|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
Nick Ledesma
The Humane Society of New York wishes to congratulate Nick Ledesma, a former Veterinary Technician in our clinic, on his acceptance to Cornell University's dual degree DVM/PhD program. Born in Quito, Ecuador where pigs and stray dogs were a common feature on the city's streets, Nick cannot remember a time when animals did not fascinate him. At an early age, his family moved to New York City. Wildlife was thin on the ground compared to Quito, but the ever-resourceful Nick occupied himself with the birds visiting his birdfeeder, insects hiding under rocks and a range of pets diverse enough to compose a first-rate menagerie; he had a dog, hamsters, lizards, a snake, caterpillars, and mantids. In high school, Nick began volunteering at the Sweetbriar Nature Center in Smithtown, NY. Initially, he had planned to help with wildlife rehabilitation, but the Center put the knowledge Nick gained caring for his mantids and caterpillars to use in their butterfly vivarium.
Nick will be spending the next seven years, at least, earning his degrees, but he has already sketched out a direction for his research. Having taken both Animal Science and Entomology classes, Nick hopes to combine his knowledge of these two areas in the study of vector-borne diseases, such as West Nile, malaria and Lyme disease and their effects on livestock and wildlife. He intends to work for organizations like the National Institutes of Health, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization where he will conduct research and advise on public policy. Veterinarians play an important role in public health; from food-animal management to bioterrorism, veterinarians are required to inform effective public policy, but too few have the necessary expertise in such a diverse range of fields. Nick will be playing a vital role in preserving the health of the entire nation, perhaps the world. The Humane Society of New York is proud to have helped Nick on his way to an important, challenging and intellectually fulfilling career.
|
|
|
Throughout his years as an undergraduate at Cornell, Nick availed himself of many opportunities to acquire experience working with animals. He spent the summer of his freshman year helping the South African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds administer care to oiled and injured African penguins. He was able to manage a pen of thirty birds, feeding, medicating and exercising them each day. During his sophomore year, Nick joined Cornell's first-year polo team, which allowed him to travel to England to condition polo ponies. Nick came to the Humane Society of New York following the end of his junior year. Thanks to the Animal Science classes he had taken at Cornell, Nick possessed a familiarity with handling large animals, but the Humane Society of New York gave him his first chance to work with small animals. Nick worked in our clinic assisting our veterinarians and observing dozens of clinical and surgical cases daily. Before his time here, he had never seen all the work that goes into coordinating and managing a program like the Humane Society of New York. He left us with an appreciation for the amount of effort needed to run a low-cost veterinary clinic, and he is proud to have been able to contribute his talents to our organization. |
|
|
|
Home :: Our Mission :: Services :: Adoptions :: Donations :: Humane Issues :: Contact © 2001-2008, The Humane Society of New York. PRIVACY POLICY
|
|
|