Graduate Students

Jessica Harmon

Masters student, associated with the Center for Wildlife Health

Email: jharmon4@gmail.com

I received my Bachelor’s of Science at the University of Tennessee- Knoxville in Animal Science, with a minor in Biology. In 2006, I interned with the Knoxville Zoo in the Conservation and Science Department. While there I developed a comparative behavior study focusing on enclosure modifications and the use of enrichment items for captive tigers. I also assisted in chimp reintroduction sessions, researched grants, and completed write-ups for the Knoxville Zoological Gardens newsletter.

In the summer of 2007, I took part in an International Research Training Program in Brazil. While in Brazil I was involved in novel research using scat detector dogs to study the effects of habitat fragmentation on maned wolves, jaguars, pumas, giant armadillos, and giant anteaters in and around Emas National Park. I also assisted Jaguar Conservation Fund by leading groups of volunteers from Earth Watch Institute while trapping and monitoring various carnivore species in the park. The following summer, I spent time at the University of Washington’s Center for Conservation Biology in Seattle analyzing our collected scat samples using DNA and Hormone Extractions and PCR.

In January 2008, I began working as a field researcher and lab technician for the Center for Wildlife Health at UT on a study to investigate the emergence of tick-borne disease in Tennessee, which led into my Masters project.

In my free time I like to hike with my lab-shepherd mix, Oakley, watch UT athletics (GO VOLS!) and hang out with friends and family.