The vision that built a lasting impact

When Washington State University professor Guy Palmer first sat down across from Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen in 2010, he carried a vision that seemed almost impossible - to position WSU as an international leader in global health research.

Accompanied only by late WSU President Elson Floyd, and in search of a multimillion-dollar commitment to exponentially increase WSU's global health footprint and improve countless lives of animals and humans worldwide, Allen's response was swift.

"I think within a day. I mean, probably within five minutes, Paul said, 'do it,'" Palmer said.

Allen's pledge of $26 million, along with a previous $25 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, created the only global health program housed within a college of veterinary medicine - WSU's Paul G. Allen School for Global Health.

Once just an idea on paper, the Allen School is now equipped with 23 internationally renowned scientists stationed in Pullman and abroad to tackle infectious disease threats and challenges in 10 countries on four continents.

Looking back on his more than 37 years at WSU, and with his retirement date of Nov. 30 looming, it's easily what Palmer ('84 PhD Microbiology and Immunology) is most proud of.

"We started from nothing. We had no faculty. We didn't have a building. We had to go out and share our vision with philanthropic leaders to launch the program, and I think it was remarkable what we were able to accomplish," Palmer said. "This international research focus that we have had from the beginning, it's something unique, and I think it's going to last for a very long time."

While it took nearly seven years for it to fully hit its stride, today, research in the Allen School - ranging from antimicrobial resistance, infectious disease surveillance, and viral emergence - brings in an annual average of $16.5 million in funding dating back to 2015. That figure is more than $26 million this year.

Palmer will be recognized for his contributions Thursday, Oct. 9, at the College of Veterinary Medicine Celebration of Excellence at the Woodland Park Zoo. In his absence, the Allen school's first faculty member, Viveka Vadyvaloo, will lead the Allen School, and former Allen School director Tom Kawula will serve as WSU's senior director of global health.

Even after his official retirement from the university, Palmer's impact will continue to be felt, not just through research, but through the newly established Dr. Guy Palmer Fund in Global Health.

Created by WSU Regent Howard Wright, along with Wright's wife, Katherine Janeway, both longtime friends of Palmer, the fund celebrates Palmer's contributions to WSU, the Allen School, and the advancement of human and animal health worldwide.

The fund will support the vital work of WSU field scientists in Guatemala, continuing Palmer's legacy of global impact and dedication to public health.

Palmer's expertise and leadership have not only bolstered research at WSU but also strengthened the university's ability to address urgent public health challenges. In 2020, the university leaned on Palmer's infectious disease background, naming him chief science advisor for WSU's response during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Part of my job was to figure out how we are going to test students. How is that actually going to be done? How are we going to work with our medical community? Pullman only had five ICU beds, and there was concern things would spread from the student population into the highly vulnerable members of the community," Palmer said.

At a time when there was no capacity for testing in Pullman and the surrounding communities, Palmer and his team helped turn the Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory in Pullman into a COVID-19 testing lab for thousands of WSU students and community members across the greater Palouse region.

"If you had told me that people would transmit a respiratory virus before they show symptoms, I would have said that's really not likely. It was different this time and we were making difficult decisions in real time," Palmer said. "I am really proud of how we responded and to have played a significant role in that."

Immune response and vaccine development is, after all, what drew Palmer to WSU in the in fall of 1980 to pursue his PhD in infectious diseases under WSU professor Travis McGuire.

In 1988, after a short stint at the University of Florida, Palmer joined the faculty at WSU as a research professor in the Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology.

Of all the global health projects he's worked on, the Allen School's rabies control program on the African continent may be closest to his heart - an effort that recently surpassed 3 million rabies vaccinations in Kenya and Tanzania, and one Palmer doesn't plan to walk away from just yet.

Whether it's research or starting new programs, Palmer said his accomplishments are due in large part to the strengths of the people who surrounded and believed in him. His research colleagues, President Floyd, his longtime department chair, the late David Prieur, and College of Veterinary Medicine deans Terry McElwain, Warwick Bayly, and Bryan Slinker, to name only a few.

"They let me take risks with things, starting the Allen School as an example. That was a pretty risky move - it was during the great recession that we decided to start a brand new program with a specific disease research focus. I'm not sure there are many other institutions that would have allowed you to do that," Palmer said.

Palmer's retirement marks the end of an era, but his vision will continue to guide the work of scientists, WSU students, and global health partners for years to come.

"What matters most to me isn't what I've done, but what others will carry forward," Palmer said.