Finding lab internships and getting research experience can be a pretty difficult and daunting task. Luckily for us, professors are always welcoming undergraduate students into their lab and look forward to teaching them about their research. If you want to learn more about where to start and which professors to contact you have definitely come to the right place. Down below we have included information and advice from the outstanding professors that came to talk to the undergraduate students last Tuesday, January 31 .
Dr. russ hovey
Contact: [email protected]
Background:
Dr. Hovey currently teaches the Animal Science 1 course at UC Davis. He originally planned to go to vet school and applied, but did not get in. However, he is glad that he did not go to vet school because it led him to become a professor and conduct research. As an undergraduate student he got involved with research projects pertaining to dairy cow and milk production. This is how his love and interest for cattle first evolved. After getting his PhD from New Zealand, he worked as an animal science professor at the University of Vermont and later moved to Davis to teach. He loves his job because he gets to work with students and also animals sometimes, like performing surgeries on the pigs at Davis. His lab is interested in mammary gland development in cattle and how it can lead to abnormal states such as breast cancer.
Advice:
Dr. Hovey looks for student interns that have a strong interest in what his research is about. Interns can get a chance to do fieldwork and lab work depending on their interests. He also likes to have students conduct their own projects during the course of their internship. As for advice on vet school, Dr. Hovey says that grades are what is going to get you into vet school. Focus on your grades first, then manage research because you do not want to over commit yourself.
Background:
Dr. Hovey currently teaches the Animal Science 1 course at UC Davis. He originally planned to go to vet school and applied, but did not get in. However, he is glad that he did not go to vet school because it led him to become a professor and conduct research. As an undergraduate student he got involved with research projects pertaining to dairy cow and milk production. This is how his love and interest for cattle first evolved. After getting his PhD from New Zealand, he worked as an animal science professor at the University of Vermont and later moved to Davis to teach. He loves his job because he gets to work with students and also animals sometimes, like performing surgeries on the pigs at Davis. His lab is interested in mammary gland development in cattle and how it can lead to abnormal states such as breast cancer.
Advice:
Dr. Hovey looks for student interns that have a strong interest in what his research is about. Interns can get a chance to do fieldwork and lab work depending on their interests. He also likes to have students conduct their own projects during the course of their internship. As for advice on vet school, Dr. Hovey says that grades are what is going to get you into vet school. Focus on your grades first, then manage research because you do not want to over commit yourself.
RYANE LOGSDON
Contact: [email protected]
Background:
Ryane is a PhD candidate in the Animal Behavior Graduate Group and is working under Dr. Gail Patricelli. She first got her research experience by getting involved in a lab at her university. She read papers from different professors to see which lab she was interested in. At first she did research on crows before moving over to Dr. Patricelli's lab. Her current research is on sage-grouse birds and what traits make certain male sage-grouse birds more suitable to the females. Logsdon explained that undergraduate students in her lab get a chance to go to Wyoming for two months during the summer and observe these birds on breeding grounds everyday. They will learn how to record unique behaviors and analyze video work.
Advice:
Her advice for undergrad students is to start reading scientific literature from different professors and see what you are interested in. As for interning under Ryane, her selection process is fairly simple. She does not require any previous research experience, but tends to look for students who have a decent GPA.
Background:
Ryane is a PhD candidate in the Animal Behavior Graduate Group and is working under Dr. Gail Patricelli. She first got her research experience by getting involved in a lab at her university. She read papers from different professors to see which lab she was interested in. At first she did research on crows before moving over to Dr. Patricelli's lab. Her current research is on sage-grouse birds and what traits make certain male sage-grouse birds more suitable to the females. Logsdon explained that undergraduate students in her lab get a chance to go to Wyoming for two months during the summer and observe these birds on breeding grounds everyday. They will learn how to record unique behaviors and analyze video work.
Advice:
Her advice for undergrad students is to start reading scientific literature from different professors and see what you are interested in. As for interning under Ryane, her selection process is fairly simple. She does not require any previous research experience, but tends to look for students who have a decent GPA.
