Growing up in Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina, a suburb of Raleigh, Olivia Hoffman figured she’d end up being a veterinarian, caring for cats and dogs.
But as an animal science major at NC State University, Hoffman says exposure to the broader world of animal science and the research that supports agriculture and livestock is taking her in a different direction.
We caught up with the senior to talk about how undergraduate research and a wide range of courses from beef cattle management to animal exercise physiology have expanded her academic interests and career aspirations.
Why did you apply to NC State, and what led you to major in animal science?
It felt pretty natural to come here, considering I grew up only 30 minutes away from campus, and my original interest was to go to vet school, so animal science made sense as a major. Toward the end of my junior year, I started exploring some new options in terms of career paths, and my interest began to shift from veterinary medicine to animal science research. I joined a research program this past summer and that allowed me to explore other options in terms of animal science fields, especially with research and development for biotech companies and for what we have here at NC State and Extension.
What inspired you to participate in the Animal Science Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (ASSURE) program?
I had pretty much no research experience prior to this. The goal of the ASSURE program is to recruit students who have had limited access to research opportunities. So, it was a great opportunity for me to get my feet on the ground in terms of research. Previously, I just hadn’t had much exposure to livestock work and the like. A lot of that program focused on getting to meet with a mentor, which was one of the professors in the animal science department, come up with a project and work on that in their lab over the course of the summer, while also exploring career opportunities at the same time. We got to tour a few different facilities that were hiring animal science majors. And from there, I’ve been really fascinated with research, and I would like to continue searching for a possible career there.
What did your research project focus on?
My faculty advisor was Dr. Carrie Pickworth. I had taken a beef cattle management course with her the previous semester before the research projects started. So, I felt like I had already gotten to know her a little bit, and we decided to build on what I had learned in her course. I did a fecal matter research study on beef cattle, using that fecal matter to evaluate the presence of parasites in beef calves.
I feel like I learned a lot about scientific methods through that project. It really broadened my view of what animal science really encompasses — more than just the medical and surface-level direct applications — but also things like the microbiology of the gut microbiome of a cow or what kind of environment presents parasites and what can we do to prevent them. That’s a big thing in animal science, prevention, because sometimes we can’t treat everything. So that was probably my biggest fascination coming out of that.
How has your involvement with the Animal Science Club shaped your experience as an animal science major?
I have been involved with the Animal Science Club since my freshman year. It’s given me the opportunity to meet other animal science majors and learn more about the field of animal science, especially livestock.
I’ve helped at the club’s Milk Booth at the North Carolina State Fair. I’ve also participated in a club day focused on handling livestock, where I worked with a sheep to practice showmanship techniques and livestock handling. It’s super fun, and we have a fun little club competition.
What advice do you have for animal science majors starting their NC State journey this fall?
Well, I say try everything! When I came to NC State, I thought I was going to be a domestic animal vet. I thought I was going to be working specifically with cats and dogs. But as I participated in my courses more, as I got to go to labs and just experience being on a farm and learning how to handle these animals and care for them, I began to appreciate our farm animals and agriculture as an industry a lot more, just through experiencing it.
What comes next as you prepare to graduate in May?
I think all of my courses have especially allowed me to peer into different aspects of animal science, different focuses, and that has allowed me to narrow down my path. I think animal nutrition and research are very interesting, and maybe pathology as well. You can sort of take bits and pieces from the courses that you find super cool, and you can start to do some searching for careers. I’ve asked for plenty of advice from advisors and professors on what kinds of careers could be out there for me. And I am taking all of these pieces and putting them together to look at what companies I can do research for that are focused on the improvement of the agriculture industry for livestock.
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