Episode 19: Dr. Arleigh Reynolds on Creating a Career of Passion, Purpose and Impact
Every single one of us aspires to build a career ignited by passion, driven by purpose, and ultimately, one that leaves an impact on our world.
Dr. Arleigh Reynolds is a World Champion Sled Dog Racer, Professor, Veterinarian, Senior Scientist and Director of the One Health Initiative at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Throughout his life, Arleigh has made career decisions that followed a combination of passion and purpose. At the center of his life’s work has been a unique relationship with an unusual group of close friends – his dogs.
Early in his career, Arleigh saw an opportunity to meld his passion for endurance sports and his love for veterinary medicine. The result has been a 30-year career that has led him to become a world renown expert in his field and three-time world champion. After much success, Arleigh may now be embarking on the most important journey of his career – working on the future of global health and the One Health Initiative.
In this episode, Arleigh and I discuss what his dogs taught him about trust and leadership, how he makes purpose driven career decisions and why all of us have a critical role to play in creating a healthy planet, in a post-pandemic world.
Take a listen to my wide-ranging conversation with Dr. Arleigh Reynolds.
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About Arleigh:
Dr. Arleigh Reynolds was named the director of UAF’s One Health initiative in 2018. One Health is a holistic, integrated, multidisciplinary approach to studying, understanding and managing issues related to environmental, human and animal health. The concept has gained momentum around the world in recent years, with scientists and policymakers in the circumpolar North taking special interest in it.
Center for One Health Research Home Page
One Health Master's Informational Page
One Health, One Future 2021 Conference
One Health One Future Documentary
Arleigh received his Bachelors of Science in Biology, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, and PhD Degrees from Cornell University. He became board certified in clinical nutrition in 1996. He has worked in private practice, in the private sector as a research scientist for Nestle Purina and as a faculty member at both Cornell University and The University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Arleigh raced sled dogs competitively for over thirty years and won three world championships in open class. He oversaw the construction and operation of the veterinary medicine program at UAF where he served as the Associate Dean for 4 years. He is a PI on the $39 million NIH Biomedical Learning and Student Training (BLaST) program at UAF which engages and supports Alaska Native and rural Alaskan students into biomedical pathways through a One Health approach that makes such work relevant to their life experiences. His research has focused on studying sled dogs as sentinel models for people in rural Alaska, and developing resilience in young people through cultural activities.
