Aficionados of television networks, such as Animal Planet and PBS NATURE, might not realize the effort and research that goes into getting perfect videos of animals in their native habitats. But, Alumna Alicia Decina does.
As a freelance media and TV producer, Decina uses her people skills and patience plus the knowledge of plants and animals that she gained in the College to create natural history documentaries. In 2006, her hard work paid off when she received an Emmy for her work on a National Geographic Channel special called “Deadly Love.” Here is more of what she said in an interview.
What was your major in the College? When did you graduate? With what degree? I was a NRME (now NRE) student with a concentration in wildlife management. I received a BS in 1995 from CANR (now CAHNR).
What class was most useful to you? I benefited from animal and plant identification, as well as wildlife behavior and ecology classes. In my occupation, it is super critical to be able to find an animal, understand its potential behavior and predict what it will do next. For example, I want to know if an animal is diurnal or nocturnal, what sort of habitat it has, its food source and how to track it. The classes I took helped with this.
Tell us some of your fond memories of UConn. I enjoyed the outdoor labs where we looked for critters and plants. Even though I have not been on campus in quite a few years, I remember the scenery, basketball games and my friends.
Please describe your current job.
