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<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nRegarding WCSU\u2019S revived Master of Science degree in Integrative Biological Diversity, O\u2019Leary is excited about the required stewardship project that students must complete towards graduation. \u201cI believe those who are \u2018naturalists\u2019 have a job in society that is critical to all life,\u201d she said. O\u2019Leary aims to give her students a strong start in curiosity about, and interest in, the natural world that will serve them well as they grow into adults who care for our planet and its resources\u2014and possibly work in the biological sciences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
O\u2019Leary received a bachelor\u2019s degree in sociology from the University of Colorado, where, as an undergraduate working in the University of Colorado library, she became fascinated with Alaska topographic maps. After graduation, this interest led O\u2019Leary and her partner to \u201cdrive to the end of the road in Homer, Alaska.\u201d That road trip started several years\u2019 labor in the Alaska fisheries industry in the coastal towns of Homer, Moose Pass, and Seward. \u201cOn the docks and the boats,\u201d O\u2019Leary said, \u201cI met many people who respect and depend on these fish and work to ensure the species\u2019 conservation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
O\u2019Leary then worked in social services, eventually moving to Dutchess County, NY, where she also worked as a farm caretaker and manager of an alpaca farm. \u201cI began to burn out after working in human services and started taking a general bio course at WCSU with Dr. Bronstein,\u201d O\u2019Leary recalled. \u201cAlthough the course load was tough with a full-time job, two young children, and the farm, it was exactly what I wanted.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Under the guidance of Professor of Biological and Environmental Sciences Dr. Mitch Wagener, Professor of Biological and Environmental Sciences Dr. Theodora Pinou, and Professor Dr. C. Thomas Philbrick, O\u2019Leary conducted research sponsored by the Connecticut Department of Transportation to quantify and characterize changes in habitat quality of endangered Northern Slimy Salamanders along the U.S. Route 7 bypass in Brookfield. \u201cWithout Dora, I would not have gotten my project opportunity,\u201d O\u2019Leary said. \u201cWithout Mitch, I would not have known what to do, and Dr. Philbrick taught me how to write.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Northern Slimy Salamander gets its name from a sticky secretion the animal exudes as a defense against predators. The subspecies is at its northernmost range in Connecticut, with only a few populations in western Fairfield and Litchfield Counties and is listed as a threatened species in Connecticut. O\u2019Leary\u2019s project examined changes to soil invertebrates\u2014worms\u2014resulting from the widening of Route 7. \u201cChanges in the soil meant that the invertebrate population, an important food source for the salamander, moved and declined. The stress of moving into new territory could further endanger the salamander,\u201d O\u2019Leary explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Today, O\u2019Leary teaches her own students to study the small, vital lives under their feet and to learn the web of connections on which life depends. \u201cIt\u2019s active fun and it gives them a different perspective\u2014a healthier way of interacting with the world, and in turn they learn ways to keep the world healthy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
O\u2019Leary emphasized the benefits of attending WCSU\u2019s program, especially for adults who must work for a living and to support families. \u201cIt was perfect for me. I was supported and given research opportunities, work study, and financial help from stipends. WCSU offers plenty of opportunities for field research. It\u2019s hard, and you have to put yourself out there to get it. But if you are self-motivated, have a strong work ethic, and are passionate about your interest, you\u2019ll get an excellent education and experience at WCSU.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
WCSU graduate program in Biology alumna Molly O\u2019Leary \u201814 believes that the university\u2019s new Master of Science degree in Integrative Biological Diversity is important for developing a sustainable planet. Teaching at the Wooster School in Danbury since graduating, O\u2019Leary observes …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":270,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-497","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wcsu.edu\/biology-msbiodiversity\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/497","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wcsu.edu\/biology-msbiodiversity\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wcsu.edu\/biology-msbiodiversity\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wcsu.edu\/biology-msbiodiversity\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/270"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wcsu.edu\/biology-msbiodiversity\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=497"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.wcsu.edu\/biology-msbiodiversity\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/497\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wcsu.edu\/biology-msbiodiversity\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=497"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}