Club connects students from diverse perspectives to learn about One Health

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The One Health Club, based in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, seeks to connect people who are interested in One Health, no matter what their major, college or perspective.

One Health is an approach that recognizes that the health of people is closely connected to the health of animals and our shared environment, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Isabelle Gapen, a second-year student majoring in animal science and the vice president of the club, explained that because One Health is a part of everyone’s daily lives — citing interactions with pets and doctors as an example — it was important to her to create an organization in which students of all backgrounds and disciplines could learn more.

“One Health is the intersection of animal health, public health and environmental health,” Gapen said. “It’s really important, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic and other zoonotic diseases constantly circulating. Every single person, whether they know it or not, is involved with One Health because of our interactions with everything around us.”

Jennifer Koehl, assistant teaching professor of veterinary and biomedical sciences and adviser of the One Health Club, stressed the importance of understanding how human and animal health are intertwined.

“Nearly 60% of established infectious diseases have an animal origin, and another 75% of newly emerging infectious diseases jump from animals to humans,” Koehl said. “Climate change and associated severe weather patterns, human behavior, and population growth coupled with environmental and agricultural policy contribute to negative factors in human and animal health.”

The One Health Club was founded by Emely Carvajal, a fourth-year student studying animal science with a minor in wildlife and fisheries science. When she was the One Health chair for the Pre-Vet Club, she decided it was time for One Health to have its own organization.

She teamed up with Gapen, and they officially kicked off the One Health Club in the fall of 2023. The duo also worked with Koehl to make the club a reality.

“The club aims to unite students across majors and highlight ideas and areas of study that are indirectly related to their major and interests,” Koehl said. “Students in the One Health club should anticipate eye-opening discussions about previously unknown-to-them multidisciplinary relationships and possible career paths that meld their various interests.”

Carvajal said because One Health is embedded in so many aspects of the world, there are many potential careers in the discipline.

“Our club brings guest speakers to show members the different career paths they could potentially have within One Health,” Carvajal said. “It also helps show the bigger picture of what’s happening in the world through a One Health lens.”

Carvajal explained that last semester, the club had guests from the Beekeepers Club, as well as Emily Struckhoff, an education program specialist with Penn State Extension’s vector-borne disease team, who hosted a hands-on lab where members analyzed different tick species under microscopes.

“I learned about tick prevention — what to look for, what not to look for and how to make sure ticks don’t attach to your clothing,” Carvajal said.

Ticks are an example of One Health because they can spread diseases such as Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever, she added. Learning how best to interact with our environment and avoid ticks can help reduce exposure to these diseases.

The club also has had more relaxed general meetings, Carvajal explained, since mental health is an aspect of the One Health approach. One of Carvajal’s favorite memories was a murder mystery-themed meeting the club held for Halloween.

“I thought it was really fun, and we got a lot of positive feedback from it,” Carvajal said. “We love hosting fun, low-pressure events because we try to advocate for mental health in addition to physical health with the One Health approach.”

Additionally, the club has hosted events outside their general meeting times, such as setting up a donor drive for Lion’s Pantry.

To get involved in the One Health Club, Carvajal and Gapen encourage people to come to a meeting, which takes place at 7 p.m. every other Monday in 106 Animal, Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences Building.

“If you’re even a little interested, come to a meeting to get a feel for the club,” Carvajal said, “because then you would see that maybe public health isn’t your route, but you’re really interested in the animal health or environmental health aspects. The club shows a little bit of everything.”