Jeramie Strickland

Wildlife Biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Ethnicity: African American

MS PHD'S Cohort(s):
Dream Team 2011-2012
Dream Team 2012-2013
2007-2008 (Cohort 5)

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Jeramie Strickland is committed to the pursuit of higher education, particularly coming from a background where oftentimes these educational goals were not encouraged. Jeramie grew up in one of Chicago's disadvantaged areas, where the negative influences of gang violence and drug trafficking proliferated the streets. He, however, was determined not to become yet another statistic, and with the guidance and support of his family and involvement in the community and church, Jeramie remained focused on his educational and professional pursuits.

Currently, Jeramie is a Wildlife Biologist with the Department of Interior's U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge. The mission of the USFWS is working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people.  Jeramie was recently appointed to Region III's Diversity Recruitment Team, which covers five states (IA, IL, WI, MN, IN) in the Midwestern region; and FWS Area #1 Mentoring Development Program. Jeramie has been collaborating with FWS staff in the Division of Education and Outreach at the National Conservation Training Center to develop and implement mentoring programs that includes audiences of different cultural backgrounds.  As a final product, the FWS will develop an on-line training course for Department of Interior staff.  He recently returned from the National Wildlife Refuge conference in Madison, Wisconsin, where the focus was hiring diverse staff for the next generation and developing conservation priorities for the future. Jeramie was able to make key contacts with diverse FWS leaders and the Department of Interior's national office located in Washington, D.C.  These inspirational leaders have expressed an interest and commitment to assist in future efforts to bring more diversity into the FWS and the Refuge System, which contains more than 550 Refuges in the U.S.A.  During the FWS conference, Jeramie participated in several workshops focused on ways to reach, recruit, and retain more students from diverse backgrounds and disciplines. He will work tirelessly to bring the FWS into either Phase 1, 2, or 3 of the MSPHD'S program for the 2011-2013 cohorts.

Jeramie was part of the MSPHD'S 2008 cohort, which was a turning point in his personal, professional, and academic career. He was able to build connections and form networks that have lifelong benefits. His MSPHD'S mentors and family, which today remain influential in his journey to success, helped inspire him to remain focused. More importantly, his confidence was restored as result of participating in the MSPHD'S Program and professional development activities.  He was encouraged to lead by example and to continue to follow his dream of becoming an Animal Scientist, Wildlife Biologist, certified Ecologist, and Natural Resource Conservationist.  Jeramie served as a Dream Team Member, mentor, logistics, technical, and event specialist for Phase 1 of the 2011-2012 cohort.

Jeramie's exposure to the study of agriculture, animal and environmental sciences, and ecology began at the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences.  His exposure to agriculture motivated him to continue his education at Delaware State University (DSU).  Upon enrolling in DSU in 2000, he became a Forage Laboratory Research Intern in the Agricultural Department studying forage digestibility, moisture contents, and rumen samples in beef cattle.  In his first two years, he performed water quality tests measuring pH levels and dissolved oxygen content with the Aquaculture Department at DSU.  Jeramie also performed quantitative experimental work analyzing ecological changes in pond water after applying varying types of fertilizers.  During the summer between his sophomore and junior years, he interned with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) as a Natural Resource Conservation Technician.

In the early summer of 2003, Jeramie participated in a study abroad research program in Namibia, located on the continent of Africa.  He assisted Dr. John Graham and Dr. Gustov Ofosu in establishing an educational partnership between the University of Namibia and DSU.  He also conducted a study entitled, "An Assessment of Namibia's Agricultural Economy and its Impact on Marginalized Farming".  Upon his return to the U.S., he worked with Dr. John Patterson in the Animal Science Department at Purdue University as a Summer Research Scholar studying the effect of stress hormones on the growth of gastrointestinal bacteria.

In May 2004, Jeramie earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Animal and Poultry Science from DSU. Following graduation, he returned to Namibia to perform fieldwork for a study entitled, "The Importance of Conservation and Biodiversity for the Development of Namibia".  That summer of 2004, he participated in The Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Summer Research Opportunity Program (McNair/SROP) at Michigan State University (MSU). Jeramie worked with Dr. Adroaldo Zanella and the Animal Behavior and Welfare Group (ABWG) orchestrating a study entitled," Lameness in Dairy Cows: A Pilot Study on Behavioral Indicators Observed During Milking". During the 2004 fall semester, he was hired by MSU's ABWG as a Laboratory Research Assistant.  While working with the ABWG, he was able to assist a Ph.D. candidate with the methodology of an experiment entitled," Pain Assessment in Dairy Cows".  Jeramie helped analyze physiological, molecular, and behavioral indicators of lameness in dairy cows.  He also conducted an experiment examining cytokines in lame and sound cows, and measured oxytocin in canine plasma samples.

