Zarah Deutsch (she/her), DVM, CertAqV, joins the College of the Environment and Life Sciences this fall as an assistant teaching professor in the Department of Fisheries, Animal and Veterinary Science.

Q. What drew you to animal biology?
I wanted to be a veterinarian since I was 6 years old, and that passion drove me through undergrad, vet school and then ultimately practicing as a companion animal vet. I realized I missed teaching and interacting with students, and I wanted to feel that my work was not only saving animals, but also addressing our global sustainability issues. So I went back to school to focus on sustainability and animal welfare with the goal of eventually teaching in higher ed- which brought me here!

What are your academic interests?
My academic interests lie at the intersection of sustainable aquaculture and animal welfare, utilizing improvements in animal welfare on fish farms to ultimately create a more sustainable and humane product.

How do you describe your work to non-academics?
I like to talk about the relationships between animal welfare and animal health, and how the role of veterinarians is to protect both. For fish, their welfare has been overlooked for a long time and I hope to improve the health and quality of life of those species.

Why URI?
I am from the east coast initially and was very excited to move back to a northeast location. URI specifically was offering a position within their fisheries, animal and veterinary sciences program, which are my three main professional interests- it seemed like the perfect fit!

Will you be designing any new courses for students at URI? 
I am revamping the animal nutrition course (AVS 412) and the animal anatomy lab (AVS 333). Ultimately, I hope to introduce some animal welfare courses into the curriculum in the next few years, which is my speciality. 

What are you reading or listening to right now?
Right now (and most of the time) I am going through my Paul Simon discography. I’m currently in the middle of reading “The Ministry for the Future” by Kim Stanley Robinson. 

Anything else you’d like to add?
I’m very excited to explore all that Rhode Island has to offer- I have never lived so close to the beach before!