As a member of their senior leadership team, Makenzie Peterson serves as the Director for Wellbeing at the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC). She works to advance AAVMC’s strategic goal of fostering a culture of wellbeing throughout academic veterinary medicine by promoting preventative systems-based initiatives. Makenzie provides subject-matter expertise on evidence-based wellbeing practices, as well as the development of strategic organizational change initiatives aimed at improving the overall wellbeing of academic communities. She speaks on a variety of wellbeing-related topics, and also currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Women’s Veterinary Leadership Development Initiative. Born and raised in Alaska, Makenzie graduated from the University of Utah with a master’s degree in Health Promotion & Health Education and will complete her Doctorate of Social Work from the University of Southern California in 2022.