Rebecca Riedel

Becky Riedel ’15 will be attending Auburn College of Veterinary Medicine in Alabama starting in August of 2015, where she plans to focus on reproduction and mixed animal veterinary practice.

In her freshman year at UMass Becky joined the Goat Management Class, for Becky this was a stepping-stone to the other hands on experiences UMass has to offer. She stayed with the goat group all four years and became a teaching assistant for the class. Becky feels that her leadership role with this group was one of her most time consuming, but rewarding experiences at UMass. She learned a lot, was able to teach others, build friendships with her peers and conduct her own reproduction project. For her project she decided to try to produce a recessive black-colored Boer goat. She received funding to artificially inseminate a dam, was able to monitor the pregnancy, and assist with the birth of the first black Boer doe in the UMass herd.

Becky participated in a dairy internship at Devine Farm where she cared for dairy calves by feeding, cleaning, and dehorning. She also participated in the annual UMass Bay State Livestock Classic showing a Belted Galloway cow. To gain small animal experience, she participated in an internship at Dakin Humane Society where she learned how to draw blood, insert microchips, give injections, and perform other clinical skills with cats and dogs. She also had the opportunity to work in Dr. Dominique Alfandari’s lab, gaining a valuable understanding of laboratory research.

In her sophomore through senior years, Becky focused on research with Dr. Purdy of the North American Camelids Program working with alpacas, llamas, and donkeys and learning to perform ultrasounds and semen analysis, studying breeding behavior, and maintaining the farm.

To gain wildlife experience, Becky went on a field vet study in South Africa the summer after her sophomore year. While there, she assisted a vet in transporting and injecting a variety of antelope and water buffalo, and took two wildlife conservation courses.

In addition, Becky worked as a veterinary assistant at Aldie Vet Hospital in Virginia where she assisted with surgeries and learned the day-to-day life of a small animal clinic. Becky observed emergency surgeries and wildlife care while shadowing veterinarians at the Cape Cod Animal Referral and Emergency Center. She also shadowed Dr. Alexis Theiss at Piedmont Equine in Virginia; driving to client’s farms and performing treatments. She also participated in an internship at Mississippi State caring for and ultra-sounding frogs and salamanders, and working at a dairy farm.

At UMass Becky joined the Veterinary and Animal Sciences Peer Mentoring group. This allowed her to advise underclassmen on many aspects of UMass and preparations for vet school applications and interviews. Becky also enjoyed playing intramural floor hockey and dodgeball.

Becky says, “UMass has done so much for me academically and socially. I have met so many wonderful people and built friendships that have made me who I am today. It will be difficult to one-up these last four years, but I am looking forward to beginning vet school.”