Winzeler Takes on Challenge in Career Shift

Story by Megan Winzeler

December 2, 2019

Alumni: Megan Winzeler

Degree: BS Wildlife Science

Graduation: 2013

Business Title: Outreach Project Coordinator II

Business: University of Georgia Savannah River Ecology Lab

While an undergraduate in FNR at Purdue, I was involved in Dr. Rod Williams’ lab working on a research project and multiple outreach projects centered around amphibians and reptiles. I had technician jobs while a FNR student that ranged from sea turtle technician to woodland salamander technician. After graduation, I packed up and moved to Aiken, South Carolina where the University of Georgia’s Savannah River Ecology Lab (UGA SREL) is located to start my Master’s on the effects on contaminants on amphibian populations. While at UGA SREL, I was able to expand on my knowledge of outreach and communication from Purdue and help communicate the results of my research to local communities. Once finishing my Master’s, I received a job with the USGS National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC) working with amphibian diseases. This job was a great experience learning about how national-scale surveillance studies are organized as well as the importance of wildlife veterinary medicine. NWHC was a great first experience in the work force but it was not a permanent position. I decided to make a career shift and work as an Outreach Project Coordinator back with UGA SREL. This has been a challenging shift but I am learning valuable skills to help communicate complicated science topics.

Alumni Stories Alumni Awards Research Areas

Graduate Opportunities Connect Give a Gift

Featured Stories

John Baugh stands in front of the Purdue Memorial Union.

Commitment to the community of agriculture

It was December in the Indiana Statehouse, and legislators rushed around, preparing to discuss...

A photo of a wildfire provided by Blake Stanton.

FNR Alumni Assist During Wildfire Season

Wildfire season can extend from five to more than seven months in length, occurring mostly in the...

Mary Beth Adams stands in front of a sign publicizing her visit to Nanjing Normal University in China.

Distinguished Alumna Adams Travels to China for Scientific Exchange Opportunity

Dr. Mary Beth Adams, a 2016 Purdue Distinguished Agricultural Alumni Award honoree and 2020...

Ashley Higdon and Dr. Barny Dunning birding; a white oak grove; a white-tailed deer

FNR's Most Read Stories of 2024

2024 was a productive year for Purdue Forestry and Natural Resources across the three land grant...

A collage of the 2024 FNR Alumni/Career Award Recipients. Top row (Left to right): Dr. John Kershaw, BJ Meadows, Dr. Jacob Goheen. Bottom row (L to R): Dr. Ken Kellner, Dr. Joe Robb, Dr. Zackary Delisle

FNR Announces 2024 Six Career Award Recipients

John A. Kershaw Jr. and Betty Jane “BJ” Meadows were selected as Lifetime Achievement...

2018 master's alumnus Daniel Bird sits at a computer; the cover art Bird created for the special Indigenous Wildlife Management in North America issue of The Journal of Wildlife Management

Master's Alum Daniel Bird Contributes to Indigenous Wildlife Management Journal Issue

Daniel Bird, who was raised on the Santo Domingo-Kewa Pueblo Reservation in New Mexico and is an...