I am a recent graduate from Ball State University with a Bachelor of Science in Zoology, Ecology, and Biochemistry. I live in an apartment with my new friend, Sam, along with my 5 ft female ball python that I've had for 7.5 years, Melardhoniel, and my fairly newly acquired 3 ft ball python. I am technically a TA at the University of Northern Colorado, even though I'm not teaching, but I am in charge of maintaining and preparing specimens for the Biology Museum. I will be helping to care for the variety of living venomous reptiles we use for venom research. I will get a chance to do my own snake venom research (a goal I've had since 10th grade) under Dr. Stephen Mackessy while I work on getting my Master's. My time is typically spent on school, hanging out with friends, and playing X-Box and computer games. I am somewhat nice and fairly smart, but don't have any talents or abilities to speak of (can't play any instrument, can't speak any other language, have never been a part of any organization except Boy Scouts and Fencing Club).
I am, however, relatively knowledgeable and experienced with computers and reptiles. I yearn to become a herpetologist and work with snake venom because I believe that it can do much to benefit the medical field in the future. I would like to figure out how the environment (namely diet) affects venom composition in an effort to explain how snakes within a population can vary so much with respect to their venom and how that venom composition can change over time. Discovering this would enable us to understand how to control venom in a laboratory setting in order to more efficiently "farm" snake venom for use in medicine or more effective antivenoms. Drelandru is my gamer alias, if you were wondering (I'm not that good or famous at all, so don't worry). Steve Irwin is my hero and role model, I would not be where I am today if it wasn't for him.
