Exploring animal-related careers and how to pursue them through various college majors and experiences (e.g., internships, volunteering) that are necessary to be successful.

Presented by: Dr. Janel Ortiz

Dr. Janel Ortiz is originally from La Puente, California. She received her Bachelor of Science in Animal Science from University of California, Davis. Towards the end of her time there she discovered wildlife research and she was hooked and knew she wanted to pursue a career in wildlife. She took a two-year break and worked as a Research Associate working on animal models to study brain cancer in humans. Dr. Ortiz returned to school to receive her Master of Science degree in Biology at California State University, Los Angeles where she studied the behavior of urban tree squirrels. She continued on to receive her Ph.D. in Wildlife Science from Texas A&M University-Kingsville where her research focused on developing curriculum on wild birds for grades K-12 and bird-habitat relationships. Currently, she is a Diversity Postdoctoral Fellow in the department of Biology at University of San Diego where she is evaluating introductory biology courses and studying urban parrots. In August, she will be transitioning to a new position as an Assistant Professor at Cal Poly Pomona where she can give back to her community through her teaching and research in conservation education and urban wildlife.