During her summer internship, Joanna had just about every farm experience under the sun imaginable.
Actually, many of her experiences were before the sun, or after it. You see, as part of her work, Joanna patiently sat in deer stands before sunrise and after sundown counting deer, which come onto farmers’ fields trying to eat the crops.
Joanna contributed to Rutgers research in wildlife damage management, which seeks to find solutions to reduce conflicts between the needs of wildlife and the needs people and farms.
Joanna enjoyed the opportunity to live in the Snyder Research and Extension Farm student farmhouse. It was good to be close to “home” after a long day of hoeing, irrigating, picking crops, helping in large public events (such as the Annual Great Tomato Tasting!), or working on constructed wetlands projects. Her experiences fostered Joanna’s already strong sense of independence, efficiency, and organizational skills. Far from reserved, Joanna felt confident enough at the end of her stint to recommend changes to improve our summer internships for future years.
After her Snyder farm internship, she returned to Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences for her junior year where she learned to draw blood from animals and perform artificial insemination. The following summer, Joanna embarked on an international internship path taking her to Africa, addressing wildlife conservation problems.
We’re very proud that Joanna has gone on from our farm to an immensely challenging dual Veterinary Medicine and Ph.D. program in Animal Behavior and Conservation at Tufts University. We’re sure Joanna will have a big impact on our world.
Education: Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences; Tufts University, dual-degree program D.V.M./Ph.D.
Field of Study: B.S. Ecology and Evolution
Hometown: Mount Laurel, NJ
Internship: Snyder Research and Extension Farm
