Advancing the future of equine medicine: LSU Vet Med alumna-funded scholarship goes to third-year student, Katie Smith
March 30, 2026
Katie Smith, a third-year veterinary student, has been named the 2025 recipient of the Ellen DiBella Memorial Scholarship. The award is presented by The Foundation for the Horse and provides $50,000 over five years to support the recipient’s journey from veterinary school to practice while advancing equine health. The scholarship was founded in 2023 by LSU Vet Med alumna and former faculty member Dr. Karen Wolfsheimer and her husband, Dr. Frank Wolfsheimer.
Katie Smith officially received her Ellen DiBella Memorial Scholarship in December at the American Association of Equine Practitioners Annual Convention in Denver, Colo.
Smith earned the scholarship in recognition of her outstanding academic achievement, leadership, and commitment to improving equine health in underserved communities. She has been a member of both the equine and theriogenology club and is a former a student technician in the Large Animal Hospital. In December 2025, she was officially awarded the scholarship at the American Association of Equine Practitioners Annual Convention in Denver, Colo.
“When I found out I received the award, and that it was funded by Dr. Karen Wolfsheimer, I was touched and my sense of community was strongly reinforced,” Smith said.
Dr. Wolfsheimer got her PhD in veterinary endocrinology at LSU Vet Med in 1987 after obtaining her DVM from Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine and completing a small animal medicine and surgery internship as well as a small animal internal medicine residency. For two decades, Dr. Wolfsheimer remained a faculty member at LSU Vet Med, where she started a clinical endocrine diagnostic laboratory and taught endocrinology.
In 2010, she moved to Micanopy, Fla. to live out her dream of living on a horse farm while teaching veterinary endocrinology. Today Dr. Wolfsheimer continues to consult owners of horses diagnosed with insulin dysregulation or pituitary pars intermedia disease. She assists owners with dietary management and the interpretation of diagnostic test results.
“When I went to veterinary school back in the 70s, tuition and the cost of living were relatively inexpensive compared to today,” Dr. Wolfsheimer said. “The transition from school to practice can be a challenging time financially, and these challenges along with the especially unique challenges of equine practice have contributed to a shortage of equine veterinarians.”
The equine veterinarian shortage is an issue close to both Dr. Wolfsheimer and Smith’s hearts, both longtime horse owners. For Dr. Wolfsheimer, her love of horses started at age 6 when she rode (and fell off) her first horse. By age 12, she had saved up enough lunch money to buy her own horse. For Smith, her love of horses started young as well, as a self-proclaimed “horse girl” growing up.
Drs. Frank and Karen Wolfsheimer with their 2 Dalmatians on their farm in Micanopy, Flo.
“Having owned a horse and lived in several rural areas, I have seen firsthand just how difficult and frightening it can be to worry that your best friend will not be able to receive the care they need,” Smith said. “I think incentives like the Ellen DiBella Memorial Scholarship will help chip away at the equine veterinarian shortage, and in time alleviate the heavy burden on rural large animal veterinarians.”
The scholarship’s namesake, Ellen DiBella, was a lifelong equestrian and Morgan horse owner whose influence on equestrian sport is profound. Dr. Wolfsheimer first met DiBella in 2001 when she bought a Morgan horse from her, beginning a friendship that lasted decades. In 2023, DiBella passed away, leaving behind a legacy of passion for horses and their owners.
“Ellen DiBella’s devotion to horses and their people has motivated me to be a better veterinarian. I hope the recipients of this scholarship will carry on that love and devotion to horses and their owners,” Dr. Wolfsheimer said.
Immediately after graduation, Smith plans to complete an equine rotating internship in the Southeast, with the goal of joining a large, multi-doctor practice afterward to develop skills and expand professional connections. After a few years of expanding her knowledge, Smith plans to return to her home state of Arkansas, where she hopes to help alleviate the vet shortage in underserved communities.
“I am honored to have been awarded this scholarship, and it means even more that it was funded by an LSU Vet Med alumna,” Smith said. “Attending LSU does not just come with a degree—it comes with a lifelong network of support.”