Laura Nelson

she/her/hers
Director of Clinical Education, Professor of Small Animal Surgery
Terry Companion Vet Med Center - CVM (Terry Center) 2570
919-513-7727 lnelson3@ncsu.eduBio
I am a Professor of Veterinary Surgery in the Department of Clinical Sciences and the Director of Clinical Education at NC State’s College of Veterinary Medicine.
As a board-certified small animal veterinary surgeon, my academic career has focused on the provision of clinical care, training veterinary students and house officers, and working to drive changes in veterinary education and care through research, curricular development, and peer support. Prior to my current role, I served as the Associate Dean and Director of Academic Affairs at NC State CVM from 2017-2024 and, most recently, as Associate Vice Provost for Academic Personnel and Policy from 2024-2025.
As an educator, I support curricular integration, clinical skills training, holistic student support, and clinical and workplace-based eduation. As a member of the veterinary profession and as a veterinary academician, I am also interested in workplace well-being, mentorship, career development, and sustainability within veterinary careers.
Education
Graduate Certificate Adult and Lifelong Education Michigan State University 2016
Lilly Teaching Fellow Michigan State University 2015
Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons 2008
MS Veterinary Clinical Sciences The Ohio State University 2007
DVM The Ohio State University 2003
BS Zoology The Ohio State University 2003
Publications
- The Transition from Letter Grading to Modified Pass-Fail Grading at a College of Veterinary Medicine: A Narrative Inquiry of Student Experiences , JOURNAL OF VETERINARY MEDICAL EDUCATION (2024)
- Gender differences in research collaborations and academic advancement among veterinary medical college faculty , JAVMA-JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION (2023)
- Veterinary house officer perceptions of dimensions of well-being during postgraduate training , JAVMA-JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION (2022)
- AAVMC Internship Program Guidelines 2018 , Journal of Veterinary Medical Education (2019)
- The Relationship Between Gastrointestinal Motility and Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus in Dogs , Topics in Companion Animal Medicine (2014)
- Surgical Site Infections in Small Animal Surgery , Veterinary Clinics of North America: Small Animal Practice (2011)
- Three-dimensional laser micrometry characterization of surface wear in total hip arthroplasty , Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part B: Applied Biomaterials (2007)
Groups
Honors and Awards
- Zoetis Distinguished Veterinary Teacher Award (2021)
- NC State CVM Class of 2022 Faculty Award (2021)
- NC State CVM Class of 2021 Faculty Award (2020)
- Academy of Educators Faculty Educator Award (2020)
- Zoetis Distinguished Veterinary Teacher Award (2017)
- SCAVMA Excellence in Teaching Award, MSU Class of 2017 (2016)
- SCAVMA Excellence in Teaching Award, MSU Class of 2014 (2014)