{"id":157328,"date":"2024-06-26T14:27:29","date_gmt":"2024-06-26T18:27:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.indianatech.edu\/?post_type=stories&p=157328"},"modified":"2024-06-26T17:01:22","modified_gmt":"2024-06-26T21:01:22","slug":"wild-ambition","status":"publish","type":"stories","link":"https:\/\/www.indianatech.edu\/stories\/wild-ambition\/","title":{"rendered":"Wild Ambition"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Karlee<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

From the time she was a first-grader, Karlee Barnhill has wanted to be a veterinarian. She remembers distinctly dressing up as a vet and creating a poster about her dream job for her elementary school\u2019s career day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since then, the Indiana Tech senior from Jonesville, Michigan, has answered  that calling by working with animals\u2014primarily her family\u2019s horses (as a barrel racer and with her mom, who was a farrier). She grew up in 4-H, showing livestock, and was a member of Future Farmers of America. Over the last two years, she has worked in the Fort Wayne area for a veterinary hospital and an equine clinic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Barnhill\u2019s love for animals is so strong she \u201ccelebrated\u201d her 21st birthday helping deliver<\/p>\n\n\n\n

around-the-clock intensive care to a Belgian foal that was born in distress just hours earlier. The foal survived, thanks in large part to her unwavering dedication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ultimately, Barnhill\u2019s passion led her to Indiana Tech to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Biology and prepare for veterinary school (more about that, later).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFrom a time before I could even walk, when I used to help my mom shoe horses, I\u2019ve been immersed in caring for animals and understanding the special bond we share with them,\u201d Barnhill said. \u201cThrough my experiences, I\u2019ve come to understand the profound impact that they have on our lives and the responsibility we hold to ensure their well-being. This is what drives my passion for animal welfare and advocacy, and why I have never wavered on becoming a veterinarian.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, when Barnhill got the opportunity to spearhead a project at the Fort Wayne Children\u2019s Zoo that could affect the comfort, health and well-being of animals, she leapt at the chance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Barnhill\u2019s project\u2014her senior project\u2014deals with bioacoustics: the study of the production, transmission and reception of animal sounds,  which is used to provide scientists and researchers with insight into species diversity, habitat health and wildlife behavior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this case, Barnhill has been studying the calls of the zoo\u2019s two pair-bonded scarlet-faced liocichlas (Jeruk is the male, Kirmizi is the female). These birds (along with 53 others totaling 17 different species) call the zoo\u2019s 8,000-square-foot, rainforest-inspired Asian Trek domed habitat their home. Her sound data was captured by the zoo\u2019s specialized<\/p>\n\n\n\n

bioacoustics recording equipment installed within the habitat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The scarlet-faced liocichla is a stunningly beautiful, medium-sized bird whose natural habitat is roughly 9,000 miles away in the dense hill forests, jungles and swamps of Thailand and Myanmar. Described  as \u201cfurtive and shy,\u201d according to birdsoftheworld. org, and commonly found \u201csingly, in pairs or in  small groups of four to five individuals,\u201d the scarlet-faced liocichla is common to its native region. Its  calls are distinct, which is one reason it was chosen for this study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last fall, Barnhill began poring over sound data to identify how the birds\u2019 vocalizations differ in response to the various stimuli they encounter within the habitat. Those stimuli include things like food availability, interactions with other species, noise outside of the domed habitat, the presence of humans when the zoo is open and mating season. Her work culminated with a presentation of her findings and recommendations to Fort Wayne Children\u2019s Zoo leadership in April.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI identified distinct patterns that indicated different emotional states, particularly distinguishing between what appeared to be anger and happiness in the birds. When the scarlet-faced liocichlas exhibited what I interpreted as angry calls, there was often increased agitation and aggression within the dome. On the other hand, when they emitted calls that associate with happiness, I observed more relaxed behaviors and positive social interactions within the dome,\u201d Barnhill said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She concluded that implementing enriched soundscapes that promote positive emotional states will improve the overall welfare of these and, perhaps, other birds in the habitat. She also recommended that the zoo continue to collect and assess data throughout the 2024 season to gain a more comprehensive understanding of how the presence of zoo visitors affects the emotional states of its scarlet-faced liocichlas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOngoing observation and analysis will provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of any interventions that are implemented. It will also enable the zoo to make informed decisions regarding future management strategies for these birds,\u201d Barnhill said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because of her experiences growing up, Barnhill is privy to the cues of a horse or other species of hoofstock in discomfort or experiencing discontent. Identifying those cues from a bird? That\u2019s been more of a challenge that has taught valuable lessons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis project has reminded me that just because you think everything is going fine for an animal, you can be very wrong. You cannot rely on appearances and assumptions alone,\u201d Barnhill said. \u201cAnimals cannot speak to us, so we need to make use of the tools that are available to us to dig deeper and make sure they are happy and that their needs are being met.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Barnhill\u2019s senior project is part of an 18-credit hour final semester in the homestretch of her college career. And, as mentioned earlier, she has been trying to get into vet<\/p>\n\n\n\n

school. Needless to say, she does not have time to dally. But, determination is something Barnhill has never lacked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGrowing up, it was almost impossible to think I could do this. I\u2019m a first-generation college student with six siblings, and there just wasn\u2019t a big push for me to go to college,\u201d Barnhill said. \u201cMy parents didn\u2019t really know how to support my desire to become a vet, so I\u2019ve had to figure out a lot of things on my own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t have negative feelings toward my parents but at the same time, I want to be the first person in my family who is able to put Dr. in front of their name,\u201d she added. \u201cThat has been a big encouragement to me\u2014changing up some of those generational patterns in my family.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On March 25, becoming a doctor came closer to reality for Barnhill. On that day, she received an acceptance letter from Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, which is based in St. Kitts and Nevis, West Indies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTo be honest, I still don\u2019t know how to react to the news,\u201d Barnhill said about her acceptance into Ross. \u201cThere are only 32 vet schools in the country with 100 seats each, and interest in animal medicine is growing. Just getting an interview in such a competitive environment was amazing to me. To be accepted? Well, I am just over the moon!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Barnhill is still awaiting decisions from two other schools; those should come in April. At that time,  she will decide where to pursue her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Karlee\u2019s mentor at Indiana Tech, professor of biology Dr. Julie Good, knows Karlee is ready for the next step  in her educational journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cKarlee has approached her academic experience here at Tech with a disciplined focus, tackling challenging coursework head-on to become best prepared for the rigor of veterinary education,\u201d Dr. Good said. \u201cShe has a love and respect for animals that was instilled in her early in her life and has an exceptional determination. I have no doubt that Karlee will make an outstanding veterinarian.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s important for everyone to know that even if you don\u2019t come from a certain background, you can still become what you want to be if you put your mind to it and work for it,\u201d Barnhill said. \u201cMost of my life, I\u2019ve thought, \u2018I can\u2019t be a doctor. No one in my family is a doctor.\u2019 And now I\u2019m more than halfway there and getting a step closer every day. It\u2019s amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For her senior project, Barnhill analyzed  the acoustic data from these birds to assess the welfare of these and other birds living inside the zoo\u2019s rainforest-inspired Asian Trek domed habitat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Want to see\u00a0 something sweet? Watch Karlee share her veterinarian school acceptance letter<\/a> with her fianc\u00e9, Landon.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":157329,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"class_list":["post-157328","stories","type-stories","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWild Ambition - Indiana Tech<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.indianatech.edu\/stories\/wild-ambition\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.indianatech.edu\/stories\/wild-ambition\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.indianatech.edu\/stories\/wild-ambition\/\",\"name\":\"Wild Ambition - 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