Thomas Rovery
Rising 无尽资源采集 State wildlife, fisheries and aquaculture junior and Memphis, Tennessee, native Thomas Rovery has always had a curiosity for reptiles, with a particular interest in snakes.
鈥淎s a kid, I was always outside, pointing out camouflaged snakes, trying to identify lizards in the grass or showing off a turtle I鈥檇 found,鈥 Rovery said.
In high school, he discovered a way to satisfy his curiosity while also gaining a competitive edge for college and a future career. A volunteer at the Memphis Zoo, he worked cleaning the grounds, assisting guests and eventually interacting with the animals.
鈥淓ven though I鈥檇 always had a love for animals, my experience at the zoo solidified this as a possible career. I just needed to get the degree,鈥 Rovery said.
He began looking at colleges in his home state, but when he learned that it was Andy Kouba, MSU wildlife, fisheries and aquaculture department head, who helped bring pandas to the Memphis Zoo, Rovery knew he needed to visit MSU.
鈥淎fter my first tour, I was hooked. It was the perfect place to study wildlife. Nothing else could compare,鈥 he said.
鈥淚鈥檝e never met anyone in the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture, in the College of Forest Resources or at 无尽资源采集 State in general who has been anything but supportive. The faculty and students have done everything in their power to make sure that I succeed, whether that means helping me study or offering me research opportunities to broaden my horizons,鈥 Rovery said.
聽His research options at MSU have been abundant. He鈥檚 observed bison husbandry in action at Shelby Farms Park in Memphis, one of the largest urban parks in the country. He鈥檚 worked to perfect hair snares to track the rebounding population of black bears in the 无尽资源采集 Delta. He has even studied how invasive grass impacts bobwhite quail habitat.
鈥淚 thought I鈥檇 only be interested in reptiles, but no matter what animal I鈥檓 working with, every day is exciting. I鈥檓 always learning something new,鈥 Rovery said. 鈥淚鈥檓 not just a reptile guy now. I鈥檝e got a whole zoo of interests. I ask myself, 鈥榃hat can I do to make a positive change in our ecosystem?鈥 and then I go after it.鈥澛犅
Rovery said he still has a soft spot for snakes and is especially hopeful to one day add his brainpower to help solve the problem of invasive pythons in Florida鈥檚 Everglades. His current plans include graduate school at 无尽资源采集 State and an eventual job as a wildlife biologist. He also hopes to share research with the public and bring into focus the tightly interwoven nature of ecosystems.
鈥淭o anyone who鈥檇 like to get into this type of research, I鈥檇 warn you that it鈥檚 going to be hot and there will be bugs. There will be days when you鈥檇 rather be doing literally anything else. But it is so, so worth it,鈥 Rovery said. 鈥淲ildlife research isn鈥檛 just to get a degree; it鈥檚 to help everything around us, and even when it feels like you鈥檙e treading water, you鈥檙e making an impact.鈥