I am a full-time employee for the USDA, specifically the Center for Veterinary Biologics (CVB), and a part-time master’s student at ISU. My work primarily involves testing of veterinary products for potency, effectiveness, and safety prior to their release on the market. I am located at the National Centers for Animal Health (NCAH) in north Ames, where I routinely perform laboratory testing as well as animal work, notably a large amount of NIH potency testing for rabies vaccines. I was recently deployed to the field as part of the USDA’s emergency response to HPAI (highly pathogenic avian influenza) and have since fostered an interest in poultry disease, where I have chosen to focus my studies. My project is still being determined at this time.