Interview with Alyssa Hartzheim

What is your proudest accomplishment as an NC State student?

My proudest accomplishment is receiving a grant to conduct my own research with Common Snapping Turtles. The Common Snapping Turtle is my favorite animal and with the help of the grant, I was able to conduct research to better understand if blood lactate levels are a reliable way to gauge the severity of any trauma the turtle may have received and the subsequent morbidity rates.

What do you love best about your department or major?

I love the passion that everyone shares for animals. Growing up, I was the “Animal Person” at school, at home, and in my friend groups. Here in the Zoology Department, I am surrounded by others who are just as passionate about animals as I am. I have never felt more at home than I do at NC State.

What do you plan to do after graduating from NC State?

As of right now, I plan on applying to the NCSU Vet School to focus on zoological medicine with the hopes of being able to work with and conduct research on wildlife.

Care to give a shout-out to a faculty or staff member that you would like to recognize?

I would like to give a shout-out to Dr. Jenny Campbell and Colleen Grant. You both have encouraged my excitement and love for science to grow. Thank you both for the amazing opportunities that you have given to me since I became a student here.

What advice would you give to students at the beginning of their degree program?

Talk to everyone, you never know who you’ll end up friends with, or what opportunities you will be given.

Here are a few other fun facts about Alyssa:

• She has been a Teaching Assistant for ZO 233: Human-Animal Interactions, and an Undergraduate Lab Instructor for ZO 350: Animal Phylogeny and Diversity.
• Aided graduate student Amber Bhen with research to determine whether adult learning of museum visitors was influenced by visitor awareness of the survey being conducted.
• Volunteers with the NCSU CVM Turtle Rescue Team
• Member of NCSU’s Zoology Club
• Has volunteered at the Living Conservatory, North Carolina Museum of Natural Science, since March 2016.