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Purdue Alumnus
Pat Wakenell
Poultry Princess

Name: Pat Wakenell

Gig: Professor of avian diagnostics and avian diagnostic pathologist

Years on the job: 10 (40 as avian veterinarian)

On duty: Complete 100 farm visits a year with my
residents, both commercial and small-flock poultry. 

Birds of a feather: I’ve been friends with Willie Reed (PhD V’82), dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine, a long time. He was the first African American poultry veterinarian in the country, and I was the first woman poultry veterinarian.  

What drives me: Teaching! I teach in an avant-garde way. I don’t give tests. I have fun. I treat my students with love and respect. You have to show your passion. Otherwise, it’s hard to get somebody to follow in your footsteps. 

Under my wing: There are so few poultry veterinarians, and we’re getting a little long in the beak. I secured funding to endow a three-year poultry residency training program at Purdue. It’s the only endowed program in the US. 

Front line: We provide an essential service for the poultry industry. The USDA holds up Indiana as an example for how to handle avian influenza.   

Odd bird: I attended my first poultry meeting in 1981, and everybody was so weird. I was so happy. I found my flock. That’s when I became the Poultry Princess. My second title is Duck Duchess. Indiana is No. 1 in ducks. I love my duck clients. 

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