Animal behavior enthusiast, lab animal science worker- help me!

[mutantmanifesto]

Alright, I've posted definitely in this forum so many times, but I'm hoping with each post comes a little more knowledge and sophistication. That's probably asking too much of myself.

From the get-go animal behavior, ecology, evolution, anthropology person here in need of some experienced people to chat with!!

This post is for me to hear some opinions of my future options from you guys. I'll try to keep this as neat as I can, but I get so caught up in obsessing over it that I tend to get scattered.

What I've always wanted to do, since I was probably 5 or younger, is work with animals and study evolution; particularly dogs. Dogs are my passion forever. I'm supremely interested in social behavior of dogs, the evolution of it, and the uniqueness of it. Since taking a number of these grad classes, I've actually created a project I would love to use as the basis for my dissertation were I to find a PI who takes on students that want to try out their own ideas. I don't know the etiquette to that, so any info would be great. The project is human-dog social interaction based, and will delve into co evolution among other things.

All very well and good. The kicker is this, because I've just now gotten married and I'm really starting to plan a legitimate future with my husband and any future children. PhD in evolution has always been "it," but I never had much of a reason to think about what comes after "it." I have a good 2 years before I'm done with my MA while working full time, so the time is now to start major planning (thanks to SA mart for budgeting goons and CV goons!).

I have my foot in the door, quite well, into the lab animal science field. I'm thinking the best of both worlds would be to go to school further and loop it right back to the field I'm already excelling in. No, I won't be studying humans and dogs playing with each other for a living because honestly that's not feasible for the life I want. Just one of many things I've settled with along the way. It recently occurred to me that I could absolutely go for a PhD in behavior and bring it back around to the LAS field-- the whole field is about having things done humanely and by the books...and the books are based on studies, many based on behavioral studies. So that is where my mind is headed right now. A compromise, but one that I think can bring me stability in my future in terms of job security while trying to hold down a family. I spoke to the top most person in my department and he didn't even bat an eye before telling me it's entirely doable- I just don't know how. So that's why I'm here.



My current school stats:

-BA Biology/chem minor (2009) from a small private school in NYC, nothing prestigious. Didn't do that well, 3.1 I think overall, maybe 3.6 biology. Undergrad was a shitshow for me psychologically so it's nice to have some distance from that to show what I'm actually worth.

-2nd author publication in thrilling botany journal in 2009

-At the end of this semester, I'll have 15/30 credits done for my MA in Biology (Ecology, evolution, behavior based) at CUNY Queens College (again, yippee..not prestigious in the slightest). Currently I have a solid string of A-'s, and this current class I'll be getting an A in as long as I do my fucking research. So we'll go along similar lines and say I'll graduate with something between a 3.7-3.8. I've been at this degree for 2 years at the end of this semester because I work full time.

-By June I should be done with the bulk of my master's thesis work, and I have promised my up-for-tenure PI that I will have a publication out by the years end as the primary author. A highly novel bird song experiment that will likely lead to further publications. I'm not anticipating lower tier journals, either. This is a pretty big deal study and my PI is very well regarded in the field and will get me set up fine I think.

-My GREs are horrendous and fit the critera of "they will care if horrendous" so I'll have to redo those before this process even really gets going.

My current work stats:

-I entered the lab animal science field accidentally as I was desperately groping for a job in 2009 after I graduated. I wasn't really upset with the field, it did fit my interests well enough (animals and science). I haven't left the field and have since been promoted twice in one department, went over to another department for a higher up position, and now just landed back at the original department with an "elite" (their words) job. I'm one to three notches under senior staff (directors, heads, chairs, etc) and probably on the same ground as upper management. I'd say it's a midlevel job. I'm the youngest of my group at 26, and I'm probably the youngest comparatively across the different groups. I don't think that means anything, but I guess I'm trying to say that I sort of blasted my way through somehow very fast.

-I have worked at two very prestigious institutions. A cancer center in NYC and a medical college/hospital in NYC. Very closely associated with each other.

-I was offered this current positon before they realized that I had to absolutely have my RLAT certification prior to anything getting signed, so I had 10 days to register, study and test and magically managed to do this. So I'm an RLAT (lab animal tech) and can't see LATG (lab animal technologist) being that much more difficult.


Why I came here

There are so many of you with so many specialties. My dream school is UC Davis' animal behavior group, but even I don't know how I'd even approach that. On one hand I've got the dogs, on the other the lab animals...and I don't want to give up the dogs entirely. I think a well rounded behavior degree would cover LAS stuff, but I really don't know.

I'm open minded with schools, really, except I know that I want to get the FUCK out of NYC and would rather be in California. Beggars choosers etc. I just want options. The most recent thought that occurred to me was maybe trying for vet school with a focus on lab animal science, which is the surefire "secure and won't be poor" way...but really medicine isn't for me. That would be settling for something I'm not interested in for money. I'm looking for a balance, or any ideas of how I can bring my interests into further schooling, and then wrap them right back to my field.

FUNDING IS AN ISSUE. My husband is still working on his BA (I fucked him over by pulling him to NYC way before he was done with school, so at 29 he's desperately trying to get shit together too. I will need to find a program that at least waives tuition and gives a stipend at best. Like I said, my dream school is UC Davis but I don't even know how many people typically get funded [edit: I forgot that I saw that funding their is really iffy, so if anybody who has been in that grad group can chime in, I'd appreciate it!).

That's the long post I have for you. If anybody sees anything that they might be able to enlighten me on, please feel free to PM me, email me (username@gmail), or reply. I want to do this right, and I want to find myself options and ideas before I just blindly start applying and contacting people.

Thanks for your time, guys

[Dedi]

Oh cool, another animal behavior enthusiast!

 

Have you ever considered being a certified applied animal behaviorist specializing in dogs? Not all people are "pet psychologists"; some do work in academia, like this person: http://www.pugetsound.edu/faculty-pages/rfoster

 

More info of being a CAAB: http://www.animalbehavior.org/ABSAppliedBehavior/what-is-applied-animal-behavior-1

 

Okay, that's enough advertising :3 I want to be a CAAB myself, looking into applied research at zoos.

 

As for faculty and schools, you might want to do a bit of research on your own for that (google is your friend). Look into anthrozoology programs as well an animal behavior. You might find something there.

[10maddenm]

I'm also big on animal behavior and definitely am looking into graduate programs where I can focus on this.  I've done research throughout my undergraduate education in zoo settings, but would like to get more into doing fieldwork.

 

I'm at Canisius College and will be graduating in May (can't come soon enough!), but they have an amazing BS in Animal Behavior, Ecology, and Conservation.  I know you already have a BA, but there's lots of opportunity for doing research as an undergraduate.  We even have someone (Christy Hoffman) who does cognitive research with canines.  Canisius also offers a MSc in Anthrozoology (http://www.canisius.edu/anthrozoology/).  I've really enjoyed it here and I came in wanting to be a vet, but switched to doing research because I love it so much.

 

The Animal Behavior Society website that Dedi referenced would be a great spot for you to start looking.