Author: mcgoey.1

Year in Review

Junior Year, 2021-2022

I have made great strides professionally in gaining research, internship, and leadership experience this academic year to broaden my perspective while balancing my coursework, and I was glad to return to campus! I started undergraduate research both in Dr. Risa Pesapane’s Parasite and Pathogen Ecology Lab in the Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine and with my honors advisor Dr. Pasha Lyvers Peffer in the data analytics and teaching/learning in animal sciences. Both types of research, while very different, have given me a deeper understanding of scientific inquiry. My lab-based disease ecology experience has strengthened my laboratory procedure skills (conventional and RT-PCR, DNA extraction, gel electrophoresis, tick identification). I completed an internship in animal care in the Columbus Zoo’s Australia and The Islands Department during the spring semester. I took on zookeeping duties by preparing animal diets, cleaning and maintaining animal exhibits, developing enrichment activities, and learning basic training skills in a mostly marsupial and avian collection. For my intern project I designed and built new enrichment items for white-handed gibbons and siamangs in my department, which were a success and loved by the animals. This internship provided valuable deeper insight into the zookeeping profession and animal-related careers that are based on husbandry and training, and I will pursue more internships in zoological facilities this summer. In OSU-affiliated organizations this year I grew in my ability to lead, as I served as the Treasurer and Interim President for the OSU Student Chapter of the Fish and Wildlife Society, a mentor for a high school parent aspiring toward a college education under the CHAMPS program of the ACCESS Collaborative, and an Eminence Faculty Network Lead for the environmental and agricultural cohort. The leadership skills I have gained this year are crucial for my future career as a veterinarian, and I am grateful for the opportunities to grow personally in many aspects of my life.

Looking forward, this summer I will continue exploring zoo-related careers to ensure that I still want to pursue veterinary medicine. I believe in being very thorough and exploring all options that could possibly fulfill someone before making the significant decision to pursue further education, and I know that my experiences outside of the veterinary field will give me valuable perspective. Next school year, I will dedicate more time toward clinical veterinary experience through shadowing or a veterinary assistant position, will finish my undergraduate thesis (completing my requirements to gain Honors Research Distinction), and I will pursue further leadership development in OSU organizations.

Sophomore Year, 2020-2021

I typically have a hard time praising myself, but I am truly proud of how I handled this past academic year. Due to personal circumstances that certainly could have had the opportunity to set me back in my academics, I handled these life changes and adapted to still complete my full-time course load with semester GPAs of 3.9 (autumn) and 4.0 (spring), and for that I am proud. More importantly than GPAs, I finally learned how to take a step back and not place as many responsibilities on my plate when I need to take care of myself; this is something I have struggled with for years, as most Honors students do, and I find this so important for my personal development.

While I wish some things had been different, I made the most of my situation for the year and pursued some opportunities, both associated and unassociated with OSU, to keep myself busy. I stayed in my hometown of Pittsburgh for the year, took online courses, and will return to Columbus next autumn. I started as a regular volunteer at Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh’s Wildlife Rehabilitation Center and recently became a Foster for baby mammals (rabbits, squirrels, and opossums). Additionally, I participated in research through the OSU College of Public Health and collaborating with the Ohio Department of Health, in which I conducted and submitted literature reviews on topics pertaining to COVID-19 to aide in the state of Ohio’s response efforts. For extracurriculars, I am excited to serve on the executive board for the OSU Student Chapter of the Fish and Wildlife Society during the upcoming academic year.

Looking ahead, I am looking forward to (finally) participating in student org events in-person next academic year. I did feel very distant from the OSU community this year, but at the same time, I grew such stronger bonds with my immediate family during this time I have been at home, for which I am grateful. I am very excited to return to Columbus to Irish dance again, start work toward my thesis, begin research on wildlife disease, and learn in-person again. I am feeling truly blessed to be an Eminence Fellow.

 

Freshman Year, 2019-2020

Overall, I am happy with how my first year at Ohio State progressed, despite the challenges faced during the second semester. Since I was able to dive into some of my Animal Sciences Major coursework my first year, I got a taste for animal handling and welfare, which makes me extremely excited to continue with my major. Starting courses in my minor of Forestry, Fisheries, and Wildlife also made me very enthusiastic about the future and the many ways I could blend my major and minor together to reach my desired career. This year, especially while being at home during the second semester due to coronavirus with ample time on my hands, taught me how to pull myself together and focus more on time management and my mental health.

