Leveraging online courses for success in zoology
By Erica Martin
As children, most of us were asked what we wanted to be when we grew up. Quipping dreams of ballerinas, firefighters, doctors or mythical characters — how many of us actually pursued them?
Camrie Smith always said she wanted to work with animals. And it stuck.
Smith chose Oregon State University for her undergraduate education because of its excellent zoology bachelor’s program. The degree offers scientific training in the diversity, organismal biology, ecology and evolution of animals. Housed in the integrative biology department at the College of Science, it is the only zoology program in Oregon. Its students benefit from electives like animal behavior and cognition, offered both via Oregon State’s Ecampus online program and on the Corvallis campus.
This collaborative approach to science education is why Oregon State’s many science entities are known simply as, “Team Science.”
Camrie first volunteered, then interned at Wildlife Images Rehabilitation Center in Grants Pass, Oregon. Her interest in large carnivores began early in her life.
“I am most proud of staying on course and doing what I have always planned on and wanted to do,” Smith said. “I feel like it’s easy to lose track of goals due to the overwhelming decisions that need to be made but I stayed on course.”
That course continues as Smith wraps up her remaining term at Oregon State with an experiential learning trip abroad to work at an animal and owl sanctuary in South Africa. After that? She sees herself pursuing the rehabilitation and conservation of large carnivores, the work she’s most passionate about.
Making her zoology degree pack a punch
Smith attributes her ability to stay on track, in part, to the flexibility of online courses delivered through Oregon State Ecampus as she pursues each of her exciting opportunities. For example, her South Africa trip wouldn’t be possible without Ecampus classes — she’s able to go where life takes her, while still benefiting from high-quality learning experiences and working toward her zoology degree.
And those online courses? They’re among the most diverse that Smith has experienced at Oregon State.
“One of my favorite things about Ecampus courses is the diversity of people who are enrolled and learning about their experiences. It was touching to hear my peers’ stories through discussion posts — we don’t do that in in-person courses,” says Smith.
Black excellence in STEM
“Being a Black woman in STEM is a big part of my college identity,” Smith said. “That would have been a lot less possible only 100 years ago.”
The National Science Foundation estimates that Black women only make up around 2% of the STEM workforce, due in part to issues of underrepresentation and systemic problems. But Smith is a scientist determined to achieve her dreams.
Camrie is working with animals even off the clock. She began riding horses around the age of 10. Now she’s a member and officer of the Oregon State University Hunter-Jumper Equestrian Team. She has been a member since 2022 and an officer since 2023.
She started volunteering at Wildlife Images Rehabilitation and Education Center in southern Oregon when she was still in high school to gain experience. The connections she made there led to an internship between her first and second years at Oregon State.
Volunteer and internship work at Wildlife Images provided Camrie with animal handling and rehabilitation experience in addition to important career connections.
Smith got firsthand experience of what animal rehabilitation looks like at Wildlife Images. She recalls how it felt to be a part of the rehabilitation and release of a Red-tailed Hawk.
“To see them heal each step of the way is what I’m passionate about. It made me want to do that for large animals.”
That experience, coupled with her tenacity, landed her a job at Reid Veterinary Hospital in Albany, Oregon as a veterinary technician the following year. She was quickly recognized as a reliable, experienced technician and asked to assist in the surgical department.
Veterinary technician work adds to Camrie’s skillset as a zoologist.
Bolstering both her education and the resume she’ll take with her into the workforce as she looks to the future, Smith’s approach to science during these years embodied Oregon State’s motto: Don’t just study science. Do science.
“This has been one of the most exciting times of my life,” Smith said of her undergraduate experience at Oregon State. She speaks highly of the advisors and professors she encountered during her journey who were committed to her success, saying “my decision to attend Oregon State is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”
True to the way she’s chased her zoological dreams from the outset, when asked what advice she would give to future undergraduates considering Oregon State, she said, “Just go for it.”
Oregon State Ecampus delivers 100+ degrees and programs online, including Zoology and many other related programs.
