Brittani Trollinger, Campus Carrier Staff Reporter
Berry has introduced a new minor called one health which looks at health from multiple perspectives.
Berry is the first undergraduate institution in the country to offer a minor in one health. Christopher Hall, Bruce Conn, Martin Goldberg and Renee Carleton are just a few of Berry’s faculty that are heading up this program, which will begin this fall.
The one health concept is the study of population health that requires an interdisciplinary approach. To understand the health of any population, one must consider the species it comes into direct contact with, as well as the environment in which it lives. One health is a unified idea that you cannot separate human health from animal health from environmental health. Diseases like rabies and emerging infectious diseases are the most obvious example of the association between humans, animals and their environments.
One health represents a theoretical framework where physicians, veterinarians, public health officials, ecologists, water quality experts and many others come together to more fully understand the relationships that contribute to overall health and disease. One health programs have been established at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and at several leading universities, including University of California at Davis and University of Georgia.
Christopher Hall, associate professor of biology, is director of the one health program at Berry. He said adding this minor to the course catalog just seemed like a natural move for Berry because of the amount of animal science majors on campus.
“Given the strengths of our animal science group, it’s just made sense for us,” Hall said. “I’m thrilled and excited about it and a little apprehensive about how it goes. I just think it’s going to be an amazing benefit.“
Bruce Conn, Gund professor of biology, said many current students who majoring in biology, animal science and environmental science have expressed strong interest.
“I hope we will attract some of our best and brightest students, and will be able to provide them with opportunities that are not available to students at any other university,” Conn said. “This minor will help Berry to emerge as an international leader in what is becoming a major new area of interdisciplinary science.”
Renee Carleton, associate professor of biology, said this minor will allow students to obtain experience in several different areas.
“This minor will give students interested in any of the allied health fields exposure to coursework that they normally may not encounter as part of their particular major,” Carleton said. “Individuals trained in one health will make better physicians, veterinarians, nurses, public health workers, etc. through their better understanding of how everything is interconnected and how it influences health.”