Wagging Tails, Smiling Faces: WSU Global Animal Health Director Guy Palmer Delivers Honors College Distinguished Lecture March 10 on the “Animal-Human Interface”
PULLMAN, Wash. — Carrying small slips of paper and hopeful smiles, children in Tanzania prove again that dogs are man’s best friend – even when disease forces a wedge between the populations. The seemingly insignificant cards have rabies vaccination information for their trusted companions, and keeping their dog’s shots up to date is one step toward reducing human deaths from the disease.
Rabies kills nearly 60,000 people—mostly children—each year in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia alone. It is one example of a zoonotic disease, or those that humans catch as a result of interaction with animals.
Guy Palmer, founding director of the Paul G. Allen School for Global Animal Health at Washington State University, is an expert in zoonotics and met the beaming children of Tanzania to administer vaccinations.
“Improving Human Health by Intervention at the Animal-Human Interface” is the title of his Honors College Distinguished Lecture to be delivered at 6:30 p.m. Monday, March 10, 2014 in the Honors Hall Lounge on the Pullman campus. Students and the community are invited to the free, public lecture.
Palmer will address several topics during the lecture, illustrating the challenges, opportunities, and progress in improving global health with a focus on the interactions between humans and animals.
“This is a timely and relevant topic to many of our students,” says Honors dean Grant Norton. “Dr. Palmer’s work is held in the highest esteem and we are delighted to have him tell us about his work at our lecture.”
The Honors College Distinguished Lecture Series offers three guest lectures in fall and two in spring. It is hosted by the college and the Honors Student Advisory Council.
In addition, the traditional Honors College Invited Lecture, delivered by a speaker chosen by Honors students, is also in spring. This year marks the 35th anniversary of that invited lecture. For more Honors College information, visit the Honors homepage.
Media: M. Grant Norton, Dean, WSU Honors College, 509-335-4505
Linda Howell, Academic Coordinator, WSU Honors College, 509-335-7801, linda.howell@wsu.edu
Jared Brickman, Communications Assistant, WSU Honors College, 509-335-8070, uchccommmar.4@wsu.edu