Katie Sheats, associate professor in the Department of Clinical Sciences in the College of Veterinary Medicine, has been recognized with the 2026 NC Board of Governors Award for Excellence in Teaching. The honor is the university system’s most prestigious teaching award, recognizing and encouraging faculty’s extraordinary teaching contributions.

“Dr. Sheats is a highly effective mentor, educator and leader whose contributions have significantly advanced veterinary education,” said Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Warwick Arden. “In keeping with our land-grant mission of service, her Equine Scholars program mentors and recruits students with interest and commitment to equine medicine into reserved admission seats to provide a pipeline to address the local and national shortage of equine veterinarians. She is truly one of the top veterinary educators in the country, and we are fortunate to have her with us at NC State.”

Sheats is also the associate dean and director of education and admissions for the College of Veterinary Medicine, and coordinator of the college’s Equine Primary Care Program. She developed the college’s first formal distributive clinical education program, the Equine Primary Care rotation, partnering with regional practices, creating a preparatory boot camp, and designing training and evaluation materials that enhance student learning and practitioner engagement. She has been a faculty member at NC State since 2014.

Sheats and nominees from NC State’s colleges will be honored at the University Teaching Awards Luncheon and Ceremony on April 21. Sheats will also be recognized at the Celebration of Faculty Excellence on May 5, in the spring 2026 commencement program, and will be given her medal by a Board of Governors member at the spring commencement ceremony.

Sheats’ teaching philosophy is best summarized by a quote from Albert Einstein, “I never teach my pupils; I only provide the conditions in which they learn.”

In a letter of support for Sheats’ award nomination, former student Bethanie L. Cooper, said, “Her teaching skills, mentorship and encouragement have allowed me to pursue the possibility of a career in research and academia. As I continued throughout veterinary school, I found myself in Dr. Sheats’ office many times for both professional and personal advice. She is kind, compassionate, honest and truly cares about her students. With Dr. Sheats’ continued guidance, I decided to pursue a Ph.D. in comparative biomedical sciences in her lab. Dr. Sheats is the kind of teacher that every student needs in their life. She gives her undivided attention and time to meet and communicate with each of her students as often as needed. She provides encouragement, honest feedback, opportunities for professional and personal growth, and constant support.”

Sheats’ research focuses on the innate immune system and the role neutrophils play in host defense and host injury. Her long-term research goal is to identify regulators of the innate immune response and neutrophil function that could serve as targets for new types of anti-inflammatory therapies.

She is currently conducting research to determine whether a host protein known to regulate neutrophil functions is a viable therapeutic target for combating neutrophil-mediated tissue damage during diseases such as asthma and salmonella gastroenteritis. Sheats’ goal is that one day her translational research will benefit both humans and horses.

One of few academic veterinarians with a postgraduate certificate in veterinary education, she is a recognized leader in the field, earning national honors such as the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges Distinguished Expert designation and the American Association of Equine Practitioners Distinguished Educator Award. She is a current member of the Consortium on Workplace-Based Education and Learning, Academy of Veterinary Educators, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine and the North Carolina Veterinary Medical Association, among others.

Sheats received her Bachelor of Science in animal science from NC State. She also completed her DVM, rotating equine medicine and surgery internship, large animal internal medicine residency, and Ph.D. in comparative biomedical science at the university. She was board-certified in large animal internal medicine by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine in 2010.

Sheats received a post-graduate certificate in veterinary education from the Royal Veterinary College, London, England and is currently enrolled in their Master of Veterinary Education, with graduation expected in 2027.