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Former track star Emily Waddell ’17 had an idea that she wanted to work with animals from a young age. Her desire to study environmental studies routed her to Gettysburg College and allowed her opportunities to grow within the classroom, field, and beyond.
Her thought process began in high school as she took educational trips and learned the aspects of statistics and writing in her AP environmental class. She was looking for an undergraduate program that would match her interest and Gettysburg College was atop the list.
During her recruiting visit in the fall of 2012, she met with Dr. Sarah Principato, an Environmental Studies professor. The encounter with a professional in her intended field confirmed her decision to attend Gettysburg.
“There was a very low student-to-faculty ratio, so I knew I would get a lot of one-on-one attention,” noted Waddell. “When I visited Gettysburg, Dr. Principato mentioned that I could choose to be involved in research as long as I connected with a professor. That’s how I knew Gettysburg was the college for me.”
Knowing that she wanted to pursue a career in the marine biology field, Waddell proceeded with the necessary preparations by researching with Dr. Wendy Piniak, a former professor in the Environmental Studies department.
Waddell worked with Dr. Piniak on studying the effects of acoustic deterrent devices and seeing how they can prevent sea turtles from becoming confused and entangled in commercial finishing nets. She spent her senior year working on a year-long thesis with Dr. Piniak studying the effects of sound on fiddler crab settlement. This study was recently published in the Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, and she also completed a semester-long freshwater course capstone to fulfill her undergraduate degree requirement.
“Gettysburg made me a better scientific writer as well as a public speaker,” said the former track captain. “I was able to attend three scientific conferences and present my findings, which became an asset when applying to graduate school.”
In preparation for her graduate school work and professional goals, she gained valuable work experience as a consultant at the World Wildlife Fund. Waddell assessed the impact of acoustic deterrent devices on target fish testing the efficacy of electronic monitoring systems to record endangered species. She used her connection with Dr. Piniak to help secure the job. As part of the experience, Waddell was able to travel to North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Brazil, and Mexico.
When she started looking at doctorate programs she wanted to focus on the impact of sounds on animals and more specifically, fish. That’s how she came across her current advisor, Dr. Ana Sirovic, from Texas A&M University at Galveston. Dr. Sirovic’s focus is studying the impact of sound on marine mammal behavior, but she wanted to branch into the fish world. It was a perfect match.
“When you’re looking at a graduate school, you don’t look at the name,” mentioned Waddell. “Instead, you look at the professors who work there and how your research interests align with theirs.”
Since arriving at Texas A&M at Galveston in 2018, Waddell has enjoyed hands-on research experiences. In May of 2019, she took a two-week trip to a small town called Mali Losinj in Croatia with Dr. Sirovic. On the trip, Dr. Sirovic taught a two-week course on acoustics and Waddell was able to do some fieldwork by recording dolphin sounds and taking photos of their dorsal fins for photo identification. Then in August 2020, she served as a teaching assistant for a marine ecology course for college juniors and seniors with a lab that included tagging fish to estimate populations and movement.
The research continues this summer as Waddell and Dr. Sirovic will be studying the size of seismic surveys on red snapper behavior. The seismic surveys use airguns to find pockets of natural gas and oil beneath the seafloor in the northern part of the Gulf of Mexico.
Waddell’s goal when she graduates with her Ph.D. in Marine Biology in 2023 is to work at either the National Atmosphere Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) or the United States Geological Survey (USGS) studying the impact of sound on animals and how to use sound to monitor other populations.
Waddell made the most of her time at Gettysburg and credits the institution in helping her pave her career path.
“I loved my time at Gettysburg,” said Waddell. “The academics, the athletics, and the professors were all incredible. Everyone should attend Gettysburg.”
This story was originally posted on the Gettysburg College Website.