From 2004-2006, Jeramie was the Student Coordinator for the Strategies for Ecology Education, Development, and Sustainability (SEEDS) program of the Ecological Society of America (ESA). His interest in ecology goes beyond the science; he is also committed to spreading the word about science to encourage students to view the field as a viable career option with the goal of attracting talented students to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields and professions.  Jeramie has been pursuing candidates through an EnvironMentors program and his recent position at ESA.  To date, Jeramie is still actively involved with ESA and SEEDS by serving on advisory boards and several program committees.  Currently, Jeramie is working with FWS, ESA, SEEDS, and MSPHD'S to create a formal partnership that provides opportunities for underrepresented students to develop the professional skills and strategies needed to achieve their academic and career goals.  This partnership will be highlighted during a symposium entitled "Increasing Representation of Minorities in Ecology: What Works?" at the 2012 ESA Annual Meeting.  Jeramie will be giving a talk entitled "Planting a TREE for Underrepresented Students: Immersion at a USFWS Site."

From 2006-2008, Jeramie was a Research Assistant studying predator-prey and population dynamics of painted turtles in the Janzen Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Lab at Iowa State University (ISU). Jeramie also served as a Diversity Program Coordinator for the George Washington Carver Diversity Internship Program at ISU. Jeramie recently earned his Master of Science degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from ISU in December 2008.  He was/is also involved with numerous campus organizations which include the Ecology and Evolutionary Graduate Student Organization; Graduate Research in Evolutionary Biology and Ecology Club; the Black Graduate Student Organization; the Minorities in Agriculture Natural Resources and Related Science; the Turtle Camp Research and Education in Ecology Program; and ISU's Strategies for Ecology, Education, Development and Sustainability Campus Chapter.  Our ISU SEEDS Chapter received a Chapter of the Year Award in 2009.  Several years of undergraduate and graduate coursework, internships, research and employment experiences, have helped define his varied interests in the field of ecology and science education, including, ecosystem management, conservation and population biology, and wildlife management.

In 2007, Jeramie along with other colleagues at ISU received an ESA SEEDS Special Project grant for ISU's Turtle Camp Research and Education in Ecology (TREE) Program for Undergraduate and High School Research Assistants from urban areas.  This intensive two-week research and education program provides high school and undergraduate students with an opportunity to conduct ecological research on organisms in their natural environments, learn key ecological concepts, discuss their work with the public and the scientific community, and participate in multilevel reciprocal mentoring.  Participants converged at a field site (Turtle Camp) located in northwest Illinois on the FWS Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge and the Army Corps of Engineers Thomson Causeway Recreation Area during the summers of 2007-2011.  Over the last five years, the TREE program has proven to be an effective program to expose urban and underrepresented youth to the field biology and environmental science. Anonymous surveys from high school participants has shown that TREE has provided an excellent environment for advancing interest in, and knowledge of, science and for influencing career plans of the participants.  Several high school alums have gone on to pursue science-related degrees at local universities, and biology-related internships.

Jeramie plans to continue to work closely with colleagues, mentors, students, and researchers which will allow him to further engage in interdisciplinary training, outreach, and teaching. He believes that this collaboration will continue to shape his career goals in science education and create opportunities for him internationally; in which he has developed a strong interest following his experiences studying abroad in Africa, Puerto Rico, and Costa Rica.

Jeramie strives to use his knowledge, experience and insight gained from his MSPHD'S family, in his everyday life.  In the near future, he plans to pursue his doctoral degree in Wildlife Biology.  In addition, he will continue to promote environmental education and opportunities to attract more minority students to become active in fundamental research, environmental conservation, education, and management. The fields of science, biology, and ecology need more talent!  Jeramie is passionate about developing more programs and partnering with existing programs to increase diversity in STEM fields through mentoring and professional development opportunities such as workshops, annual meetings, research partnerships, collaborations, and internships.  Jeramie will continue to be a proactive member in closing this diversity gap and in his efforts to attract and retain diversity to the STEM fields.

More About Jeramie

Former Institutional Affiliation(s):
Masters Institution: Iowa State University, Ames, IA


» 2012 Dec, AGU Fall Meeting, "The Importance of MS PHD'S and SEEDS Mentoring and Professional Development Programs in the Retention of Underrepresented Minorities in STEM Fields"

» Planting a TREE: Exposing high school students to ecological research with reptiles

» A Generalized Method to Determine Detectability of Rare and Cryptic Species Using the Ornate Box Turtle as a Model

» Impacts of Anthropogenic Structures on Predation of Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta) Nests



Last Updated: 4/22/2013
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