UC Blue Ash professor wins national award for expertise in veterinary dentistry

Kelly Vearil accepts an award on stage from two women

Kelly Vearil (center) is presented with the 2022 VTS-Dentistry Excellence in Dentistry Education Award.

Kelly Vearil continues to establish herself as a leading expert in veterinary dentistry. After becoming the first person in Ohio to earn a Veterinary Technology Specialty (VTS) in dentistry eight years ago, Vearil was recently honored with the 2022 VTS-Dentistry Excellence in Dentistry Education Award by the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America (NAVTA).

Vearil serves as an assistant professor of veterinary technology at the University of Cincinnati Blue Ash College. She is an alum of the program and has worked and taught at the college for the past 15 years. She says she began pursuing dentistry as a specialty right from the start.

“Teeth are my passion, so I basically asked to be a part of teaching that content on my first day as a staff member,” says Vearil. “I’ve been doing it ever since.”

Dentistry is a large portion of the veterinary technology curriculum. Training in this specialty is a requirement by the American Veterinary Medicine Association and is critical for success on the Veterinary Technology National Exam (VTNE).

The award is a tribute to the expertise Vearil has developed over the years in teaching veterinary dentistry, as well as her dedication to giving back and helping others.

“I was humbled and honored,” said Vearil. “This volunteer service to my academy and the education I provide the veterinary community is very important to me because it allows me to give back and serve those in my discipline. It was nice to be recognized for the hard work.”

Thanks to the hard work and expertise of Vearil and her colleagues in the veterinary technology program, graduates of the program consistently perform well above the national average in passing the VTNE.

Featured Image: Kelly Vearil (right) works with a student in the veterinary technology lab at UC Blue Ash.

About UC Blue Ash College

UC Blue Ash College is a regional college within the University of Cincinnati. It offers one of the best values in higher education with access to a nationally recognized UC education in more than 50 degree and certificate programs, as well as tuition that is about half of most colleges and universities. The college is located on a scenic 135-acre wooded campus in the heart of Blue Ash, Ohio. To learn more, call 513-558-9495, visit us online, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

Related Stories

1

Sugar overload killing hearts

November 10, 2025

Two in five people will be told they have diabetes during their lifetime. And people who have diabetes are twice as likely to develop heart disease. One of the deadliest dangers? Diabetic cardiomyopathy. But groundbreaking University of Cincinnati research hopes to stop and even reverse the damage before it’s too late.

2

Is going nuclear the solution to Ohio’s energy costs?

November 10, 2025

The Ohio Capital Journal recently reported that as energy prices continue to climb, economists are weighing the benefits of going nuclear to curb costs. The publication dove into a Scioto Analysis survey of 18 economists to weigh the pros and cons of nuclear energy. One economist featured was Iryna Topolyan, PhD, professor of economics at the Carl H. Lindner College of Business.

3

App turns smartwatch into detector of structural heart disease

November 10, 2025

An app that uses an AI model to read a single-lead ECG from a smartwatch can detect structural heart disease, researchers reported at the 2025 Scientific Sessions of the American Heart Association. Although the technology requires further validation, researchers said it could help improve the identification of patients with heart failure, valvular conditions and left ventricular hypertrophy before they become symptomatic, which could improve the prognosis for people with these conditions.