“I knew this was exactly where I was supposed to be.” Gilbreath first arrived at WSU in 2015, initially planning to study plant science.

For two years, Terran Gilbreath’s job was to trace disease outbreaks back to their source.

Working as an applied epidemiology fellow with the Oregon Health Authority, he investigated cases of Salmonella, E.

coli, and other infectious diseases, interviewing people who had become sick, and piecing together clues that could reveal just how an outbreak began and spread.

Now back at Washington State University where his interest in infectious disease was first sparked, Gilbreath is pursuing the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree that had always been part of his plan.

“Since I was notified I was accepted into the veterinary program at WSU, I’ve been incredibly nervous about being back, and I think those nerves kind of persisted right up until I st…