Whitney Gilliland

How did you choose your degree program?

I chose my degree program because it really let me personalize my experience and take classes that interested me most. I also wanted to spend a semester at the Smithsonian Mason School of Conservation and this program had time for that built into it.

How did your academic experiences in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences impact you?

I expanded my knowledge of conservation beyond animals and biology and was taught how my field connects to people and issues facing the world. I was given hands-on opportunities with various flora and fauna while being guided through concepts and case study assignments that were of interest to me. I made connections with people of all different backgrounds and disciplines and tried anything from salamander surveys to filmmaking.

What accomplishment(s) during your time at Mason are you most proud of?

I'm proudest of my time at the Smithsonian Mason School of Conservation. At SMSC I researched bats and flying squirrels through acoustic monitoring and camera traps. I also spent the semester researching a species that has very little data collected on it, Eastern Hellbenders. I was able to form my own new conclusions about the species and propose strategies to help their population. During classes in the field, I surveyed various animals and tried out techniques like radiotelemetry.

Are there faculty or staff members who made a difference during your Mason career? Please give an example of this impact if possible.

Dr. Tom Wood was the first conservation professor I had at GMU. I took his Mysteries of Migration course and his excitement about the topic was contagious- I still use info I learned from him years later.
I have never had professors care about me as much as the ones at SMSC. Jim McNeil and Stephanie Lessard-Pilon focused on us learning, not on us doing work for grades. They used multiple teaching styles to keep us engaged- whether that meant running around pretending to be a bird to help us with species identification or bringing in museum specimen bats to talk to us about echolocation coevolution. They've also been mindful of my upcoming graduation and help me network and look for job opportunities. Anneke DeLuycker mentored me throughout the semester. She gave me opportunities to try new field techniques and technologies, encouraged me to lead our research and problem solving, and made every meeting exciting- she definitely made me feel more confident that I can tackle work after college.

What are your current career plans following graduation? What are your long-term career goals?

I just accepted an internship to work at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) as a bird animal keeper! Long-term, I have not decided on a specific post-graduation trajectory because I am interested in so many areas within conservation. But, overall, I would like to pursue a career in conservation that positively connects people and wildlife whether that be at a zoo, nonprofit, or educational facility.