Lindsay Michaud

When junior Lindsay R. Michaud is not traveling, doing volunteer work with her sorority, Alpha Chi Omega, or conducting experiments in the laboratories of the University of New Hampshire, she lives at her family home in Presque Isle, Maine. Lindsay, who was attracted to UNH by the reputation of its pre-med program and by its proximity to her relatives, is pursuing a degree in biomedical science: medical and veterinary science. Working with rats, she developed an interest in neuroscience, and developed a sudden allergy to the rodents. Rather than hampering her career in neuroscience, this allergy opened a unique and unexpected opportunity to work with Clark Nutcracker birds during a research project funded by a Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) from the Hamel Center in 2013. She says that she enjoyed “creating a bond with these animals that have such unique personalities” and was deeply impressed by their intelligence. She feels inspired and prepared by her SURF experience to continue doing research in the future. “I hope I can contribute some great findings to the medical world,” she says. Lindsay plans to continue her education at the graduate level in optometry school after she completes her undergraduate career in May 2015.