TOMBALL (November 19, 2024) – Dr. Angela MacFarlane, LSC-Tomball Veterinary Technology Program (VTP) director and veterinarian, received the Association of Veterinary Technician Educators (AVTE) 2024 Program Director of the Year award for her outstanding commitment to student success, innovation in the classroom, and exceptional leadership.
“Dr. Angela MacFarlane is one of a kind,” said Dr. Megan Mariveles, LSC-Tomball Health Science Dean. “I’ve had the pleasure of serving as her supervisor since August 2021. In that time, she has demonstrated pedagogical excellence, is a content expert, values institutional dedication, and remains student-focused.”
The AVTE Program Director of the Year award is presented to educators who have demonstrated exceptional strength working collaboratively to generate creative learning opportunities for their students.
Since her LSC-Tomball tenure began, allowing students to apply their knowledge in practical settings and gain real-life experience has been a crucial focus for MacFarlane. Through partnerships with area shelters, rescues, farms, and the Boys and Girls Country of Houston, the veterinary technology students work with numerous species at the LSC-Tomball Veterinary Technology Building.
MacFarlane has boosted student engagement by allowing students to vote on their class scrub colors. She is an innovative teacher developing teaching techniques to encourage student engagement and participation with more hands-on learning experiences via technology and games to make the classroom setting more participatory.
Emory Cemer, LSC-Tomball VTP graduate and former Veterinarian Technology Student Organization (VTSO) president, said MacFarlane’s classes were “fun, engaging, and thought-provoking.”
“I enjoyed Dr. Mac’s style of ‘popcorn’ teaching,” said Cemer. “She would present a situation to the class and ask the students the correct course of action. She would follow up by asking another student what they would do next. Dr. Mac used analogies that were easy to understand and digest. She created comedy in the classroom and that helped make the lessons memorable.”
To foster community and get students connected, MacFarlane launched a mentorship program in which second-year students are paired with first-year students to help them adjust, offer support, and encourage participation in study groups.
As a mentor to the Veterinary Technician Student Organization (VTSO), MacFarlane emphasizes the importance of outreach to local clinics and the broader community. Her introduction of new and improved fundraising initiatives was highly successful, enabling students to sponsor life-saving treatments for a local shelter dog, Adamas.
“He had a severe heartworm burden, which the shelter would have had to put him down for if it had not been for Dr. Mac’s resilience and drive to treat him,” said Cemer. ”She found his foster homes, caretakers, and charitable people willing to sponsor his recovery journey. Dr. Mac never gave up on him. With her dedication and the funds raised through VTSO and other anonymous donations, we were able to help other shelter dogs and save Adamas’ life.”
In 2023, MacFarlane collaborated with the LSC-Tomball Veterinary Program faculty to create a curriculum grid for the program. She encouraged each faculty member to share their expertise and best practices to identify the most effective placement for content delivery and skill development throughout the curriculum. “Her approach fostered a sense of ownership and shared responsibility for the program's success,” said Mariveles.
Under MacFarlane’s leadership, the LSC-Tomball Veterinary Technology program has witnessed improvements in student success retention rates and licensure exam scores. Through her dedication to continuous curriculum enhancements and implementation of effective instructional strategies, the Veterinary Technician National Examination three-year pass rate has improved from 70.24% to 82%. Under MacFarlane’s leadership this May, the LSC-Tomball Veterinarian Program had 26 graduates compared to 11 in May 2023.
Due to her exceptional leadership, MacFarlane has enhanced the professional image of veterinary technicians at LSC-Tomball and within the broader community. Her leadership has inspired students to embody professionalism, ethics, and a commitment to lifelong learning—qualities highly valued by affiliated externship sites and potential employers.
“I have seen firsthand Dr. MacFarlane’s commitment to our students,” said Sarah Ferguson, LSC-Tomball Veterinary Technology Program staff assistant. “She works tirelessly to foster an atmosphere of growth and success and is very deserving of this prestigious award.”
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