When I came to Ohio State, I knew nobody, but now I have strong friendships and wonderful peers to help me navigate college. I was worried about over-extending myself in terms of clubs/orgs and was nervous to join anything that I was trying “just for fun,” but my involvement thus far has pushed me outside my comfort zone and has made me feel at home at tOSU. For example, I was extremely nervous about joining Buckeye Dairy Club (because I have no livestock experience whatsoever) and Ohio State Irish Dance Team (because I had not danced in 7 years and was not competitive with my dancing), but joining both of these tOSU groups has been wonderful for learning and having outlets for the stress that classes bring. I plan in the future to become more deeply involved in my current memberships and maybe pursue new ones, such as Fish and Wildlife Society. I did not want to over schedule myself my first year, but now that I know how much I can handle, I am more ready to pursue additional student orgs.

I have thought over the past 7-8 years that I was definitely going to become a veterinarian. While I have not completely moved on from that possibility, I am much more open now to the many different careers that I can pursue with my major and minor combination. Considering the current circumstances amidst the pandemic, I am blessed to still have a position as a Wildlife Center Intern this summer at Humane Animal Rescue Wildlife Rehabilitation Center. Thinking about working with endangered wildlife species excites my soul, so I am looking forward to finding more opportunities working with wildlife or exotic species, in a different approach than the veterinary mindset I arrived with at tOSU.

G.O.A.L.S.

Global Awareness

I have not had the chance thus far in my life to explore my field of study beyond the United States but am very interested in issues relating to animal sciences around the globe. I plan to study abroad in Scotland during spring break for an animal sciences program that focuses on small ruminant (sheep, goats) production. Increasing my global awareness will help me stay up-to-date on how I can best serve animals while partnering with specific country/ethnic group/cultural needs, since different parts of the globe use practices when handling animals that may seem ‘wrong’ to my now-limited perspective. I have also taken several courses within Animal Sciences during my time at OSU that focus on international practices, such as Human and Animal Interactions, which places a large emphasis on different practices and attitudes regarding animals internationally.

Original Inquiry

I have completed research in my high school AP Environmental Science course in which I collaborated with the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Second Chance Program. During this research over several months, I created ethogram sheets to record body position observations for a rescued green sea turtle, Harbor. Harbor was likely struck by a boat and has resulting partial paralysis of hind flippers and air trapped in his back end. My ethogram sheets, which incorporated the use of enrichment for Harbor, were then compiled and used to build further evidence that Harbor is ready to be re-released despite his setbacks. I plan to continue research during my time at OSU, not only to finish my degree with Honors with Research Distinction, but also to expand my breadth of knowledge concerning animal sciences. I completed research during my second year through collaboration with the Ohio Department of Health and OSU’s College of Public Health, in which I completed weekly literature reviews pertaining to COVID-19. My specific topics of review were the effects of COVID-19 on maternal and neonate or child health and on healthcare access. I have begun work toward a thesis under Dr. Pasha Lyvers-Peffer for this upcoming spring on the following research project: “Data Analysis of Student Access Patterns within an Online Introductory Animal Sciences Course.” This research focuses on the data analytics and teaching/learning aspects of fellow animal science students. I also am a research assistant under Dr. Risa Pesapane’s Parasite and Pathogen Ecology Lab in the College of Veterinary Medicine’s Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine. Last year, I studied the prevalence and diversity of tick-borne pathogens in Ixodes spp. sampled from wild and domestic animals across Canada. This year, I am focusing again on tick-borne pathogens in locally-found wild carnivores (e.g., bobcats) and on tick identification of samples sent into the lab by various agencies (e.g., Ohio Department of Natural Resources).

Academic Enrichment

To maintain my Honors status through the College of Food, Agriculture, and Environmental Sciences, I continually took Honors or Embedded courses. As an example, my first semester I completed 2300H, Honors Introduction to Animal Sciences taught by Dr. Peffer, and the small class size and depth of the material makes the course rigorous yet fulfilling. I now serve as a Teaching Assistant for this course. In order to academically set myself up for acceptance into veterinary school, I completed additional ‘high-level’ sciences, such as Biochemistry, which will be compiled as a minor equivalent. After completion of the autumn 2020 semester, I have taken all courses needed to fulfill my Honors curriculum. I also am pursuing a minor in Forestry, Fisheries, and Wildlife with a Fisheries and Wildlife Focus. This minor will incorporate courses that focus more on the topics of conservation, wildlife management, and ecology, which I am very interested in since I have a passion for the conservation of species. Internships, job opportunities, and participation in clubs/student orgs will also supplement my in-class learning. I already have a guaranteed internship through the World Food Prize Institute lined up due to my high school involvement in the Pennsylvania Youth Institute of the World Food Prize and plan on pursuing more as my interests become fine-tuned.

