Student Experiences

Jaclyn Bird

As a SEBS honors student, I immediately became a part of a small, tight-knit community within the fairly large SEBS school, and the even larger Rutgers University. Living in the honors dorm (Nicholas Hall) freshman year allowed me to get to know my honors peers really well, and made it very convenient to study together and become good friends. Even for those who decide against living in the honors dorm, we had seminars together, and periodic events such as picnics, that facilitated friendships among the honors students.

The program requires us to do research, which I likely would not have been interested in otherwise. I met my research professor, Dr. Michael Sukhdeo, through the Byrne Seminar "Pets and Their Parasites in Modern America." I knew that the Honors Program required me to do research, and I enjoyed spending time with Dr. Sukhdeo, so I asked him about his research. He explained one of his projects to me during the seminar and I was fascinated. I utilized the Aresty Summer Science Program for rising sophomores to get a jump on my project, which involves the culture and study of ruminant parasite Haemonchus contortus, and now I am continuing that research through the honors tutorials. I love research and am thrilled to have started it. Additionally, our program is constantly evolving, and as students we are able to provide input and our opinions are thoroughly considered, which I really appreciate. Overall, I think the SEBS Honors Programs is a worthwhile endeavor and I'm happy to be a part of it.

Olivia Le Warn

Everyone involved in SEBS Honors Programs, whether students, professors, or administrators, are wonderful and have created a welcoming environment for incoming students. Most importantly, being a part of the SEBS Honors Programs has allowed me to push myself in ways that I had never considered possible, such as finding research opportunities early in my college career. Currently I am working in Dr. Keith Cooper's lab doing research on differing growth rates of Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea virginica) in order to aid restoration and resilience efforts in the Hudson-Raritan estuary, as well as looking at the effects of plastics on the oysters.

James Duffy

James Duffy is conducting a literature search on the links between the international pet trade and invasive species introductions in Julie Lockwood's lab.