LSU Veterinary School announces faculty and staff awards

On Monday, May 12, the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine honored faculty and staff with service and teaching awards. Also honored is the LSU Vet Med House Officers of the Year.

Fifty-nine faculty members and a post-doctoral fellow 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.

Patricia Queiroz-Williams, DVM, interim director and clinical lead for shared services in the LSU Vet Med Veterinary Teaching Hospital, and professor of anesthesia and analgesia, received the 2025 Faculty Service Award. An honorarium and inscribed plaque are presented to a faculty member who, in the opinion of his or her fellow faculty, has made significant contributions to the service aspects of the School of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Queiroz joined the LSU Vet Med faculty in 2007. Torri Collins-Cannon, veterinary technician, received the 2025 Veterinary Teaching Hospital Staff Service Award.

An award is presented by the Year IV class to a resident or intern in recognition of outstanding commitment to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital. This year, we have two recipients: the VTH House Officer of the Year Award went to Marley McInnis, DVM, dermatology resident, and Juneshine Park, DVM, emergency and critical care intern. The Service of the Year Award went to Neurology, which is led by Colleen Embersics, DVM, DACVIM, and Arturo Otamendi, DVM (LSU 201), DACVIM, both assistant professors of neurology and neurosurgery. 

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. This award is given to educators in recognition of their character, leadership qualities, and outstanding teaching abilities. Students in the Class of 2028 (Year I) nominated Jeremy Delcambre, DVM (LSU 2009), assistant professor of veterinary anatomy in Comparative Biomedical Science, for the Year I Faculty Teaching Award. Dr. Delcambre received his DVM from LSU Vet Med in 2009 and joined the LSU Vet Med faculty in 2022 as assistant professor of anatomy. Renee Carter, DVM (LSU 2000), DACVO, professor of veterinary ophthalmology in Veterinary Medicine Sciences, received the Year II Faculty Teaching Award. Dr. Carter received her DVM in 2000 from LSU Vet Med and joined the faculty in 2016. Heather Dean, DVM, assistant professor of clinical skills in Veterinary Clinical Sciences, received the Year III Faculty Teaching Award. Dr. Dean received her DVM from the University of Georgia in 2008 and joined the LSU Vet Med faculty in 2023. The Class of 2025 (Year IV) nominated Matt Welborn, DVM (LSU 1987), MPH, DACPM, professor of food animal health maintenance for the Year IV Faculty Teaching Award. Dr. Welborn is also a 2024 LSU Vet Med Distinguished Alumnus.

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 2025 recipient is Dr. Renee Carter. As part of this honor, Dr. Carter will carry the mace as part of the 2025 commencement ceremony.

 

The following staff were recognized:

Qingxia Wang, research associate in the lab of Weishan Huang, Ph.D., received the Pathobiological Sciences Staff Service Award;

Merilyn Jennings, research associate in the lab of Tammy Dugas, Ph.D., received the Comparative Biomedical Sciences Staff Service Award;

Catherine Takawira, research associate in the Canter for Clinical Innovation, received the Veterinary Clinical Sciences Staff Service Award;

Aneta Staszkiewicz, research associate in histology, received the LSU Diagnostics Staff Service Award;

Stanley Vance, security officer, received the Building Maintenance & Service Staff Award; and

Ginger Guttner, assistant director of communications, received the Professional Services Staff Award.

The Distinguished Staff Service Award goes to the outstanding Staff Service Award winner. The 2025 recipient is Ginger Guttner.

Beth Grandt received the Staff Organizational Health and Mentorship Award, and Javier Nevarez, DVM, Ph.D. (LSU 2000, 2007), DECZM, professor of zoological medicine, received the Faculty Organizational Health and Mentorship Award.

About the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine

The LSU School of Veterinary Medicine is one of only 33 veterinary schools in the U.S. and the only one in Louisiana. The LSU SVM is dedicated to improving the lives of people and animals through education, research, and service. We teach. We heal. We discover. We protect.