Leadership Development

I am currently a member of the Ohio State Irish Dance Team, Cultivate Columbus, Students with Children at OSU, the ACCESS Collaborative (an umbrella organization for parenting students on campus), and OSU Student Chapter of the Fish and Wildlife Society. I served on the executive board for the OSU Student Chapter of The Fish and Wildlife Society during the 2021-2022 school year as Treasurer and Interim President. I served last year as a mentor under the ACCESS Collaborative’s College and High School Aspiring Mothers Partnership for Success (CHAMPS) program, which connects parents attending college to high school parents with aspirations of attending college. I am currently in the running to become elected as Vice President or Treasurer of Students with Children at OSU. As an Eminence Fellow I intend to help guide future fellows as the upperclassmen have already done for me and currently serve as the Eminence Faculty Network Lead for the environmental and agricultural cohort. I served as an Eminence Program Ambassador during the 2019-2020 school year and hope to do so again for this 2022-2023 year. Outside of OSU affiliations, I have had leadership experience as a junior volunteer mentor for Glade Run Adventures of Zelienople, PA, training and managing all junior volunteers (AKA, all under the age of 18) alongside the program directors.

Service Engagement

I have completed an extensive amount of volunteering thus far in my life at Glade Run Adventures, National Aviary, Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium, Riding for the Handicapped of Western PA, and at my local church (St. Teresa of Avila, Mt. Carmel Parish) in the music ministry. I have continued volunteering at Glade Run Adventures and the Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh (HARP) Wildlife Rehab Center when I return home to Pittsburgh on breaks/in the summer. In the summer of 2021, I served as a foster volunteer for orphaned wildlife at HARP, focusing on Eastern gray squirrels and Eastern cottontails, which is a very time-consuming job, and not for the faint of heart! As an Eminence Fellow, I am heavily involved in one of the class service projects that we developed, Cultivate Columbus, a service student organization focused on food justice and connecting OSU students to Columbus’ community. For example, I have worked extensively with one of Cultivate Columbus’ partnerships, a collaboration between My Project USA Youth Empowerment Center and Mid-Ohio Food Collective, to maintain the garden benefitting the Hilltop community. I volunteered in the ICU of the companion animal hospital during my freshman year. During spring break of 2020, I volunteered through the Buck-I-SERV Pinellas County Sea Grant program.

Career

Animal Care Intern, Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium, Water’s Edge Region

May-August 2022

  • Gained knowledge in marine mammal husbandry
  • Implemented enrichment programs for polar bear and sea otters
  • Learned basic pinniped training procedures and completed training sessions with California sea lions

 

Animal Care Intern, Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, North America Department

May-August 2022

  • Gained animal husbandry and management skills for large carnivore and hoofstock species
  • Created goal-based enrichment calendar for wolverines

 

Animal Care Intern, Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Australia & The Islands Department

January-April 2022

  • Assisted in preparing animal diets, cleaning and maintaining animal exhibits, developing enrichment activities, and learning basic training skills in a mostly marsupial and avian collection
  • Designed and built new enrichment items for white-handed gibbons and siamangs

 

Research Assistant, The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, Parasite and Pathogen Ecology Lab

August 2021-present

During the 2021-2022 year, I studied the prevalence and diversity of tick-borne pathogens in Ixodes spp. ticks sampled from wild and domestic animals across Canada. I completed all lab-related work for these studies (soon to be published) independently, which involved becoming familiar with conventional and RT-PCR, DNA extraction, gel electrophoresis, BLAST (NIH tool). This year I will work on tick identification and studying tick-borne pathogens in local wild carnivores such as otters and bobcats.

 

Wildlife Center Intern, Humane Animal Rescue Wildlife Rehabilitation Center (Pittsburgh, PA)

May 2020-August 2020

I was blessed to have an internship opportunity still available during summer of 2020, considering the circumstances surrounding the pandemic. The description of the upcoming internship (from their site) is as follows: “As an intern you have a unique opportunity to experience firsthand what wildlife rehabilitation is all about. As a fully licensed Wildlife Rehabilitation Center that treats over 4,200 patients annually, you receive many opportunities to learn skills including basic husbandry techniques, species identification, basic anatomy, proper handling techniques, administering medications, hand feeding and more. In addition to the releasable wildlife, there are also 25 Education Ambassadors on the campus.  Interns assist staff with bi-weekly resident weight checks and husbandry. We have a well-rounded program where interns have the opportunity to observe and assist with examinations, treatments, medication distribution etc.  It is heavily focused on animal husbandry, supportive care (such as gavage feeding) and general preparation for re-release.”

