of whom went on to earn their DVM degrees at Purdue.
In addition to award presentations, the Purdue Veterinary Medicine Alumni and Friends Celebration will include recognition of reunion classes. Alumni classes celebrating milestone anniversaries, from five years to 60 years, will be given the opportunity to stand and be applauded. In addition, members of the Silver and Golden Anniversary DVM classes will be recognized. The DVM Class of 1999 will be honored on the occasion of its 25th Reunion and the DVM Class of 1974 will be recognized as the 50th Anniversary class.
The Alumni and Friends Celebration is just one of the highlights of the Purdue Veterinary Conference, which kicks-off with the Elanco Human-Animal Bond Lecture on Tuesday evening, September 17, at 5:00 p.m. in Stewart Center Room 214. The program will feature special remarks by Dr. Nancy Gee, Director of the Center for Human Animal Interaction at the VCU Medical College of Virginia. The lecture is free and open to the public with a reception following in Stewart Center Room 206.
The conference also will feature two keynote presentations: the Wellness Keynote Wednesday, September 18, at 12:20 p.m., and the Diversity Keynote Thursday, September 19, at 12:00 p.m. Also on that Thursday, Dr. Regina Tan (PU DVM ’99), director of the Office of Applied Science in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine, will present the Stockton Lecture at 3:20 p.m., speaking on the topic, “One Health and the Future of Veterinary Medicine.”
The Purdue Veterinary Conference provides continuing education tracks on Diagnostic Imaging, Equine, Exotics, Emergency Preparedness, Practice Management and Communication, Ruminant, Shelter Medicine, Small Animal, Poultry, and Veterinary Nursing, as well as industry presentations and USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) modules. Register by September 1 to take advantage of early bird pricing! Click here for more information about the 2024 Purdue Veterinary Conference.
The conference will conclude Saturday, September 21, with the Dr. Skip Jackson Dog Jog, which is open to the public and starts at 8:00 a.m. in front of Lynn Hall. Click here to sign-up for the Dog Jog.