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Posted: 5/20/20

TAMIU Grad Earns Summer Internship with Texas Parks and Wildlife Dept.

 

Ruby Ayala
TAMIU graduate Ruby Ayala  

 

A recent Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) graduate has accepted a position with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s (TPWD) Wildlife Biologist Internship Program.

Ruby Ayala graduated this Spring semester with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology and is set to begin a summer internship at TPWD’s Chaparral Wildlife Management Area in Cotulla, TX.

Ayala first learned about the program through a peer and decided to apply after realizing she met the necessary qualifications. During her internship, she will be working with amphibians, birds, mammals and reptiles primarily found in the South Texas region.

According to TWPD’s website, interns work within the Wildlife Management Areas to develop and manage wildlife habitats, provide sites where research can be conducted under controlled conditions, demonstrate habitat development and wildlife management practices to landowners, help protect populations of endangered, threatened or migratory wildlife, and more.

Ayala credits her time at TAMIU and Dr. Cord Eversole, assistant professor of Biology, for encouraging her to pursue a career as a wildlife biologist.

“If I hadn't attended TAMIU, I wouldn't have met and taken courses with Dr. Cord Eversole, who was able to teach new courses, such as herpetology, biodiversity, and wildlife range and management. Not only did I learn a lot of interesting and important material in these courses, but each course always left me more enthusiastic to pursue a career as a wildlife biologist,” Ayala recalled.

While at the University, Ayala was able to participate in Dr. Eversole’s small mammal research project that served as her first venture into field research. 

“My experience with helping out in the small mammal research project and the knowledge I've acquired in Dr. Eversole's courses, as well as Ecology courses with Dr. Neal McReynolds, helped me qualify for the TPWD internship,” explained Ayala.

Ayala hopes to gain more field research experience before applying to graduate school. She hopes to someday work for a state or federal agency.

TAMIU offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in Biology, as well as a minor in Environmental Science. For more information, visit the University’s College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Biology and Chemistry website at https://www.tamiu.edu/coas/biochem/index.shtml.

Registration for Summer and Fall 2020 courses is now underway.  An online catalog outlining undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degree programs is at http://catalog.tamiu.edu

As part of its response to the COVID-19 pandemic, TAMIU’s campus is closed only to the general public. Entry to campus continues for students, faculty, staff and those having legitimate reasons to be on campus. Online and virtual services at the University continue, practicing all CDC guidelines on gathering, masking and social distancing and with most staff working remotely.  Office hours are subject to change and it is recommended that phone or email contact be made first to determine the office’s schedule of operation.   An online directory is here.

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