Professorships

LSU Vet Med has announced its newest recipients of prestigious five-year endowed professorships, appointments that support groundbreaking research, innovative teaching, and improved care for animals and people. These positions provide faculty with the resources to pursue discoveries that often translate into better diagnostics, treatments, and public health outcomes. These appointments are effective July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2030. These appointments are effective July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2030.

Shannon Dehghanpir

Shannon Dehghanpir, DVM, MS (LSU 2013, 2017), DACVP, associate professor of clinical pathology, is the Blanche Donaldson Professorship in the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, which supports a faculty member with a concentration of investigation in an aspect of small animal medicine or surgery.

Olalekan Michael Ogundele

Olalekan (Michael) Ogundele, Ph.D., associate professor of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, is the Dr. Mary Louise Martin Professorship, which was founded in memory of Dr. Mary Louise Martin (LSU 1982), who moved to Africa in 1995 and lost her life in the terrorist bombing of the U.S. embassy in Nairobi on August 7, 1998.

Charles Lee

Charles Lee, Ph.D., professor of cognitive and neural systems, is the William L. Jenkins Professorship, which was established in honor of William L. Jenkins, BVSc, M.Med.Vet, PhD, Professor Emeritus of veterinary physiology, pharmacology and LSU Vet Med Dean, and LSU Provost, LSU Chancellor, and President Emeritus for the LSU System. Dr. Jenkins served as the dean of LSU Vet MEd from 1988 to 1993.

Renee Carter

Renee Carter, DVM (LSU 2000), DACVO, professor of veterinary ophthalmology, is the Paula & Milton W. Shepherd Professorship in Veterinary Medicine, which was established in 1996 and is the veterinary school’s first endowed professorship.

Udeni Balasuriya

Udeni Balasuriya, BVSc, BVSc, MSc, Ph.D., professor of Pathobiological Sciences, is the Dr. Robert and Julia Simmons Professorship in Pathobiological Sciences, which honors Dr. Robert “Bob” Simmons, a 1977 graduate of LSU Vet Med. Dr. Simmons spent most of his career in senior management in research and development at Merck Animal Health. He and his wife Julia established the Belle Fund in honor of their son’s dog to support vector-borne disease research in the Pathobiological Sciences Department.