Meet the Alumni

Name: Andrew
Major: Animal Science - Meat Animal, Chemistry minor
Year graduated: 2016
Hometown: Medford, MN

Andrew was the Animal Welfare Lab Coordinator for two years from May 2014-2016 and is currently a veterinary student at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. Here's what he has to say about his time in the Animal Welfare Lab:

During my two years as Lab Coordinator, I was involved in almost every project going on in the Animal Welfare Lab. I got started by leading the project titled "Evaluation of the behavioral differences between physically and immunologically castrated male pigs." As Coordinator of the Animal Welfare Lab I then assisted in the remaining projects in various ways 

My work in the Animal Welfare Lab was a tremendous benefit to my education. It allowed me to apply the things I learned in classes to real life experiences. I was also able to gain hands-on opportunities that I wouldn't have receives in class, such as drawing blood from calves and conducting research projects.

My experiences in the Animal Welfare lab enabled me to better contribute to the discussions we have in Professional Development class on animal handling and euthanasia issues in Veterinary field. The experiences have also helped better prepare me in analyzing research articles. I believe the experiences I had in the Animal Welfare Lab will continue to make an impact on my education in Veterinary School.

It was an honor having Dr. Vogel as a mentor. He taught me so much about animal welfare and has opened so many doors of opportunity for me. One of my best memories was presenting my first research project at the National Conference of Undergraduate Research held in Spokane, Washington. It was also an honor to be one of the few students who got to go speak with Temple Grandin before her presentation in fall 2014. 

After Veterinary School, I plan to work in a mixed animal clinic and hope to start my own practice someday.

Name: Megan N.
Major: Animal Science - Meat Animal, Chemistry minor
Year graduated: 2015
Hometown: Theresa, WI

Megan is currently a second year veterinary student at the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine. She participated in the Animal Welfare Lab as an Undergraduate Research Assistant from fall 2014 to spring 2015. She was also an Animal Welfare Intern for Oscar Mayer during the summer 2015. Here's some of her experiences in the Animal Welfare Lab:

Working in the Animal Welfare Lab at UWRF changed how I approached my coursework, along with the clients and patients I interacted with in local veterinary clinics. I gained a better understanding of animal behavior, asked more involved questions, and became much more comfortable finding research publications on topics that interested me. It also gave me experience collaborating with classmates in such tasks like evaluating footage, writing an abstract, creating a poster presentation, and communicating our research findings at the National Conference of Undergraduate Research. During my time in the Animal Welfare Lab, I researched the behavioral differences between physically and immunologically castrated male pigs.

I think I use the skills I learned in the UWRF Animal Welfare Lab every day in veterinary school. It changed the way I approach problems and filter through all of the presented information. My interest in research and animal welfare has continued at Iowa State, where I work as a Research Assistant in their Animal Welfare Lab. Also, during the summer between my first and second year of veterinary school, I interned with the Swine Medicine Education Center where I worked on several field-based research projects. Within these settings, I have used my experience at UWRF to assist in evaluating video footage, abstract writing and preparing research presentations.

I am thankful for my time in the Animal Welfare Lab. It provided me with many opportunities and opened my eyes to many career options. Dr. Vogel went above and beyond as a professor and mentor. He truly is one of the best at UWRF.

After veterinary school I plan to be a food animal veterinarian and am interested in pursuing a master's degree or PhD.