Veterinarian Hero

Dr. Katherine Polak ('10)
It’s hard not to be impressed with what Katherine Polak has accomplished in the decade since graduating from Iowa State. Polak works for the charity FOUR PAWS International, managing its companion animal work in Southeast Asia from her home base in Bangkok, Thailand. In this role, she developed and launched a regional partnership program which aids local animal welfare groups, trains local veterinarians, and operates community engagement programs. “When I started, FOUR PAWS had only operated stray animal programs in Eastern Europe, so work in Southeast Asia was completely new for the organization,” Polak said. “I had the unique opportunity to help craft a regional strategy and launch a program designed to help capacity build local animal welfare charities who really needed help.”