My name is Mia Valente, and I am currently a freshman at Bucknell University.  I am an Animal Behavior major and am on the pre-veterinary track.  I am from Scottsdale, Arizona.  Living in the Sonoran desert, reptiles have constantly surrounded me, and it has become something that I am very passionate about.  Growing up, I would watch two ornate tree lizards, Urosaurus ornatus, from outside my window every morning.  It became a routine that made me want to learn more as they became a part of my everyday life.  When hiking, one of my favorite pastimes, I look for Western Diamond-backed rattlesnakes, Crotalus artrot, and try to listen to their calls.  This interest in ectotherms has persevered through college and is a big part of why I am interested in Dr. Takahashi’s work.  

I have always been very interested in wildlife conservation and environmental protection.  Environmental protection and awareness were a big part of my high school experience.  I founded cretifed gardens and compost systems that provided food to my local high school, worked to improve environmental protection laws in places like Oak Flat, and educated my classmates on the importance of environmental protection.  

In my free time, I enjoy reading, golfing, gardening, sewing, traveling, and spending time with friends and family.  I am currently on the pre-veterinary track and am interested in becoming a wildlife veterinarian doing research on the distribution of disease within wildlife populations.  I could also see myself researching a topic that I am passionate about as an option for a potential career path in the future, so I am excited to explore this interest further in Professor Takahashi’s lab.