Brietta E. Latham
Department of Animal Sciences
Animal Sciences - Animal Biosciences
Thurmont, MD
2021 Distinguished Senior Award Celebration Program (.pdf)
2021 Distinguished Senior Award Recipient Poster (.pdf)
When asked to reflect on the successes of her undergraduate career, it’s hard for Brietta Latham to find one instance that demonstrates her greatest sense of accomplishment. The application of the knowledge Brietta has amassed throughout her time at Ohio State is the experience she values the most.
Whether Brietta is considering the logistics of an experiment in class, drawing on her previous course material and experiences while teaching, or simply having a discussion with her peers, reflecting on how far she has progressed in her holistic understanding of science and its applications provides asense of accomplishment for Brietta that surpasses any single success. Other accomplishments for Brietta were placing in the top five at the AVMA Animal Welfare Judging Competition for two consecutive years and, most importantly, getting accepted into multiple graduate schools.
Brietta participated in two internships, one with AstraZeneca in Frederick, Maryland, as a Manufacturing Sciences & Technology Intern, and a second with the University of California — Davis, shadowing graduate students, which she funded using her Ohio State STEP program transformational experience funds. Within her time at AstraZeneca she was introduced to the process of biopharmaceutical manufacturing, and through various tours and intern-specific programming she became very comfortable with the steps in that process.
Brietta has been involved in many research experiences, including a parasite resistance study which helped harvest lambs and collect abomasum and fecal samples to be observed for signs of infection caused by Haemonchus contortus (barber pole worms). She counted worms in samples from the liquid collected after rinsing the abomasum samples. Brietta also researched the impacts of personality on animal welfare where she observed and recorded penguin behaviors. She guided the Animal Welfare and Behavior Club through the design of various welfare research projects, including enrichment, novel object, and training studies. Lastly, Brietta designed and implemented behavior observations for a study looking at how goat behavior changes in a pasture environment versus a wooded environment.
Brietta recognized Dr. Benjamin Wenner as her faculty mentor. In her words, “I have worked closely with Dr. Wenner in many different roles. As a student, teaching assistant, member of the Animal Welfare Judging and Dairy Challenge Teams, club president, and fellow sheep breeder, there is hardly a way to begin to express how influential Dr. Wenner has been on my college career. I am incredibly grateful to have gotten to spend so much time learning from him and praise him for his commitment to his students.”
After graduation, Brietta will be pursuing a graduate degree in either Animal Biology with an emphasis on Biotechnology at the University of California — Davis, or Molecular Biosciences at Washington State University. In the future, she intends to enter the field of animal biotechnology with a focus on genetic engineering in livestock.
Service, involvement, and accolades: American Society of Animal Science Undergraduate Scholar | Animal Welfare and Behavior Club, president, treasurer | Buckeye Dairy Club, secretary | Environment and Natural Resource (ENR) Scholars Leadership Council Member| CFAES Peer Mentor | Animal Welfare Judging Team | OSU Co-Ed Field Hockey Club Member | Church Choir