Morgan Rollins, 2024

Morgan Rollins '24 brings a crucial and unique perspective to her teams in the UMass iCons Program thanks to her background in Animal Science. Morgan is a student in the Veterinary and Animal Science program at UMass Amherst on the Biomedicine/Biosystems track in the iCons Program. Morgan joined iCons because she “was inspired particularly by the way that iCons faces challenges head-on and from a practical standpoint.” In Animal Science, a practical understanding is an essential addition to the theoretical skills often taught in classes.

Animal Science does not limit students to pursuing a career as a veterinarian or working on a farm. In fact, many students go on to pursue research involving animal models. A significant portion of life-saving biomedical research uses animal models and it is important that research teams understand the intersections between human health and animal health.

As an animal science major, Morgan brings an important perspective to her teams in iCons. While working in interdisciplinary teams she always tries to help her group “gain insight into the one health perspective and explain the interconnections between human and animal welfare,” even if the project she is working on doesn’t directly involve animals.

iCons also provides Morgan with a crucial skill set as she has learned how to work on diverse teams of students and conduct research under the One Health perspective which highlights a collaborative approach that recognizes the connections between human health, animals, plants, and their shared environment.

In discussing the benefits of the iCons program, Morgan said, “I truly believe that interdisciplinary collaboration is a necessity in all fields, especially in veterinary medicine where the concept of one health or the interrelations between animal and human health are critical to the preservation of both.”

Outside of iCons, Morgan works in the Visconti research lab on campus. The lab uses mice models to better understand testis specific enzymes as a part of the male contraceptive initiative. Morgan is grateful for the experiences she has gained through the iCons program and for “the amazing peers I have in this program that have always been supportive and thoughtful.”

Even though Morgan does not know exactly what she wants to do when she graduates in February 2024, she does know that she wants to continue her education in animal science and pursue a profession in the field of veterinary medicine in some capacity.

Profile posted in 2023.