My name is Jami Greb, and I am an honors student majoring in zoology with a minor in environmental studies. I will be graduating in spring 2026 and am currently applying to graduate programs in wildlife ecology.
I chose Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ State because of the study abroad opportunities, R1 research status and its proximity to Pittsburgh, where I grew up. During my freshman year, I knew I had made the right decision when I realized how many opportunities Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ State and the Department of Biological Sciences had to offer me. The following summer, I studied abroad in the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador, for 10 days, led by Associate Professor Dr. Sangeet Lamichhaney. Not only did I learn about species conservation, which helped shape my career goals, but I also made new friends I am still close with years later. It was an experience I will remember for a lifetime.
The following year, I joined Dr. Lamichhaney’s research lab. His lab studies non-model organisms, mostly birds, and uses molecular techniques to understand how they adapt to new environments. I realized this was what I wanted to pursue after taking my genetics course. That same year, I began working hands-on with wild songbirds.
I loved my study abroad experience so much that I decided to participate in the other summer trip offered through the biology department. At the end of my sophomore year, I went to Australia. Australia was a place I had always wanted to go, and Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ State and Dr. Brian Grafton made that dream come true. I think the happiest moment of my entire life was while hiking in Australia with friends and spotting a wild lace monitor (an awesome giant lizard) crossing the trail. Spending almost 40 hours on a round-trip flight was totally worth the experience.
During my junior year, I decided to pursue a senior honors thesis. I continued working in the Lamichhaney lab and developed my research project, which focuses on how the gut microbiome of wild songbirds changes throughout the seasons. Not only has Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ State provide me with the tools to complete this research, but the mentorship has also been amazing.
Many faculty members in the department go out of their way to lend a helping hand.
That same year, I joined the Environmental Science and Design Research Institute (ESDRI). This experience has been very valuable to me. Through ESDRI, I attended workshops that helped me develop my resume and scientific posters. Katie Manning and the rest of the ESDRI team go above and beyond and have been very helpful through the graduate school application process as well.
The summer after my junior year, I participated in the Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE), where I worked on my thesis. You don’t need to complete a thesis to be part of SURE, you just need to have an interest in research, no matter what your major is. Throughout June and July 2025, I worked on my own research while also helping with other projects in my lab, and I got paid to do it.
I am very thankful for that experience because it made me believe in myself and showed me that I could pursue ecological research as a career.
At the end of the summer, I traveled to Missouri to attend the American Ornithological Society’s annual conference. This was a huge gathering of bird scientists coming together to share their research. Throughout the week, I attended presentations, networked with people in the field and presented my own poster on my research. This conference would have been very expensive to attend, but I was able to do it with the help of Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ State and ESDRI.
Currently, in my senior year, I am working on the data analysis for my bird gut microbiome research. Following the SURE program, I participated in the undergraduate three-minute thesis presentations, and I was a second-place winner for the environmental sciences category. Next semester I will present my finished work at the annual ESDRI showcase and the Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ State Research Symposium. Then, I will defend my thesis and, upon successful completion, I will graduate with a distinction in Honors.
My experience shows that Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ State is rooting for you! They want you to kick off your career, gain research experience as early as possible and attend conferences to share your work and meet people. I am so grateful to all of the faculty and for the opportunities that have played an integral role in my undergraduate success. My family, friends and Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ State have been my biggest supporters, and I feel well prepared for my next adventure.