The UT College of Social Work is thrilled to announce the appointment of Dr. Shelby McDonald as the All Creatures Great and Small Endowed Professor, starting August 1. An internationally recognized scholar whose interdisciplinary work focuses on human–animal interaction (HAI), trauma, and health equity, McDonald also serves as Director of the UT Center for Veterinary Social Work, a partnership between the College of Social Work and the College of Veterinary Medicine.
McDonald comes to Tennessee from Colorado, where she served as Director of the Human–Animal Bond in Colorado (HABIC) Center, held the Sarama Bliss Endowed Chair in Human–Animal Interaction, and served as an Associate Professor in the School of Social Work at Colorado State University. McDonald directed the RISE HAI Lab (Research for Inclusion, Social Justice, and Equity in Human–Animal Interaction), which led equity-driven, community-engaged research on the social, structural, and ecological conditions that shape multispecies well-being. She studies how relationships with animals influence human health and well-being, and how social and structural inequities shape those relationships and their impact across contexts such as mental health, substance use, violence prevention, and access to housing and healthcare.
A major priority for McDonald in her new role will be strengthening the UT Center for Veterinary Social Work’s research infrastructure and national visibility. “The deans of both the College of Social Work and the College of Veterinary Medicine, as well as University leadership, share an enthusiasm for growing interdisciplinary research and scholarship around the interconnected well-being of people and animals,” she explained. “That creates tremendous opportunities to build research teams, pursue external funding, deepen community partnerships, and strengthen collaborations across UT, including with the Center for Pet Family Well-being. I’m equally excited to expand opportunities for students and emerging scholars while continuing to strengthen our education, training, and community engagement.” Ultimately, she would like the center to be a place where people across disciplines come together around questions that matter to both human and animal well-being.
Connecting the disciplines of Social Work and Veterinary Medicine is an important piece of the puzzle for McDonald. “Social workers and veterinary professionals often encounter different parts of the same family or community system,” she noted. “The well-being of people affects the animals in their lives, and the health and welfare of animals can profoundly affect the people who care for them. Bringing those perspectives together allows us to see questions and develop solutions that neither discipline could fully address on its own.” McDonald hopes to create more opportunities for faculty, students, and practitioners from both colleges to work together through collaborative research, education and training, and community-engaged initiatives. She sees the center serving as a bridge between the two colleges, linking the strengths of social work and veterinary medicine and creating opportunities for each to inform and strengthen the other.
UT College of Social Work Dean Lori Messinger described McDonald’s leadership in advancing inclusive, evidence-based approaches to human–animal interaction. “Her research has been supported by national organizations including the NIH, HABRI, and the ASPCA. Her findings have informed policy, practice, and public discourse on trauma, mental health, and human–animal relationships at national and international levels, including presentations at congressional briefings. She has earned national recognition, including being featured on Rover’s “10 Notable Women Changing the Pet World” list, which highlighted her influence at the intersection of research, equity, and the pet-care community. Honestly, we are thrilled to have someone of her stature in this role.”
McDonald feels ready for the tasks ahead, noting, “I think my previous experience has prepared me well for the breadth of this role. I began my career as a social work researcher studying trauma, adversity, and the ways relationships with animals can shape human health and well-being. Over time, that work expanded beyond academia and into nonprofit and community settings.”
Relocating to the Knoxville area is especially meaningful to McDonald. “I spent most of my childhood summers in the Boone, North Carolina area, not far from the Tennessee state line, so the mountains and communities of this region have always held a special place in my heart,” she stated. “Between those summers and first visiting UT as a prospective student 25 years ago, moving to Knoxville feels both like the beginning of something new and, in some ways, like coming home. Additionally, I have four dogs and a cat, all adopted from shelters or rescues, so ‘All Creatures Great and Small’ is not just my endowed professorship; it’s also a fairly accurate description of my household, which is just another reason I feel I am meant to be here.”