A member of the Rutgers Honors College, Katie was the top Animal Science major in her class of more than 100 students, excelling in multiple areas of academics (GPA 4.0), research, and service. She completed a G. H. Cook Scholars thesis entitled "The influence of colostrum intake on boar testicular development" in Dr. Carol Bagnell's lab.
Katie showed her leadership skills as a Rutgers First-Year Interest Group Seminar (FIGS) peer instructor and SEBS Student Ambassador and Tour Guide. For hands-on experience outside of the lab, she took Small Ruminant Practicum and participated in a study abroad program in Belize assisting a veterinarian caring for a variety of farm animal species. She also worked at the Bergen County Zoo, and as a veterinary technician at a small-animal hospital.
Named Alpha Zeta Student of the Year in 2018 and 2019, Katherine Fafara stood out as a role model for her fellow undergraduates while at Rutgers. Now, taking a gap year before veterinary school (she has been accepted by two schools so far), Katie works full-time at a small-animal hospital to improve her technical skills. She plans to become a mixed-practice vet so she can treat both companion animals and farm/livestock animals.
Azrael Scarpelli (SEBS'25) had the honor of participating in the prestigious Kentucky Equine Management Internship (KEMI). KEMI is a six-month program dedicated to improving the opportunities for college students wishing to pursue a career in the field of equine management.
The announcement in 2022 that Matthew Edson, Rutgers animal sciences graduate, would be the Founding Dean of the Rowan University School of Veterinary Medicine delighted his former Rutgers professors.
