Aug. 7, 2024
Classrooms to Careers: Victoria Jackson says grant-funded research with Ferris State professors building science skills for career in veterinary medicine

Ferris State University student Victoria Jackson says her research work studying gas-phase chemical dynamics is building a scientific skillset she hopes will lead to a career in veterinary medicine.
Jackson, an Industrial Chemistry Technology major, is interning this summer with Luis Rivera, an associate professor of Physical Sciences.
Rivera is in the second year of a project using a grant from the National Science Foundation to study gas-phase chemical dynamics, which are reactions that occur in the gas phase, and the motions that underlie those reactions.
“I am working with online data dealing with the mass of argon molecules,” Jackson
said. “This does not involve laboratory ‘wet work.’ We send information on simulations
by code to a partner institution, who returns information on the movement of individual
atoms and the time it takes for chemical bonds to disassociate.”
Jackson is entering her senior year at Ferris State and would like to continue as a research assistant. Her goal is to study Veterinary Medicine at Michigan State University.
“Having a range of scientific experiences will help my prospects,” she said.
Rivera’s research presents a year-round opportunity for Ferris State students to collaborate with the scientific research community. This work can include keeping journals, contributing to publications, and attending national and international conferences.
Jackson has received 400 hours to assist in Rivera’s project this summer, with more
service time available during the academic year.
“This is so enjoyable and valuable for my intentions,” Jackson said. “Being on campus
and in Big Rapids has given me programming and coding experience. That was something
I had not expected but is an interesting change for me.”
Jackson’s leadership experiences also include being president of the Ferris State
Tennis Club, coaching tennis in after-school camps and being a facilitator for the
Structured Learning Assistance program in preparatory chemistry. She is also proud
of her work as an Honors Program student.
“I coordinated half a dozen volunteer projects through the program,” Jackson said.
“I also completed an honors project and poster with Professor Pasquale Di Raddo in
Spring 2023 on Azo molecules in tattoo ink and how they are potentially carcinogenic.”
With the number of veterinarians set to retire nationwide or pursue other fields,
the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a 20 percent growth in employment for
that profession. The demand works out to 5,000 veterinarians a year. The median salary
for a veterinarian is $119,100.