For this week's spotlight series, we have our first undergraduate spotlight: Rachel Walkup. She currently serves as the social media manager for WISE and is a Science Research Fellow concentrating in environmental science.
What inspired you to pursue a degree in STEM?
I have always been really fascinated by the natural world as a little kid growing up in the mountains of New Mexico. In high school, I worked as a docent at my local zoo and as a wildlife rehabilitator at my local rescue. Throughout my life, I have owned dogs, guinea pigs, lizards, snakes, and even Madagascar hissing cockroaches and have always loved observing animal behavior and getting to understand them better. I knew coming into college that I had a passion for conservation and environmental science, and then was introduced into the world of research by my participation in the Science Research Fellows.
How would you describe your work to the public?
The main focus of the work I have done thus far is environmental conservation and genetics. I currently work in Cole Matson’s CRASR lab as an undergraduate lab assistant. The most recent project I helped with focused on how killifish in the Gulf of Mexico become resistant to pollution and how this affects their rate of development.
What do you enjoy doing the most?
I’m probably the happiest when I’m on top of the mountain or out in the forest somewhere. I think that my love for hiking has really influenced my decision to concentrate in environmental science and love doing field work out in the real world (although maybe not in central Texas during the summer). One of my other passions is teaching children about the world around them and I hope that education is always a focus of my career. Some of my other hobbies include reading fantasy novels, baking, and graphic design
What is an accomplishment that younger you would have thought unachievable?
Earlier this year, I was preparing to present at my first poster presentation. I never actually got to present my research because the session was supposed to be in late March, right after Baylor went completely online and I had to go home. This may seem like a strange accomplishment, but even though I never got to share my research, the process of joining a research lab, doing lab work, and preparing to present it is one of the achievements I am proud of the most. My younger self would have never have believed that I would have overcome my social anxiety and fear of speaking to the point where I am today. I feel like my college experience thus far has really helped to push me out of my comfort zone.
If you could give any advice to the younger generation, what would it be?
My advice would be to really push yourself to make connections. While I’m more of an animal person than a people person, I have really benefited from getting to know my professors and other students in my field. STEM fields are highly interpersonal, but if an introvert like me can learn to navigate them, I think that anyone can!
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