Dear Spartans and friends,
I am pleased to announce the formation of the One Health Council, along with several cross-disciplinary task forces, as we take our next step forward in considering how to position Michigan State University as a global leader in One Health.
As I shared earlier this semester, Michigan State is uniquely positioned to help solve the world’s biggest challenges by embracing an integrated approach — one that recognizes the profound interconnectedness of human, animal, plant and environmental health. This is the heart of our One Team, One Health vision as we explore a university-wide commitment to developing actionable, sustainable solutions through deeper collaboration across disciplines. We have a unique opportunity to leverage our strengths in biomedical and agricultural research, our statewide Extension network and our collaborative spirit to forge a healthier future.
Aligned with MSU’s land-grant mission to serve the public good, this proposed integrated framework could help drive groundbreaking discoveries and innovations addressing some of the world’s most pressing challenges: cancer, emerging infectious diseases, antimicrobial resistance, food and water safety and environmental threats.
Since sharing this vision, I have received thoughtful and constructive feedback from faculty, staff, alums, students and health care leaders and partners across the state and beyond. Important questions have been raised, including whether we should rewrite the playbook of interprofessional medical education and/or concentrate our resources on high-impact initiatives. I am grateful to all Spartans and friends who shared their insights with us, and we will carefully consider their feedback.
To continue to explore this vision, the new One Health Council will advise me and our leadership team on how we could bring One Team, One Health to life, as well as evaluate, further explore and consider three bold ideas:
- Create a unified College of Medicine
- Launch a new College of Health Professions
- Establish an innovative cross-disciplinary health sciences center or institute (e.g., Institute for Collaborative Biomedical Research)
The proposed ideas are not ends in themselves but potential means to strengthen collaboration, focus our efforts and amplify our impact. More information about each idea and the council’s membership is available on our One Team, One Health web page.
The council will work closely with four dedicated task forces: Accreditation; the College of Health Professions; the College of Medicine; and a cross-disciplinary center/institute. Each task force is composed of experienced and valued colleagues charged with conducting deeper research and analysis (e.g., data collection, benchmarking) to ensure we have a more comprehensive understanding of the impact of each bold idea. The task forces will then present their findings to the One Health Council.
The council will convene in early May and stay actively engaged throughout the summer. The council will then submit recommendations to me and our leadership team by early fall.
As I have said before, this is a critical moment for MSU to lead, given our society’s unmet and evolving needs. By working together across boundaries, we can better serve our communities, attract top talent, increase research competitiveness and expand our global reach.
I look forward to continuing to engage the campus community throughout this process and will share updates and opportunities for input as the council and task forces move forward.
Together, we can shape the future of the health sciences at Michigan State and have a transformative impact on improving health outcomes for the people of Michigan and beyond.
Sincerely,
Kevin M. Guskiewicz, Ph.D.
President
Professor, Department of Kinesiology