Kevin Keel

I guess I really began my education when I entered a Master's program in Widlife Biology. I have always been devoted to wildlife and the environment, so this was a natural place for me to end up. My thesis at the time focused on diseases of white-tailed deer, and I developed a deep fascination for the interactions of infectious agents and parasites with their respective hosts. Because I was so interested in the pathogenesis of these diseases, I entered veterinary school as a pathway to additional training in pathology. After completing a pathology residency and a PhD in microbiology, I went to work for the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study (SCWDS) in Athens, Georgia. That was an important job with wonderful constituents. However, I wanted to spend more time teaching, so after ten years at SCWDS I took a faculty position at UC Davis. I currently teach undergraduates, veterinary students, and pathology residents. I also receive necropsy and biopsy cases (particularly of nondomestic species) and I continue to conduct research in infectious diseases of wildlife.

The marriage of my interests in wildlife diseases and a concern for wild populations has led me along diverse pathways of study. However, a common theme has been the protection and optimal management of wild populations. Given the ever increasing anthropogenic changes in our environment, this has sometimes been a challenge. A critical step in effecting a positive change is knowledge about the problem. However, sharing that knowledge with the public so that they better understand the impacts of our (human) activities is just as important.

August 2020