I had no previous experience working with wildlife but was exposed to a wide breadth of wildlife care and left the internship with both vast new knowledge and a deepened appreciation for wildlife.

In this photo I am holding Martha, a great horned owl and permanent education ambassador at the center.

 

Artifacts

Completion of Animal Handling Course

I recently took my first final as my Animal Handling Course, ANIMSCI 2000, came to an end. This half-semester course is not usually taken freshmen’s first seven weeks at campus, as most the students in my course were upperclassmen. However, I think that starting my time at Ohio State by taking this course have given myself excitement for the future years here.

The course included one lecture and one lab session per week. Each lecture prepared us for the animal which we would be working with later in the week for lab by going over common animal care practices and normal (and abnormal) behavior for that species. The course included lectures/labs on the following: dairy cows, poultry, beef cattle, horses, swine, and sheep/goats. Additionally, the course had us complete one industry certification program; I chose the Pork Quality Assurance Plus (PQA+) Certification Program.

As someone who has worked with horses, which are usually regarded separate from livestock species, exposure to true livestock/farm/food species was extremely exciting. After every lab I texted my mom and dad in our group message and filled them in on what happened. Getting to participate in multiple handling procedures such as cattle pregnancy checks, collecting blood, and processing piglets were all brand new to me but exhilarating. I was proud of myself after every lab for completing new experiences with animals that some find extremely intimidating, such as beef cattle. Working with livestock gave me that ‘rush’ feeling when one feels ready to accomplish their goals. By exposing myself to these new farm species right out of the gate, I not only proved to myself that my Animal Sciences major is the right pathway for me, but I also discovered an interest in livestock animals that I may not have discovered until much later in my coursework had I not taken this course early. By now knowing that I love working with farm animals, I can plan my upcoming coursework to include more courses related to livestock and will pursue internships and job opportunities in caring for these species.

About Me

Hello! My name is Elena McGoey, and I am a fourth-year Eminence Fellow pursuing a major in Animal Sciences with a Biosciences specialization and minoring in Forestry, Fisheries, and Wildlife. My hometown is Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where I graduated from North Hills High School. During high school, I was involved in extensive volunteering, horseback riding, and the instrumental program.

I have explored animal-related careers outside of veterinary medicine through many avenues: medical internships in wildlife rehabilitation, husbandry- or training-focused internships through zoological facilities, research in disease ecology and exposure to lab-based careers under the Parasite and Pathogen Ecology (PPE) Lab in the Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, and animal-assisted therapy through continued volunteering at Glade Run Adventures, a program that specializes in therapeutic horseback riding for disabled individuals. Throughout all my experiences, my desire to pursue a career in veterinary medicine has only been strengthened, and I currently shadow food/farm animal veterinarians in OSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine Farm Animal Hospital. I plan to apply to veterinary school post-graduation, working as a veterinary assistant during my gap year. I have a soft spot for wildlife and exotic species and plan to become a licensed wildlife rehabilitator to ‘do my part’ in sustaining my ecosystem through environmental stewardship.

My current extracurricular campus involvement includes:

  • Ohio State Irish Dance Team member
  • Founding member of Cultivate Columbus, one of the service projects developed by the Eminence Fellows Class of 2023
  • Mentor for College and High School Aspiring Mothers Partnership for Success (CHAMPS) Program under the ACCESS Collaborative
  • Teaching Assistant for Department of Animal Sciences honors course (ANIMSCI 2300H)
  • Towers Agricultural Honorary member
  • Eminence Faculty Network Lead for the environmental and agricultural cohort
  • Research Assistant under Dr. Risa Pesapane’s Parasite and Pathogen Ecology Lab in the College of Veterinary Medicine’s Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine

My extracurricular non-OSU-affiliated involvement includes:

  • Continued animal care and foster care volunteering for Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh’s Wildlife Rehabilitation Center
  • Continued animal care and therapeutic lesson volunteering for Glade Run Adventures of Zelienople, PA

Please feel free to contact me at mcgoey.1@osu.edu.