Andreasen Named Initial Holder of New One Health Professorship

Dr. Claire Andreasen

April 12, 2018

Dr. Claire Andreasen, professor of veterinary pathology, has been named the initial holder of the Dr. Roger and Marilyn Mahr Professorship in One Health in Iowa State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine.

The announcement was made yesterday during the college’s annual One Health Lecture, which was established in honor of Dr. Roger Mahr (’71) of St. Charles, Illinois.

The Mahr Professorship in One Health will further empower Iowa State University with visionary leadership to promote and help facilitate innovative multi-disciplinary collaboration that embraces the university’s land grant mission. Iowa State was the nation’s first land grant institution.

One Health is the collaborative effort of multiple health science professions and their related disciplines working locally, nationally and globally to attain optimal health for people, animals, plants and the environment.

A faculty member at Iowa State since 1996, Andreasen’s continued leadership and commitment has been imperative to the success of the college’s One Health initiatives. She teaches and advises students in areas of One Health and helps connect students to One Health scholars.

Additionally, she has created resource documents for external veterinary health advocates and participates in a variety of One Health related organizations. She has done extensive work with promoting One Health in various media and has collaborated on projects with countless external health organizations.

“Dr. Andreasen will continue to further awareness of One Health initiatives and assist in moving this area of veterinary medicine forward globally,” said Dr. Pat Halbur, the Dr. Stephen G. Juelsgaard Interim Dean of Veterinary Medicine. “She will create a larger footprint for the college in One Health and will be an excellent ambassador in this area throughout the world.”

Andreasen currently serves as the director of One Health in the College of Veterinary Medicine where she is responsible for the Mahr One Health Lecture Series and is the faculty advisor for the Iowa One Health student organization, which recently won the international 2017 One Health Day Student Events Competition.

She has served in a number of administrative positions in the College of Veterinary Medicine including associate dean for academic and student affairs, chair of the Department of Veterinary Pathology and interim chair of the Department of Clinical Sciences.

Roger Mahr, a small animal practitioner throughout his career, has long supported Iowa State’s One Health initiative. The College of Veterinary Medicine One Health Lectureship Series was established in 2011 in honor of Dr. Mahr as he served as the chief executive officer of the One Health Commission, which was headquartered at Iowa State from 2011 through 2013.

Mahr served as president of the American Veterinary Medical Association in 2006-07. During his presidency, he revealed a vision for a One Health Initiative, which the AVMA established in collaboration with the American Medical Association in 2007.

 “Marilyn and I are excited and truly honored to have Dr. Andreasen serve as the first holder of our professorship,” Mahr said. “Through her dedicated commitment of visionary leadership towards One Health at Iowa State, she is informing all audiences, including students, faculty and researchers, about the importance of transcending institutional and disciplinary boundaries. She is transforming the way human, animal, plant and ecosystem health professionals work together to improve the health of all living things and the environment worldwide.”

The Mahr Professorship in One Health will also coordinate Iowa State’s One Health courses and training opportunities, promote and illustrate the importance and value of the One Health approach, and pursue innovative and entrepreneurial opportunities for Iowa State to lead, connect and engage in various One Health agendas.

The Mahrs’ gift supports the university’s $1.1 billion comprehensive fundraising campaign, Forever True, For Iowa State.

Contacts: Dr. Claire Andreasen, One Health Initiative and Veterinary Pathology, candreas@iastate.edu
Dave Gieseke, College of Veterinary Medicine, 515-294-4257, dgieseke@iastate.edu