October 11, 2007

School of Veterinary Medicine names 2007 distinguished alumni

The event was at the University Plaza Hotel (formerly University Inn and Conference Center), 3001 Northwestern Ave.

"We're proud to recognize these alumni for their exceptional accomplishments as veterinarians, " said Dean Willie Reed. "There is no better venue to do that than at our annual fall conference, now in its 95th year, where we bring together practitioners and faculty to focus on the latest discoveries and advances in veterinary medicine."

Distinguished alumni for 2007 are Richard Goebel of Monticello, Ind., a member of the class of 1968, and John P. Sundberg of Bar Harbor, Maine, a member of the class of 1977.

 Goebel
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Goebel was honored for excellence in clinical practice, involvement in organized veterinary medicine and service to local community. He has served as the director and owner of five veterinary practices in Indiana. At Purdue, he was the first director of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital for 10 years before assuming his current position as special assistant to the dean. He also has served on the board and numerous committees of the American Animal Hospital Association.

 Sundberg
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Sundberg was honored for excellence in research. He is a senior staff scientist at the Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine, and faculty associate in the Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Molecular Biology at the University of Maine. He holds adjunct faculty appointments at Purdue University, Cornell University and Vanderbilt University. He is an expert in mouse pathology and has recently discovered a gene that appears important in the control of inflammation.

The annual Fall Conference for Veterinarians and Veterinary Technicians attracts nearly 900 veterinary medical professionals from across the country, including specialists in small animal, food animal and equine. The two-and-a-half day continuing education program covers such topics as infectious diseases, endocrinology, exotic pet pathology and genetics for practitioners specializing in small animals, food animals and equines. Veterinary technicians choose from a variety of topics in disciplines such as urology, gastroenterology, cardiology, diagnostic imaging and animal behavior.

For the first time, the fall conference featured a lecture as part of the Lilly Lectureship Series on the Human-Animal Bond. Author and anthropologist Elizabeth Marshall Thomas spoke about relationships between people and animals. Thomas is widely known for her books "The Hidden Life of Dogs," its sequel "The Social Life of Dogs" and "Tribe of Tiger."

Purdue's School of Veterinary Medicine, which opened in 1959, is the only veterinary school in Indiana and one of only 28 in the country. In addition to the doctor of veterinary medicine degree, the school offers associate's and bachelor's degrees in veterinary technology, post-graduate internships and residencies for doctors of veterinary medicine seeking specialty training, and graduate degrees in the departments of basic medical sciences, comparative pathobiology and veterinary clinical sciences. Home to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital and the Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, the school serves as a major referral center for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of all species of companion and food animals, as well as exotic pets and wildlife.

Writer: Maggie Morris, (765) 494-2432, maggiemorris@purdue.edu

Sources: Willie Reed, (765) 494-7608, wreed@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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