Dugat Named Cohn Family Chair

Tuesday, January 24, 2017

Oklahoma State University’s Center for Veterinary Health Sciences is proud to announce that Dr. Danielle Dugat has been named the Cohn Family Chair for Small Animals. The appointment was approved during the OSU/A&M Board of Regents meeting held on Friday, Jan. 20, 2017.

Dugat is a board certified small animal surgeon at the center’s Veterinary Medical Hospital. Currently, she is the only small animal surgeon on staff.

“Being awarded the Cohn Family Chair for Small Animals is humbling,” said Dugat. “I have taken the challenge of working as the only surgeon and turned it into an opportunity. I interact more with the students in the classroom and have more one-on-one mentoring of my house officers. I can control how positive my day is going to be even if it means putting in extra hours at home or here. Receiving this Chair reiterates that others are witness to my hard work and dedication to this University.”

The Cohn Family Chair will open the door to expanding research, teaching and educational opportunities in both small animal medicine and surgery.

“This Chair gives me some flexibility to utilize funding for collaborative research,” she added. “I can also help young interns and residents, students, and faculty colleagues looking to expand their research goals and fulfill their research requirements to become specialized.”

Dugat already has a list of possibilities that the Cohn Family Chair can support.

“This is a super exciting accomplishment for me,” continued Dugat. “I am currently working on a clinical research study on dogs with disk ruptures in their neck (cervical intervertebral disk herniation). Another colleague and I have been invited to submit a proposal for research on chronic wound therapy and the use of high frequency ultrasound to speed wound healing and reduce infection. I will also be organizing a training session on using our materials testing unit. This unit will facilitate multiple areas of research relative to orthopedics and mechanical stressors placed on materials or the bones themselves.

“I want to thank Oklahoma State University and my colleagues who encouraged me to apply for this Chair,” concluded Dugat. “I am humbled to be awarded this Chair and I will do everything to ensure that I do not disappoint.”

Originally from Huntington Beach, Calif., Dugat came to OSU in 2003 to begin her pursuit of a career in veterinary medicine. Following her undergraduate work, she earned her DVM degree, and completed a small animal surgical residency and master’s degree in Biomedical Sciences all at OSU. In 2013, she became a board certified surgeon and Diplomate in the American College of Veterinary Surgeons. Dugat has been on faculty at the Veterinary Medical Hospital since 2011 and is currently an assistant professor in the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences and the Cohn Family Chair in Small Animals.