Hi! My name is Victoria Priester, and I’m a sophomore at Duke and one of this year’s new Duke Research bloggers.
Victoria meeting a very intelligent mammal.
I’m pre-vet, but I’ve always been a bookworm and have a love for expressing myself through writing that has given me a strained relationship with word counts. I’ll try to keep this intro post brief!
I’m majoring in English in addition to taking pre-veterinary classes, so my time in the library so far this year has been spent alternating between drawing resonance structures for organic chemistry and reading Jane Eyre in the Gothic Reading Room, which is my favorite study spot on campus.
Effective puppy medicine includes hugging and kissing.
I grew up in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. and now I work in the veterinary department at Duke Lemur Center. I’m also an editor and opinion columnist for The Chronicle. My favorite part of the academic scene at Duke is that pursuing such different interests at the same time is encouraged.
This year, I’m a part of the Bass Connections team that is studying how using expressive writing for resilience can help cancer patients process their experiences during treatment. I love finding new ways to connect my passion for writing with my interest in science, conservation and zoology.
One of the reasons I want to be a veterinarian is because I think veterinarians can and do play a crucial role in species conservation in zoos and animal sanctuaries. However, there is still a lot left to be learned about the animal species they care for.
For example, there is a species of lemur that consistently develops dental problems in captivity that lead to tooth loss, so there must be something about its diet in captivity compared to its diet in Madagascar that affects the health of its teeth. I care a lot about research concerning animals, conservation and pets, in addition to the health benefits of cathartic writing.
Victoria REALLY likes books.
I follow National Geographic on Twitter and read their articles as often as I can, but I usually end up just telling all of the cool facts I just learned to my parents, close friends or anyone else who is close enough to me to feel a slight obligation to listen and feign interest.
Through blogging, I hope to find a platform to synthesize new scientific findings surrounding animals, marine life or cathartic writing and post them to a place where people who care about and want to read about these topics can find them.
Post by Victoria Priester