Vice Provost Dr. Jonna Mazet was awarded the K. F. Meyer/James H. Steele Gold-Headed Cane by the American Veterinary Epidemiology Society (AVES). The prestigious award dates to 1964 and recognizes career accomplishments and contributions to veterinary epidemiology, public health, and One Health. The recognition took place at the 2023 American Veterinary Medical Association’s annual meeting, held recently in Denver, Colorado.

The Gold-Headed Cane is one of two awards given annually by AVES. The other being the AVES Honorary Diploma Award, which began in 1967 and also recognizes significant contributions to veterinary epidemiology, public health, and One Health. Dr. Mazet won that award in 2015.

Also of note at the meeting was AVES’ decision to rename their society going forward. AVES announced that it will now be known as the American Veterinary One Health Society (AVOHS). The name change will better reflect and clarify the society’s overall longstanding mission to promote the national and international One Health approach. One Health is defined as an integrated, unifying approach that aims to sustainably balance and optimize the health of people, animals, and ecosystems, according to the One Health High Level Expert Panel.

The name change also more accurately reflects the scope of professional recognition awards given by the AVOHS. These recipients have excelled in various disciplines covered by the One Health umbrella and not just veterinary epidemiology.

Dr. Mazet is widely recognized as a global leader in One Health initiatives. As the Vice Provost of Global Challenges, she serves as the Chancellor’s Leadership Professor of Epidemiology and Disease Ecology. She previously helped found the UC Davis One Health Institute, where she focused on global health problem solving, especially for emerging infectious disease and conservation challenges. Dr. Mazet is active in international One Health education, service, and research programs, most notably in relation to disease transmission among wildlife, domestic animals, and people and the ecological drivers of novel disease dynamics.