Student of the Month

Hi, everyone. My name is Rheanna Adams. I am a fourth-year Animal Biology student with a Psychology minor. I am originally from the small rural community of Trinity County in Northern California, which greatly influenced my curiosity and inquiry to study in agriculture and environmental sciences. I am currently assisting in Dr. Connon’s Lab and learning about ecotoxicology. My focus for my practicum project is aimed at assessing the toxicity of 6PPD-quinone in the Bay-Delta on multiple species of juvenile and larvae fish.

Hello, everyone! My name is Maria Peshkoff and I am a fourth-year animal Biology major.

I knew from an early age that I wanted to attend UC Davis, but I also knew my journey to get there would not be easy. After attending community college for five years, I transferred to UC Davis as an Animal Biology major.

Hi! I am Delanie Craighead, and I am a fourth-year Animal Biology major and Medical Entomology minor. I've always loved animals, but learned in high school that my favorite are camelids! I currently work as a ranch hand for a veterinarian where I help take care of her animals, including alpacas, and work at the goat barn, where I used to be a resident. In the future, I want to work as a wildlife biologist or in a lab focusing on camelids.

Hello, everybody! My name is Raaghav Saxena, and I'm a fifth-year Animal Biology major. I grew up for about half of my life in the southeast of the United States, where my love for nature and wildlife specifically developed. That is why I chose this major; to be able to understand and potentially care for the animals that I have seen in the wild throughout my life, and to make sure that future generations may continue to see them. My time at UC Davis has allowed me to work with birds at Meyer Hall, turtles in the Arboretum, and livestock at a ranch in Vacaville.

Hello! My name is Gennie Shane, and I am a fourth-year Animal Biology student with a Spanish minor. My interest in animal welfare started when sweet border collie, Kaia, got diagnosed with Addison's disease in 2017. After learning how to administer her cortisone shots, I learned more about veterinary medicine and found my way to UC Davis. Since then, I have had the opportunity to work on a ranch in Vacaville with large animals and I currently work at a small animal hospital as a kennel technician.

Hi, everyone! My name is Gloria Becerra, and I am a third-year Animal Biology student with a minor in Education. I am from the Central Valley, where my love for agriculture and science began. My interest in large animal medicine has led me to become a resident at the UC Davis Swine Facility and the Vice President of the Young Cattlemen’s Association at UC Davis, among other things. I thoroughly enjoy every opportunity I get to work with animals and interact with my peers.

Hello, I'm Rakhay Burtzlaff, a senior ABI undergraduate student. I've always been interested in the past, and how genetics map the progression of life through time. Most of all, I love the ancient and unusual, which is why I was excited to focus my practicum research on moon jellyfish. My research is focused on the effect of environmental factors on the physiology of moon jellyfish. Specifically, the process of reverse-development, which allows the jellyfish to go back on its lifecycle to repair damage.

My name is Kenny Ruiz and I am a first-generation transfer student, currently finishing my fourth year at UC Davis. I grew up in Salinas, California, and joined the Marines right out of high school, where I served four years. I enjoy baking, reading, photography, hiking, and martial arts. My field of interest is wildlife conservation and animal behavior.

Hi there, my name is Monica Ardon. I am a 5th year transfer student from Folsom Lake College. I graduated with an AA in Interdisciplinary Studies: Math and Science in 2020. I am majoring in Animal Biology and minoring in Spanish. I completed my practicum last July where I studied effects of Insulin Dysregulation in Quarter Horses at the Center for Equine Health.

Hi! I’m Daniel Colón. I am a fourth year student within the major, minoring in Oceanography. I am currently a student manager at the Coffee House, an officer in the Knights Landing One Health Clinic (KLOHC), and a member of the Finno Laboratory. At KLOHC, I work alongside others to provide free clinic access to a low income community. My primary role is to help with medicine administration during clinics. The Finno Laboratory has given me the privilege of working on an ongoing project studying the genetic basis of diseases related to Vitamin E deficiency.