Dr. ermias kebreab
FeContact: [email protected]
Background:
Dr. Kebreab's work involves both animal science and global affairs. His research looks at how animals affect the environment and how the environment affects the animals. More specifically, he is working on quantifying greenhouse gas emission in agriculture. Because he works in the global affairs department, he has also been able to work both domestically and abroad. So far he has gotten a chance to help communities with health and nutrition problems in places such as Vietnam, Brazil, and Chile.
Advice:
Dr. Kebreab advises students to explore different opportunities to see what they are ultimately interested in. Do not be afraid to go out there and try different things you never imagined yourself doing.
Sidenote:
If you would like to know more about his research, Treasurer Chelsea Chavez or VP Katie DeVore can answer your questions. They interned under Dr. Kebreab for a year. Feel free to contact them.
Background:
Dr. Kebreab's work involves both animal science and global affairs. His research looks at how animals affect the environment and how the environment affects the animals. More specifically, he is working on quantifying greenhouse gas emission in agriculture. Because he works in the global affairs department, he has also been able to work both domestically and abroad. So far he has gotten a chance to help communities with health and nutrition problems in places such as Vietnam, Brazil, and Chile.
Advice:
Dr. Kebreab advises students to explore different opportunities to see what they are ultimately interested in. Do not be afraid to go out there and try different things you never imagined yourself doing.
Sidenote:
If you would like to know more about his research, Treasurer Chelsea Chavez or VP Katie DeVore can answer your questions. They interned under Dr. Kebreab for a year. Feel free to contact them.
DR. MATTHIAS HESS
Contact: [email protected]
Background:
Dr. Hess is a systems microbiologist working under the Department of Animal Science. He received a PhD in both microbiology and biotechnology. His research involves looking at microbes and how they change the environment. Currently, he is studying microbes in the guts of cattle by using artificial gut systems. He is trying to test out different conditions of the gut and see which microbes he can add to the gut to reduce the amount of methane emitted from a cow.
Advice:
He advises students to look into the vip program linked here. The VIP program pairs undergraduate students with different researchers to help undergrads pave their way into research. There are 20 different groups of research teams listed on the website, with Hess's team being one of them.
Background:
Dr. Hess is a systems microbiologist working under the Department of Animal Science. He received a PhD in both microbiology and biotechnology. His research involves looking at microbes and how they change the environment. Currently, he is studying microbes in the guts of cattle by using artificial gut systems. He is trying to test out different conditions of the gut and see which microbes he can add to the gut to reduce the amount of methane emitted from a cow.
Advice:
He advises students to look into the vip program linked here. The VIP program pairs undergraduate students with different researchers to help undergrads pave their way into research. There are 20 different groups of research teams listed on the website, with Hess's team being one of them.
Dr. Anne Todgham
Contact: [email protected]
Background:
Dr. Todgham is a faculty member in the Animal Science Department. She teaches Animal Physiology (aka ANS 100). Her research looks at how aquatic animals deal with stress due to changes in the environment such as temperature and salinity of the ocean. Her lab performs a lot of behavioral work and also microbiome work. She generally has about two to four undergraduate students working her lab. Her selection process is also pretty easygoing. She does not require students have any lab experience and is looking for students with a strong interest in her line of work.
Advice:
Todgham advises students to first pay attention to their GPA. When you are comfortable with your GPA, then think of other ways such as research to round out your application for vet school. Besides having a good relationship with a veterinarian for a reference letter, you are also required to get a reference letter from a faculty member. For a good letter of rec you really want the faculty member to know who you are and one of the best ways to do this is by working for them. You can get started by going to office hours to get a chance to know your professor, ask them what they do and they can offer you advice. If you think you are too busy to get into research because you are too busy working, do not worry there are opportunities out there. Professors are always willing to help make it work for you. Another way you can get in touch with professors is by looking at the Animal Science Department web pages to see what all faculty members' research is about. It is best to contact a professor at the end of spring or early summer, because during the fall quarter a lot of labs are already full by then. Word of advice, you do not always have to get academic credit for interning, in fact, vet schools like to see that you got into research because you are genuinely interested in it and not just for the credits.
