Note, this event for March 12th has been canceled, and we will do our best to try and reschedule it at a later time.
Presenter: Melinda Butterworth, Assistant Professor of Environmental Science 
Title: The Shifting Geographies of Vector-Borne Diseases in the United States
Abstract: Infectious diseases are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality across the globe, including in the United States. Global trade, travel, and climate change, among other factors, all further serve to reshape and reassemble our understandings of infectious disease geographies. As pathogens relocate, we work to predict where they will move next, and how to contain, manage, and respond to them. This is particularly obvious at the moment as the global community faces the COVID-19 outbreak, but the challenges experienced in its detection and containment are by no means unique. In this talk I will address the geographies of two diseases in the United States: dengue fever and Lyme disease. Drawing on mixed research methods, including a climate-driven mosquito model, surveys, and interviews, I discuss the work I have conducted with students investigating these (re)emerging diseases in the US, including environmental drivers, case detection, and the responses of citizen and health communities.
Students are welcome and coffee and treats will be provided. We look forward to seeing you there. Also, remember to note the move to Thursday afternoons this semester.
Bill Kelm and Stephen Patterson
Faculty Colloquium Coordinators