Jessica Jagelski
Jessica Jagelski, BS’22, says her undergraduate field research will give her an edge as she works toward her future plans of attending medical school.
Q. Where are you from?
A. Rural Oregon, a small town called Ontario.
Q. What is the nature of this research?
A. We are studying the horsehair worm, which is a parasite to insects. Parasites are vital for understanding ecosystem health. A healthy ecosystem has many different organisms. Parasites, since they often have multiple hosts, are going to exist only in ecosystems that have those conditions. So, they are a good indicator for ecosystem health.
Q. Do you enjoy field research?
A. I love field work. I remember watching biologists on TV as a kid and then going out and collecting samples, saying, ‘That is going to be me one day.’ So here I am.
Q. Have Creighton faculty been helpful?
A. I find my professors to be unbelievably supportive. I've taken research to them for review, or even just papers I'm turning in for a grade, and they'll give me feedback.
Q. Do you feel Creighton is preparing you for your next step?
A. Absolutely. I am a pre-med student, and I recently took the MCAT. I discovered while studying for it that everything on the MCAT I had already seen in the classroom.
Q. Should other students specifically interested in research come to Creighton?
A. Oh, yes, absolutely. One thing I really like about Creighton's undergraduate program is the opportunity to do research. There are a ton of labs, and you can do whichever one interests you. I've had friends who are neuroscience majors do research projects in the history department. You have a wide range of topics to choose from.