Sidenote:
If you have any questions, President Brigitte Clark has interned underneath Dr. Todgham. Feel free to contact her.
Background:
Dr. Todgham is a faculty member in the Animal Science Department. She teaches Animal Physiology (aka ANS 100). Her research looks at how aquatic animals deal with stress due to changes in the environment such as temperature and salinity of the ocean. Her lab performs a lot of behavioral work and also microbiome work. She generally has about two to four undergraduate students working her lab. Her selection process is also pretty easygoing. She does not require students have any lab experience and is looking for students with a strong interest in her line of work.
Advice:
Todgham advises students to first pay attention to their GPA. When you are comfortable with your GPA, then think of other ways such as research to round out your application for vet school. Besides having a good relationship with a veterinarian for a reference letter, you are also required to get a reference letter from a faculty member. For a good letter of rec you really want the faculty member to know who you are and one of the best ways to do this is by working for them. You can get started by going to office hours to get a chance to know your professor, ask them what they do and they can offer you advice. If you think you are too busy to get into research because you are too busy working, do not worry there are opportunities out there. Professors are always willing to help make it work for you. Another way you can get in touch with professors is by looking at the Animal Science Department web pages to see what all faculty members' research is about. It is best to contact a professor at the end of spring or early summer, because during the fall quarter a lot of labs are already full by then. Word of advice, you do not always have to get academic credit for interning, in fact, vet schools like to see that you got into research because you are genuinely interested in it and not just for the credits.
Sidenote:
If you have any questions, President Brigitte Clark has interned underneath Dr. Todgham. Feel free to contact her.
Dr. Grazyne tresoldi
Contact: [email protected]
Background:
Dr. Tresoldi is a veterinarian and currently a PhD student in Tucker Lab. She loves working with cattle and is doing research on cattle welfare. After vet school, she did some internships and clinics with dairy cattle but felt like she did not grow from her experiences. Therefore, she decided to try something else and worked on a research project involving cow behavior. From there she realized her passion for animal behavior and research and decided to go for a PhD. Right now, she is looking at how heat stress in California causes milk production and fertility rates to drop in cattle. With her research she also needs interns to help her with data collection. Interns usually do fieldwork looking for clinical signs and recording behavior of the cattle during the summer. During the school year, they get a chance to watch recorded videos and analyze them. For her selection process, she does not require much, but wants students that show interest in her research and are compatible with her.
Advice:
Dr. Tresoldi advises students who want to start research to look for any opportunities through aggie job link, flyers, or from mutual student connections.
Sidenote:
PSSD Publicity Team member Kareen Mendoza is currently interning underneath Tresoldi. If you have any questions, feel free to ask her anything.
Background:
Dr. Tresoldi is a veterinarian and currently a PhD student in Tucker Lab. She loves working with cattle and is doing research on cattle welfare. After vet school, she did some internships and clinics with dairy cattle but felt like she did not grow from her experiences. Therefore, she decided to try something else and worked on a research project involving cow behavior. From there she realized her passion for animal behavior and research and decided to go for a PhD. Right now, she is looking at how heat stress in California causes milk production and fertility rates to drop in cattle. With her research she also needs interns to help her with data collection. Interns usually do fieldwork looking for clinical signs and recording behavior of the cattle during the summer. During the school year, they get a chance to watch recorded videos and analyze them. For her selection process, she does not require much, but wants students that show interest in her research and are compatible with her.
Advice:
Dr. Tresoldi advises students who want to start research to look for any opportunities through aggie job link, flyers, or from mutual student connections.
Sidenote:
PSSD Publicity Team member Kareen Mendoza is currently interning underneath Tresoldi. If you have any questions, feel free to ask her anything.
Kelli Chan
PSSD Historian 2016-2107