Katelyn Newcamp

Katelyn Newcamp is a senior at Millersville University. She is pursuing a major in biology and a minor in chemistry. Katelyn designed her white-tailed deer study after reading about chronic wasting disease, a neurologic disease that is killing deer across the country. Because of the numerous deer farmers in Lancaster County, she wanted to design a study that analyzed disease transmission between captive and wild deer. Katelyn decided to use internal parasites as a model for the fecal oral route of disease transmission, a proposed mechanism in which CWD is spread. She decided to analyze the parasites present in fecal samples during the breeding season of captive and wild white-tailed deer when interactions between the two populations are highest. Through this study, she has been able to help deer farmers and veterinarians in addressing what parasites are present. She has also shown that there is a positive correlation between the number of parasites in both the captive and wild deer in each area. This suggests that the deer are interacting closely enough to transmit disease, answering her research question. This project has provided Katelyn with the opportunity to use the scientific method to improve animal health and has given her valuable hands on experience. After graduating from Millersville University this spring, Katelyn will be attending the University Of Pennsylvania College Of Veterinary Medicine in order to become a large and small animal veterinarian.