Galina Kinsella

Galina Kinsella is a biomedical science: medical and veterinary science major from Charleston, South Carolina, graduating in May 2015 with a bachelor of science.  A member of the University Honors Program, Galina embarked on her research project as part of her honors senior thesis, and also to gain experience that will help her on her career path.  Galina will attend veterinary school in the fall, and is especially interested in conservation medicine. She has found that her independent research in Australia was a great asset in her applications and interviews for veterinary school.Galina gained a good deal of knowledge from her summer research. “I learned a lot about koalas, a species I knew next to nothing about before I started my grant application. I learned that patience and being flexible are incredibly important in research, as plans change constantly, especially in field research. I also learned that it is important to develop a statistical analysis method prior to data collection,” she said. During her weeks in Australia, she gained, “experience working with wildlife and withstanding the tough conditions of being out in the field.” She found her time in the outback, working with other researchers, along with the friendships she made, to be unforgettable memories. Galina feels that, “this experience has made me a stronger and more independent person who is able to think on my feet.”