I listened to the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) seminar “Trusted Messengers and Trusted Spaces” on August 24th. The purpose of listening to the webinar, apart from the obvious fact that I was interested in the topic, was also to gain new viewpoints.

During the seminar, I learned new things about the CDC while listening to how the CDC embraced further disciplines and bridged to the community through local organizations during the pandemic. In other words, I gained new viewpoints while listening about how the CDC enlarged its spectrum during these past months. For example, I learned that the CDC has a museum. In this museum, the CDC educates people about its history and historical public health moments.

The whole made me think about how important it can be to push oneself out of one’s comfort zone to reach different viewpoints. We can do it by listening to a seminar, reading a book, watching a movie, or talking with one’s colleagues. In many cases, right or wrong answers do not exist. Rather, in most cases, answers are simply incomplete. To complete the complex tapestry of an issue, one needs several threads, which can be different in quality, color, material, etc., and be able to weave these threads together.

That is what we promote at the One Health Center of Excellence, and what I have experienced working here. The constant exposure I have to other disciplines through my colleagues has helped me see my research from new angles. Seeing this happen at an organizational level is encouraging, and I encourage all of you to scout for fresh viewpoints. It is not so much about the source, but about how open we are to engage with the content and listen.

For more on the Center’s embracing of different viewpoints towards positive change, view our Circular Health Initiative.

By Olga Muñoz, One Health Center Graduate Assistant

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