Lu Dao named 2026 HPSA Advisor of the Year
A Pierce College veterinarian has received a national advisor award, while UC Davis has seen a surgeon honored and a sports medicine specialist hired.
Dr. Lu Dao, chair of the Agriculture Department at Los Angeles Pierce College, has been named the 2026 Community College Advisor of the Year by the Health Professional Student Association. The award was selected from 19 nominations representing 13 advisors.
Dao earned his DVM from UC Davis in 2013 after first attending Pierce College. He later returned to the college to teach. According to UC Davis, he now serves as a professor, department chair, campus veterinarian, and director of the Pre-Veterinary Medicine Program. He is also faculty advisor for the Veterinary Sciences Club.
Former students credit Dao with helping them reach veterinary school. "He grounds veterinary medicine and makes this dream attainable for others, especially those who are underrepresented in veterinary medicine," said Jennifer Olivia, Class of 2028, in a UC Davis news release.
Educator Awards Recognize Veterinary Professionals
Earlier in 2026, UC Davis surgeon Denis Marcellin-Little received the Alan Ruggles Educator Award from AO North America. The award recognizes contributions to medical education in areas like orthopedic trauma and spine surgery.
Marcellin-Little was chosen for over 30 years of work in veterinary education and mentorship. His clinical focus is on joint replacement and limb deformities. His research involves surgical planning and managing chronic pain.
New Sports Medicine Specialist Joins UC Davis
Dr. Karolynn Ellis has joined the Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Service at the UC Davis veterinary teaching hospital as an assistant professor. She completed her DVM at Cornell University in 2022 and finished a three-year sports medicine residency at Cornell in 2026.
Her past experience includes teaching physical therapy exercises to law enforcement officers for their K-9 partners. She has also served as an on-site veterinarian at the Westminster Dog Show and at two sled dog races. Ellis stated she was drawn to UC Davis for its clinical excellence and the chance to help grow a sports medicine program. Her research interests include canine athlete physiology and healthy aging in retired sled dogs.
The HPSA award was created in 2022 by its Student Advisory Council. AO North America is a nonprofit focused on education and research for trauma and musculoskeletal disorders. For more on veterinary fixtures and stats, visit our pages.
