“My mother was born in Belfast, and my father’s family came from the Midlands,” says Sheila Andrew, professor and extension dairy specialist in the Department of Animal Science.
Her comments are greeted with a guffaw from Sandra Bushmich, the College’s associate dean for academic programs and a professor in the Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science (PVS). The two have recently returned from their second time leading a group of students in an extraordinary course, Global One Health: Irish and US Perspectives. Bushmich explains that it seemed that everyone in Ireland knows Andrew, but the larger story too is one of many connections.
The three-credit course provides an opportunity for students to study in Ireland and the United States. Under the direction of Bushmich and Andrew, students focus on One Health, the connections between animal health, human health and environmental sustainability. Students benefit from Andrew’s and Bushmich’s connections in dairy and cheese production and aquaculture, meeting with leaders in the industries in the United States and Ireland. During the first week, they travel across New England to meet with experts in these fields. Weeks two and three are spent in Ireland, where they learn how Ireland and the European Union regulate the industries by visiting production facilities and looking closely at food safety practices.
