Aggies in One Health: Q&A with Jennie Lane

Jennie leads Rx One Health Field Institute activities and is a field veterinarian with the One Health Institute. She provides technical and logistical support to a variety of projects including the USAID One Health Workforce-Next Generation project.Leading RxOH is one of her favorite things about her job and she loves watching people discover the joys of seeing the natural world and becoming inspired stewards of our amazing planet.

How did you get started on your career path?

I went to veterinary school in Michigan State and thought I was going to be an equine veterinarian. I started volunteering with several organizations that did veterinary care for working equines in Central and South America. That experience got me interested in more in the connections between human health and animal health, so i went to do my MPH. After that I worked in international development working in Malawi before starting here at OHI.

Why did you first get involved with the Rx One Health Field Institute?

It was an opportunity to use a lot of creativity in developing and refining the course content and working with our partners in the communities of Tanzania to put together the course.

What is your favorite part about leading Rx One Health?

I love seeing the light come on for people and that light comes on at all different points when they realize how they can apply their own skillset and work across disciplines but be able to bring what their core expertise is to the broader table - it's really cool.

What's a piece of advice you'd give to aspiring One Health students?

Stay really curious, have interests in lots of things, and just keep asking why - not just about that sort of narrow veterinary medicine clinical practice thing - but all sorts of different topics. Because it'll serve you well.