Dr. Colleen Webb, a Colorado State University professor of Biology and accomplished disease ecologist, has been named the Interim Director of the One Health Institute.

She will be providing strategic direction to OHI following the recent departure of the Institute’s former director, Dr. Sue VandeWoude. VandeWoude officially assumed her role as dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences on August 16^th. She is the 11^th dean and the first woman to hold the position since CVMBS’ launch of the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program in 1907.

“Being director of the CSU OHI has been a tremendously rewarding experience,” said VandeWoude, who has been OHI’s director since 2019. “The CSU Community embraces the One Health concepts of addressing health issues at the intersection of human, animal, and environmental health in a collaborative, transdisciplinary manner.”

“Dr. Webb will provide enthusiastic and supportive stewardship as interim director, and I am confident that the institute will continue to thrive under her direction as we launch a search for permanent leadership. I owe a debt of gratitude to faculty and administration for their support of OHI during my tenure and look forward to promoting One Health programs in CVMBS.” 

A Natural fit for OHI

Dr. Colleen Webb is the former Director of the Graduate Degree Program in Ecology at CSU, and currently serves as the Associate Dean for the Graduate School. She is a natural fit for the One Health Institute, as her research lab primarily investigates trait-based ecology and the dynamics of diseases, a significant focus of the Institute. Dr. Webb has also served as the chair of the science advisory board for the National Center for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis (NIMBioS), as an editor at Ecology Letters, and has organized multiple workshops and working groups on modeling of zoonotic diseases. She has been actively involved in OHI as a member of the One Health Strategic Advisory Committee, representing the College of Natural Resources.

“The One Health Institute is a truly organic organization to have on this campus,” said Webb. “It is an amazing extension of the One Health activities that have been taking place on campus for years, and I hope to help enhance One Health at CSU by bringing people together through connection and collaboration.”

Passion for Inclusivity

Dr. Webb received her bachelor’s degree in Applied Mathematics from the University of Chicago in 1993, which led to much of her interdisciplinary work. Webb recognized the importance of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice as she found women to be significantly underrepresented in her field. Her experiences led to her passion for inclusivity, and she has remained dedicated throughout her career to ensure early-career researchers have access to needed resources including quality mentoring.

She continued her education and received her master’s degree in Biology from the University of Oregon, and her Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Cornell University in 2001. She completed her final education run at Princeton University, where she completed a postdoctoral fellowship in 2003. Colleen assumed her first role at CSU that same year and has remained an accomplished professor and employee throughout her tenure. Colleen is married to Prof. Joe von Fischer (Biology) and has four children whom she loves dearly.  Her need for work-life balance has also led to her personal focus on self-care and well-being and professional promotion of these topics for early-career researchers. She will begin her official role with OHI as the semester begins.

The One Health Institute enthusiastically welcomes Dr. Webb to the interdisciplinary team and looks forward to collaborating with her to continue to solve One Health issues.