Dr. Megan Ehlers - DVM 1999
2024 Distinguished Alumnus Award
Dr. Megan Ehlers, Lincoln, Nebraska, has been selected for the 2024 Distinguished Alumni Award by the Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine and its Veterinary Medical Alumni Association. This award recognizes her outstanding achievements, humanitarian service, and contributions to the veterinary profession. This award was presented during the Alumni Awards Brunch at the Alumni Reunion Weekend held June 2.
Dr. Ehlers earned a bachelor’s degree in veterinary science from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1995. She earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Kansas State University in 1999. For eight years, Dr. Ehlers was part-owner of a practice. While there, she specialized in orthopedics, oncology and rehabilitation. In 2007, with the help of her classmate Dr. Kevin Christensen, Dr. Ehlers organized an emergency hospital in Lincoln. She served on the board of directors for this clinic for its first five years. In February 2012, she opened Ehlers Animal Care.
“I am honored to be recognized by KSU,” Dr. Ehlers said. “My husband and family have made everything that I have done possible. With their support I have been able to practice and serve people in ways that I could've never imagined. I have many classmates and colleagues that have served in big ways and they have also inspired me.”
Around the time she opened her own practice, Dr. Ehlers helped the Arbor Day Foundation launch a “Trees for Pets” campaign to memorialize loved pets. The program allows veterinarians to plant a tree in a national forest in memory of a client’s pet that has passed. The program has encouraged involvement from hundreds of veterinary practices and she has been involved in helping plant more than 2,500 trees in national forests across the country.
“We have a great appreciation for Dr. Ehler’s approach to serving her clients with compassion and respect, especially for those who have lost pets,” said Dr. Bonnie Rush, Hodes Family Dean. “The Trees for Pets program is a unique, environmentally friendly way to make a difference in her clients’ lives. Her personal approach to building relationships and trust with her clients serves as a great example for future veterinarians. We are excited to take this opportunity to recognize Dr. Ehlers with one of our college’s most prestigious awards.”
Dr. Ehlers has served as the chairman of the Lincoln emergency hospital that she co-founded. She has been on the board of directors at a number of nonprofit organizations including the Lincoln Childrens Zoo, City Impact and The YMCA of Lincoln. She coached a number of youth sports through the YMCA and was a mentor with Tom Osborne's mentoring program, Teammates, for a number of years. Dr. Ehlers also served on the School Board at Lincoln Christian for four years. She served with the health department on a special committee created to establish parameters for human chiropractors and physical therapists to work on animals.
In 2013, Dr. Ehlers was recognized by the College of Veterinary Medicine with an Alumni Recognition Award at the winter meeting of the Nebraska Veterinary Medical Association, or NVMA. That same year, she was cited by the Lincoln Business Journal with a “40 Under 40” Award. This award recognizes 40 Lincoln-area professionals under 40 years of age who are having a notable impact on the community.
Dr. Ehlers is a member of the Nebraska Veterinary Medical Association and American Animal Hospital Association. She and her husband have two daughters: Elizabeth and Addison; and one son: Benjamin.