Research

I always forget how much I feel at home in Africa. As I got off the plane in Kigali, Rwanda I was immediately surrounded by vegetation I hadn’t seen since I was a tiny tot chasing chameleons around our backyard in Madagascar. It had been 3 years since I had last set foot on African soil as a temporary resident, and 10 years since I had lived in sub-Saharan Africa as a permanent resident. The familiarities of my youth enveloped me.

I have always had a passion for wildlife and conservation. To experience a biodiversity hotspot like Kruger National Park in South Africa was always a dream of mine. With Africa in mind, I began to meet other students who had international research externships through the STAR program and the Office for Global Programs, and I began plotting the course of my summer. Through Dr. Conrad, I was put in touch with Dr. Amanda Berrian who is currently working on her PhD in the Mnisi community of South Africa.

This summer I was fortunate enough to work in Spain and Sardinia (a large Mediterranean island located off the southwest coast of Italy) for five weeks to research the risk factors associated with the persistence of African Swine Fever in the pig and wild boar population on the island of Sardinia. African Swine Fever (ASF) is a re-emerging and transboundary swine disease with devastating consequences for the pork industry.

Japan and Hong Kong are recognized among the top countries in the racing industry. It is my passion to work in the horseracing industry, so when I received the Zoetis Equine Scholarship, UC Davis residents and faculty helped me to get externships in Asia. During my three weeks in Japan, I toured their training centers, rehab facility, Thoroughbred farms, and fortunately arrived in time to attend the Nippon Derby! I was blown away by their facilities and the caliber of racehorses.

As I stepped out of the cool Augusto C. Sandino airport, I was greeted by the hot and damp air of Managua, Nicaragua. From there I embarked on some amazing projects that allowed me to grow both as a veterinary student and as a human being in general.

This past summer, Monica Milstein and I crossed the equator to venture to the University of Queensland (UQ), Australia, in the pursuit of an avian and exotics clinical externship. Not only did we return from some of the best six weeks of our lives with unbelievable memories, but also a clearer view on how we wish to share our passion for veterinary medicine.

This past summer, I was given the amazing opportunity to travel to Sri Lanka and work with elephants. It all started with the International Summer Externship dinner where I watched other students talk about their experiences abroad. Their research and trips sounded so wonderful that they inspired me to look for something similar for my summer too. Since I’ve always wanted to practice in South or Southeast Asia, I started approaching mentors who had active research ties with these areas.

This summer, with the help of STAR and the International Externship Committee, I had the wonderful opportunity to conduct a six week field project in Sarawak, Malaysia on the island of Borneo. I am interested in one health, particularly wildlife and disease spillover, and Borneo is undergoing widespread deforestation due to conversion to palm oil plantations.

• Student International Summer Externship Award Experiences - 2016
• Student International Summer Externship Award Experiences - 2015
• Student International Summer Externship Award Experiences - 2014

• June Barrera
• Hannah Drumm
• Jennifer Giron
• Avanti Gole
• Marlene Haggblade
• Andria Lessler
• Kelly Morello and Monica Milstein