Alex Travis is a veterinarian and scientist with expertise in “one health” relationships among humans, animals and the environment.  He received his A.B. magna cum laude from Princeton University, and his V.M.D. summa cum laude and Ph.D. at the University of Pennsylvania.  In the laboratory, Dr. Travis performs NIH-funded research in reproduction, which he developed into a diagnostic assay for male fertility.  He invented a novel approach to add function to nanoparticles with tethered enzymes, for which he received an NIH Pioneer Award. Together with Dr. Roy Cohen, they are developing this technology into a platform for point-of-care diagnostic assays for conditions such as stroke and concussion, as well as diagnosis of specific pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2, respiratory syncytial virus, influenza virus, etc.  In the field, he tests and optimizes interventions to combat poverty and hunger in ways that are economically and environmentally sustainable and reduce risk of pathogen spillover.  This work led him to recognize that the greatest challenges to human health stem from the unsustainable ways we interact with the environment and inequitable ways we interact with each other, assertions for which COVID-19 provides a stark example. Given this recognition and the critical need to strengthen the public health workforce, he founded and directs Cornell’s Master of Public Health Program. Dr. Travis is also founding Chair of the Department of Public & Ecosystem Health. He has received several awards including a Rotary Graduate Fellowship, the Pfizer Animal Health Award for Research Excellence, and a SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities.