Recently, UConn announced the selection of 25 University Scholars for 2016. Five of them have connections with the College via a CAHNR major, faculty member on their project committee and/or participation in the South African field ecology study abroad program.
Becoming a University Scholar is a very prestigious designation and honor, according to CAHNR’s Academic Advisory Center Director Patricia Jepson. During their final three semesters at UConn, University Scholars work on an in-depth research project of their own choosing and complete an individualized plan of study that allows them to pursue their intellectual interests.
The project created by one of the Scholars, Rachel Smiley, allowed her to do fieldwork in Wyoming with her committee’s chair, Visiting Assistant Professor Chadwick Rittenhouse. They trapped mule deer and took ultrasounds to measure the amount of stored fat in the deer. Smiley said of the trip, “It was awesome to get the hands on experience with the mule deer that I’ve been studying for so long.”
