NIAMRRE Featured Project: Educational Modules for AMR Science Communication

Date: Tuesday, March 31

Time: 11:00 AM- Noon CT 

Who Should Attend: Veterinary School Faculty and Practicing Veterinarians 

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) continues to pose a growing threat within veterinary medicine, making effective antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) more important than ever. Yet, while veterinary students receive strong technical training in AMR and AMS, many report feeling underprepared to communicate these concepts to clients in real-world practice.  

Veterinary school faculty and practicing veterinarians are invited to join NIAMRRE Tuesday, March 31, 2026, from 11:00 AM – Noon CT for a webinar to discuss strengthening science communication for antimicrobial stewardship in veterinary medicine. This webinar introduces a newly developed set of science communication training modules designed specifically for veterinary medical students and practicing veterinarians that addresses critical gaps in AMR and AMS communication education.  Register

Participants will gain insight into the four interactive online modules, which cover communication strategies in: 

• Professional, social, and clinical settings  

• Navigating challenging AMR related conversations related conversations 

• Preparing for future stewardship-focused discussions with clients  

The webinar will also highlight lessons learned from pilot testing with more than 400 students across three veterinary institutions, offering a preview of how these tools will support current and future veterinarians in promoting responsible antibiotic use.  

Join us to explore how enhanced science communication training can strengthen AMR mitigation efforts and better equip the next generation of veterinarians. Register now

Featured Speakers

Will Sander, DVM, MPH, DACVPM  

Dr. Sander is an Associate Professor for Preventive Medicine and Public Health and Director of the DVM/MPH Joint Degree at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine.   

He spent 2 years at the U.S. EPA Office of Water as an AAAS Science and Technology Fellow and 3 years supporting DTRA’s Cooperative Biological Engagement Program. He was a staff veterinarian for City Wildlife and practiced at VCA small animal practices. As a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, he served on their Executive Board. He serves on the board of directors for the Illinois State Veterinary Medical Association, American Association for Food Safety and Public Health, and the Veterinary Sustainability Alliance. He is the alternate Delegate for Illinois to the AVMA House of Delegates. Dr. Sander is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine, Yale School of Public Health, and Colby College.  

Dr. Emmanuel Okello, DVM, PhD. MSc 

Dr. Emmanuel Okello is an Associate Professor of Cooperative Extension in Antimicrobial Stewardship at the UC Davis Weill School of Veterinary Medicine. His research investigates the mechanisms of antimicrobial resistance spread, factors influencing antimicrobial use, alternative infection treatments, and the development of rapid diagnostic tools for animal food systems. He has served on various committees, including the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s Antimicrobial Stewardship, the Africa One Health University Network, and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Committee on Examining the Long-term Health and Economic Effects of Antimicrobial Resistance in the United States. Dr. Okello serves as the UC Davis representative on the NIAMRRE advisory council. He holds a DVM from Makerere, an MSc in Molecular Biology from the Catholic University of Leuven, and a Ph.D. in Bio-Engineering Sciences from the Free University of Brussels.   

** This work is supported by the Mitigating Antimicrobial Resistance Across the Food Chain, project award no. 2022-68015-37140, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and should not be construed to represent any official USDA or U.S. Government determination or policy.