LSU Veterinary School announces teaching awards

On Monday, April 11, the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine honored faculty with teaching and research awards, including the Zoetis Animal Health Distinguished Teacher Award.

Eighty-two faculty members were named to the Dean’s Teacher Merit Honor Roll. Each year, the veterinary students are asked to evaluate their teachers, and the recipients of this award received the highest scores.

The School of Veterinary Medicine Teaching Award is presented to the faculty member nominated by each class for the Zoetis Animal Health Distinguished Teacher Award. The class of 2022 nominated Kirk Ryan, DVM, DACVIM, professor of companion animal medicine in Veterinary Clinical Sciences. Dr. Ryan joined the faculty in 2006. The class of 2023 nominated Heidi Banse, DVM, Ph.D., DACVIM, associate dean for educational strategy and associate professor of equine medicine in VCS. Dr. Banse joined the faculty in 2017. The class of 2024 nominated Shannon Dehghanpir, DVM (LSU 2013), DACVP, assistant professor of clinical pathology in VCS. Dr. Dehghanpir joined the faculty in 2017. The class of 2025 nominated Olalekan Ogundele, Ph.D., assistant professor in Comparative Biomedical Sciences. Dr. Ogundele joined the faculty in 2017. 

The Zoetis Animal Health Distinguished Teacher Award is bestowed to a faculty member to recognize outstanding teaching as judged by the responsiveness of his or her students. The 2022 recipient is Dr. Shannon Dehghanpir. As part of this honor, she will carry the mace as part of the 2022 commencement ceremony.

About LSU Vet Med: Bettering lives through education, public service, and discovery

The LSU School of Veterinary Medicine is one of only 32 veterinary schools in the U.S. and the only one in Louisiana. LSU Vet Med is dedicated to improving and protecting the lives of animals and people through superior education, transformational research, and compassionate care. We teach. We heal. We discover. We protect.