Since he has stepped foot on campus Cameron McCurdy has been 100% committed to leaving the Department of Animal Sciences, the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences and The Ohio State University better than he found it.
Cameron would likely give credit to his mentors, first, especially Dr. Michael Cressman and Dr. Kichoon Lee. He paid forward their support by becoming a mentor as part of the Animal Sciences Community Alliance (ASCA). Each year, he supported a different group of students new to ANSCI, meeting weekly to offer advice. He found many of the students asked the same questions he had when he first started. He also planned events such as the Back 2 School Bash and Winter Mixer and led tours for interested high school students. Cameron has made an effort to support his peers where they most need it, implementing monthly events to raise awareness of mental health resources on campus and other activities to encourage people to de-stress.
As the Education and Outreach Chair for the ASCA, he coordinated a bi-weekly after-school science club at Cristo Rey High School in Columbus. He worked with the teacher and made sure other ASCA members knew the schedule. Lots of preparation meant the activities were fun and informative. They selected topics they were passionate about, hoping the information might help the high school students choose their own career paths.
As the education and outreach chair of the Poultry Science Club, Cameron ran FFA poultry judging contests at five local high schools and the state finals, which were held on Ohio State’s campus. He coordinated the events with high school FFA advisors, high school administrators, and volunteers. During his senior year, he was elected president of the club. Cameron spent the summer creating a binder with descriptions for each executive position to help with the annual transition to the new slate of officers. He also runs the general meetings and executive sessions and assists board members with their responsibilities.
Cameron worked at the Ohio State Poultry Barn all four years as an undergraduate. During his senior year, he became the barn manager and lived there, working seven days per week. He believes he learned three important lessons: take pride in your work, treat everyone with respect, and be accountable for your actions.
As part of Dr. Kichoon Lee’s research lab, he collected data that revealed significant differences in eggshell characteristics between MSTN knockout quail and not gene-edited wild type quail. He is co-first author of a manuscript published in a peer-reviewed academic journal. Cameron also helped with several other research projects and worked in the laboratory, performing DNA extraction, PCR, gel electrophoresis, DNA quantification, and western blot.
Cameron spent two summers working at the Animal General Hospital of Cranberry in Cranberry Twp., Pennsylvania. He assisted in surgery, drew blood, placed IV catheters, filled prescriptions, took X-rays, and observed the doctor during appointments to learn how to interact with clients. Cameron plans to attend veterinary school to become a veterinarian following graduation.