Major: Biology with the Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior focus area
Hometown: Wattsburg, Pennsylvania
Scholarships: Graygo Trustee Scholarship, Education Abroad Scholarship, Greg and Heather Yahn Family Scholarship, Aaron Meehl Scholarship, Summer Success Scholarship, McAllister Scholarship
On choosing Behrend: Behrend has a beautiful campus located right next to Wintergreen Gorge, and it is only a short drive to Lake Erie and Presque Isle State Park. I knew that being surrounded by nature and wildlife would provide the best research opportunities and learning experiences for me.
On choosing her major: I chose to major in biology with a focus on ecology, evolution, and behavior because I was interested in working with wildlife. Behrend offers five options for the biology major, so I could easily tailor my degree to my interests and career goals.
Her proudest accomplishment at Behrend: I am proudest of the personal and professional growth I’ve achieved by participating in undergraduate research for three years. My research involved studying the anti-predator defenses of snails and the predator-prey interactions of aquatic invertebrates. I have also worked on population studies of spotted salamanders and mystery snails. Among many other things, my work has even given me the opportunity to present at the national Animal Behavior Society conference in Portland, Oregon.
Awards and recognitions: Council of Fellows Undergraduate Student Research Award
Advice for first-year students: Don’t feel like you have to overextend yourself to be successful. Involving yourself with things that you are passionate about and making a good reputation for yourself is more valuable than adding lines to your résumé. Being great at a few things can be better than being average at a lot of things.
Haley plans to attend graduate school at Case Western Reserve University and work toward a Ph.D. in biology with a focus on ecology and evolutionary biology.