Cora Neville feels most at home in nature, so this summer, the Ohio Northern University student is relishing the chance to spend long days in the field studying her favorite creatures—wild birds.
An honors student and environmental & field biology major, Cora obtained a competitive Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) at Michigan State University’s Kellogg Biological Station in southwest Michigan.
There, she is assisting with a research project to determine whether Salmonella prevalence in wild birds differs between agricultural and natural areas. She is also testing antimicrobial resistance, contrasting how Salmonella and E. coli react to two widely used livestock drugs versus two human antibiotics.
“What I love about my REU is that no day is the same,” she says.
During field days, she is up and working by 5 a.m. setting up mist nets to capture birds at various research sites. She and the team then band the birds, take morphometric measurements (physical sizes and shapes), swab for bacteria, and draw blood to test for parasites.
It was a daunting task at first. Cora notes she underwent extensive training to learn how to handle the birds safely under strict federal permits. But after successfully handling her first bird, a tiny Warbler, her confidence soared.
“I must say that getting to help sample a Pileated Woodpecker was pretty epic,” she laughs. “I’m just grateful my hands were not anywhere near its beak!”
Going into the summer, she knew she would love the field work, but she’s been surprised by how much she enjoys the lab.
“The work takes a lot of patience, meticulousness, and rigorous organization,” she says, “but it’s extremely satisfying and so rewarding to see the bacteria cultures or the results of the disc diffusion the next day.”
The research Cora is conducting is preparing her for her dream career in wildlife conservation.
“I’m so thankful for ONU and all my professors for inspiring me and enabling me to get this far,” she said. “I have truly loved every minute of this REU.”
