Brandeis University As a Biology major in the environmental studies program at Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, my goal in taking part in the research program at the School for Field Studies on South Caicos Island is to enhance my ambition to become a researcher and/or veterinarian for dolphins, whales, and other marine mammals. Brandeis University has helped prepare me for this challenge by building a strong, well-rounded background in both the sciences while obtaining a liberal arts degree. Courses have included Inorganic Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Biochemistry, and Aquatic Ecology. I am, of course, excited by the opportunity to work in the Caribbean, which is globally recognized because the tropical climate houses a mecca of research resources such as the coral reef. This program will allow me to view fresh and important perspectives about marine resource management. Through fieldwork and hands on experience, we hope to aid the struggle to preserve the environment threatened by tourism and development. As a junior at Brandeis, I am pursuing the profession of marine mammal veterinarian, taking required courses that lend themselves to a pre-veterinarian track. During the summer, I worked at the Brookline Animal Hospital in Brookline, MA helping the veterinarians and technicians in surgery and in office visits. This year, I helped found the Pre-Vet society, an entirely new Brandeis University organization. I have also worked for an environmental consulting firm, an experience that has reinforced for me the detrimental effects humans can have on the environment. I hope to be able to contribute to the battle for a balanced equilibrium in which humans can prosper while minimizing their impact on the health of the earth. In my free time I enjoy running, swimming, reading, browsing the World Wide Web, using the Internet, and SCUBA diving. I hope to one day, possibly on this trip, swim and encounter my favorite mammal, the dolphin, one of the friendliest creatures of the sea. |
Shana Brickman