Honoring Excellence: LSU Vet Med celebrates 2024 Distinguished Alumnus Award Recipients

The LSU School of Veterinary Medicine proudly recognizes three remarkable graduates as recipients of the 2024 Distinguished Alumnus Award: Matthew Welborn, DVM (LSU 1987), MPH, DACVPM; Shannon Dehghanpir, DVM, MS (LSU 2013, 2017), DACVP; and David Zeman, DVM, Ph.D. (LSU 1986). These awards celebrate alumni who exemplify outstanding achievement in veterinary medicine, research, education, and public service and were bestowed on our DVM, MS, and Ph.D. alumni, respectively.

The Distinguished Alumnus Award, open to all graduates of Louisiana State University, acknowledges individuals whose contributions to veterinary science and community service reflect the highest standards of professional excellence and compassion. 

LSU Vet Med Dean Oliver Garden, BVetMed, Ph.D., presented Dr. Welborn with his award at the Louisiana Veterinary Medical Association Winter Meeting at LSU Vet Med in Baton Rouge, La., on February 22, 2025. Drs. Dehghanpir and Zeman received their awards from Tammy Dugas, Ph.D., associate dean for research and graduate education, on April 25, 2025, at LSU Vet Med following Phi Zeta Research Emphasis Day.

Matt Welborn, DVM (LSU 1987)

Dr. Welborn’s dedication to food animal health and veterinary education spans decades. He received his DVM from LSU Vet Med in 1987 and completed a Food Animal/Production Medicine Residency at LSU Vet Med in 1990, the same year that his wife, Nancy Welborn, DVM, received her veterinary degree from LSU Vet Med. Following his residency, Dr. Welborn joined the faculty at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine, where he received an MPH in 2005. He left Tennessee to join the faculty at LSU Vet Med in May 2012 as a professor of food animal health maintenance. He was appointed Food Animal Hospital Clinical Service Chief in May 2015. He has been on the Dean’s Teacher Merit Honor Roll every year since 2013.

Dr. Welborn is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine and is also a member of the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, the American Veterinary Medical Association, the American Association of Veterinary Clinicians, Phi Zeta National Honor Society, and the American Association of Bovine Practitioners, the Society for Theriogenology, and more.

Shannon Dehghanpir, DVM, MS (LSU 2013, 2017), DACVP

Recognized for her excellence in teaching, research, and mentorship, Dr. Dehghanpir serves as an associate professor of clinical pathology in the LSU Vet Med Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences. She received her BS (2009), her DVM (2013), and her Master’s degree (2017), all from LSU. She completed her internship in 2014 and her residency in clinical pathology, both at LSU Vet Med, in 2017 after which she joined the LSU Vet Med faculty in October 2017. She is a diplomate in the American College of Veterinary Pathologists, and in 2019, she received her Certificate in the Healthcare Professions from LSU. 

Students consistently praise her engaging lectures and unwavering support, earning her numerous teaching accolades, including the Zoetis Animal Distinguished Teacher Award, which she received in 2018 and 2022. This award recognizes character and leadership qualities as well as outstanding teacher abilities and is voted on by all DVM students. She received the School of Veterinary Medicine Outstanding Teacher Award in 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2022, which is presented to a faculty member upon election by each DVM class for the Zoetis Animal Health Distinguished Teacher Award. She was selected as the 2021 LSU Vet Med Commencement speaker by the Class of 2021. Dr. Dehghanpir also received the School of Veterinary Medicine Innovation in Teaching Award in 2021, which she received for the incorporation of digital microscopy in teaching clinical pathology.

“Shannon is also an excellent teacher and mentor to the LSU Vet Med students,” said Mark Mitchell, DVM, Ph.D. (LSU 1997), DECZM, professor of zoological medicine at LSU Vet Med. “A multiple-award winner as a teacher-of-the-year, Shannon always makes time for the students in both the didactic and clinical programs. The students rave about her lectures, sharing that her lectures are some of the best they receive in their program. Shannon also always makes time to provide the clinical year elective even though she has been a single faculty on an exceptionally busy service for most of her tenure at LSU Vet Med. Again, the students rave about the clinical rotation, sharing that the elective provides experience they can’t gain elsewhere.”

David Zeman, DVM, Ph.D. (LSU 1986)

Dr. Zeman’s contributions to veterinary diagnostic medicine have helped shape national animal health infrastructure. He received a DVM from Oklahoma State University, and after 2.5 years in private practice, he worked as a resident and acquired his Ph.D. in Veterinary Pathology from LSU in 1986. He became a board certified diagnostic and research pathologist with special interests in infectious diseases of food animals, bone and joint diseases and surgical biopsies.  After 31 years in academia, he retired as professor, head and director emeritus from South Dakota State University, Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences.  He was associate director or director of the South Dakota Animal Disease Research and Diagnostic Laboratory for nearly 20 years.  Since retirement in 2013, he has enjoyed private practice as a diagnostic and R & D pathologist.  He is also involved with professional association management, currently employed as Executive Director of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians (AAVLD), and as Executive Director of the SD Poultry Industries Association. 

Dr. Zeman played a pivotal role in establishing the National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN), a key component of the country’s animal health defense strategy. As president of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians (AAVLD), he signed the MOU that launched the NAHLN in collaboration with the USDA in 2001. Dr. Zeman has been active in the South Dakota Veterinary Medical Association, and in 2003 he was named South Dakota Veterinarian of the Year. In 2020 he received the Lifetime Member Award.  He still serves on the SDVMA Foundation Committee, as well as the AAVLD Foundation Committee. Today, Dr. Zeman continues to influence the profession through leadership roles with the AAVLD and South Dakota Poultry Industries Association.

“Dr. David Zeman is a world-renowned expert and leader in Veterinary Diagnostic Medicine,” said Udeni Balasuriya, BVSc, Ph.D., FSLCVS, professor of virology at LSU Vet Med. “His work, which has significantly impacted both animal and public health, is a testament to his leadership in diagnostic laboratories and workforce development activities. He has been pivotal in advancing diagnostics techniques and training the next generation of veterinary diagnostic specialists.”

Celebrating Our Alumni, Shaping the Future

“The achievements of Drs. Welborn, Dehghanpir, and Zeman are a testament to the caliber of graduates produced by LSU Vet Med. Their careers exemplify the school's mission: to improve and protect the lives of animals and people through education, discovery, and compassionate care,” said Oliver Garden, BVetMed, Ph.D. FHEA, FCPP, FRCVS, DACVIM, DECVIM-CA, dean of LSU Vet Med.

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

The LSU School of Veterinary Medicine is one of only 33 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.