Dr. Emily Walz is a veterinarian who practices at the intersection of shelter medicine and public health. They have an interest in issues that arise at the confluence of people, domestic animals, wildlife, and the environment. They have worked internationally on issues of climate change, infectious and vector- borne disease in Tanzania and Cameroon, and domestically at non-profit and municipal animal shelters in Illinois, Ohio, Minnesota, and Massachusetts . They are also interested in the role animals play in the urban ecosystem and is actively involved in incorporating animal services into mental health, sheltering and social support services for the entire household. Emily specializes in building connections to support community-based and participatory methods as a means to empower disenfranchised voices in animal welfare and public health. They have worked across cultures and between groups that don’t often communicate in order to create multi-disciplinary teams that find workable solutions to veterinary and public health challenges. Emily received their DVM from the Ohio State University in 2012, completed a Masters in Public Health from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities in 2016, and received specialty certification as a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine in 2017. They split time between teaching in higher education, organizing community veterinary events, and providing consulting services to universities, government, and nonprofits from a home base in Boston, MA.
Courses Taught
VME6816: The Role of the Animal Shelter in Protecting Community and Public Health