Karla is a PhD candidate in Epidemiology at the University of California, Davis after earning a B.S. in Animal Science and a Masters in Development Practice from the University of Arizona. Her interest in animal health and agriculture was sparked from early exposures to farming in rural Mexico. She has volunteered in many countries and partnered with Panaftosa-PAHO/WHO working with Foot and Mouth Disease in Latin America for her Master’s in Development Practice field practicum.
Whether milking cows or running analyses, a servant posture and stewardship of humility is central to both her academic and humanitarian pursuits. Although quantitative in training, she remains empathetically rooted to impact the lives behind the numbers. People are her motivation, and her love for animal health just happens to be the avenue through which she can offer her contributions to food security, locally and internationally.