Undergrads admitted to vet program (October 2007)
In fall 2007, three Honors undergraduate women got the word they'd been waiting for: they had passed their interviews and been accepted into the veterinary program at WSU.
The opportunity to do so is why Emiko Namatame, Keena Mullen, and Merik Metos came to Pullman and joined the Honors College.
They are the latest successful participants in the 20-year-old Honors College Pre-Admitted Veterinary Program. By taking a rigorous Honors curriculum and vet med prerequisites, students with 3.5+ GPAs can interview in their second year for pre-admittance to the world-renowned WSU College of Veterinary Medicine.
Upon acceptance, students complete their junior year then move to the vet school where they finish their baccalaureate and doctor of veterinary medicine degrees in seven years total, shaving a year off the usual timeline.
Keena
Major: Animal Sciences
Year: Sophomore
Career: Research or animal nutritionist
Hometown: Alger, Wash.
Favorite professor: Sheila Converse, Music. "Dr. Converse taught us how to appreciate classical music in our Honors class."
Likes about Honors: "The classes are academically challenging and tiny. It's so amazing to actually get to interact with professors and classmates. Living in Honors Hall is great, too."
Researching: (With Dr. Michael Skinner) The effect of certain drugs on sex development and gene changes in rats and mice. Results may provide insight into reproductive biology and the effects of drugs on reproduction.
Emiko
Major: Neuroscience
Year: Junior
Career: Small animal neurosurgeon
Hometown: Kent, Wash.
Favorite professor: Verena Thiele, Engl 199. "I love English and she helped me improve my writing. She cares about students."
Likes about Honors: "The classes are small and there is great interaction. It allows me to focus to improve any academic weaknesses."
Researching: (With Dr. Sue Ritter) Localizing insulin receptor in rat's high brain to see how it affects feeding behavior, Results may lead to applications of better diabetes treatments in humans.
Merik
Major: Zoology
Year: Sophomore
Career: Large and small exotic animals
Hometown: Garden Valley, Idaho
Favorite professor: Jim Satterly, Chem 116. "I love chemistry, and he made it interesting."
Likes about Honors: "I like how Honors classes are based around conversation."
Researching: (With Dr. John McNamara) Observing RNA in fat tissue taken from three breeds of dairy cows to determine relationships between nutrition, milk production, and weight gain. Results may show what breeds produce the most, and most nutritious, milk.