Storytelling About Animals, People and the Environment
I didn’t discover my love for writing until I spent a year abroad in Spain during college in the early 2000s. My roommates didn’t speak English, and all my classes were taught in Spanish, so this time marked a solid break from my native language.
Blogging was in its infancy back then and not even on my radar. But I had an email list of about 45 people back home, from my best friends to my great-grandmother, and I sent them an update once a month summarizing my escapades.
That process made me realize how much I loved the English language and how much I savored that monthly opportunity to string together my experiences into sentences.
I changed my major to communications the moment I returned to California and later enrolled in journalism school at Northwestern University. Ever since, I have been telling stories, not only in writing, but also through video, audio, graphics, photography and whatever online medium serves the story best. I hope to deploy all of those tools on this blog.
Currently I’m content marketing manager at the UC Davis One Health Institute and the Karen C. Drayer Wildlife Health Center, and I’m excited to be a contributor to the UC Davis One Health blog. I’ll write about everything from wildlife affected by oil spills to diseases of pandemic potential and gorilla conservation affected by land-use change. And more!
Favorite book
The Sun Also Rises
Pick a super power
Flight, for sure
Favorite wild animal
Galapagos tortoises blow my mind. They’re my favorite, although I’ve been tempted by others (black bears and octopuses) in recent years, especially while writing about them.
Justin's posts
Struggling Marine Species Helped by UC Davis
Using science and collaboration, UC Davis’ SeaDoc Society works on survival for southern resident killer whales, salmon, rockfish and pinto abalone in Pacific Northwest.
What We Can Learn From Bats
Scientists know it’s not if but when a disease outbreak of pandemic proportions will emerge. Projects to identify viruses before they spill over from animals to people can help us be better prepared.
Are We Ready for a Train Derailment Oil Spill in California?
Exposure to oil is dangerous for animals and people. One Health Blog author Justin Cox join an oil spill drill and gets prepped for the real deal.
An Ethical Way to Study Endangered Seabirds
Some albatross species may face extinction from diseases like avian cholera. How are scientists gathering the data they need to help save such endangered — and isolated — seabirds?
The Closest Possible Look at Life's Many Forms
How well do you know your neighbors on planet Earth? Meet birds, plants, animals, insects, fossils and cultures — and the people who study them — during Biodiversity Museum Day on the UC Davis campus this Saturday.
Social Media Re-cap of UN Sustainable Development Goals Conference
What factors contribute to the success and sustainability of research into action? What would it take to scale projects beyond their current scope? View some answers-in-the-making through these social media stories.
How to Build an Owl Box
Don’t let rodents reign in your neighborhood natural areas! Owl boxes are a simple, effective solution to reduce rodent infestations and prevent unintended poisoning of wildlife.
Career Tips for Vet Med Students: Marketing Yourself
Your broad, multispecies perspective and troubleshooting prowess help you handle cases at the clinic. Call on that same diverse skill set to expand your career horizons, say our panelists.
Be the Future of One Health Field Expertise
Two new courses in One Health offer on-the-ground experience abroad for students to master field skills and engage communities in solving their local human, animal and environmental health issues.
Career Tips for Vet Med Students: The Political Realm
Stick by the science when politics come into play, advise UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine experts in the second video in our series on the importance of a One Health approach in wildlife health careers.
Career Tips for Vet Med Students
A career panel at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine highlights the importance and utility of One Health in veterinary wildlife work.
Looking Back on the First One Health Day
The global event at UC Davis featured webinars, a career panel and an all-day symposium.
It's Global One Health Day!
Join UC Davis, students and professionals around the globe for One Health Day events today.
Join UC Davis in Global One Health Day Events Starting Oct. 31
Join students and professionals around the globe for the first One Health Day event on Nov. 3. UC Davis will host activities on campus Oct. 31-Nov. 5, including a career panel for students and a symposium.
Why Are Raccoons in California Starting to Get Cancer?
UC Davis veterinarian pathologist Patty Pesavento says cancer is becoming a major concern in wildlife based on the increasing presence of raccoon polyomavirus.
Where People and Primates Share Diseases
An interactive world map produced by UC Davis One Health Institute shows prominent locations where zoonotic diseases are transmitted between people and non-human primates.
Global Day Is Dedicated to One Health
UC Davis faculty and students from the One Health Institute and School of Veterinary Medicine join colleagues from around the world on Nov. 3 to highlight One Health.
Do Fourth of July Fireworks Hurt Wild Birds?
Wild birds are closer to the sound and sight of fireworks than most other animals. If you live in the country, learn steps you can take to avoid stressing birds during Fourth of July celebrations.
