Alecia Larew Naugle
Biography:
A veterinary epidemiologist with the US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service in Washington, DC, Dr. Alecia Larew Naugle works primarily as a biostatistician in the Office of Public Health Science.
One of the things that make her most proud to be a WVU alumna is noticing little gold and blue reminders of the University in her daily life.
“I love to see WVU bumper stickers or window decals in cars driving around the metro DC area,” says Dr. Naugle, who is originally from Fellowsville, WV. “I’ve even been stopped on the subway and in grocery stores when I wear WVU sweatshirts! These encounters remind me of home.”
During her junior year in the animal and veterinary sciences program at WVU, Dr. Naugle was accepted into the College of Veterinary Medicine at The Ohio State University. She received her DVM in 1998 and practiced in a mixed animal veterinary clinic in Holmes County, OH, before returning to OSU to pursue a PhD in veterinary epidemiology.
Career:
Veterinary Epidemiologist
Degree:
BS, Animal and Veterinary Sciences, 1995
How did WVU help you reach your goals?
WVU provided an excellent foundation in the basic biological and agricultural sciences. The one-on-one interactions with the faculty in the Davis College of Agriculture, Forestry, and Consumer Sciences helped me to successfully apply to veterinary school. Finally, financial support of the Kidder Memorial Scholarship enabled me to partially finance veterinary school.
What advice would you give a future student?
Take classes in a variety of disciplines—having a broad knowledge base allows you to work in a variety of jobs in agriculture.
What was your favorite academic experience while at school?
One of my favorites was a course taught by Dr. Keith Inskeep. We had to read scientific manuscripts on a variety of topics that the students in the class identified, and then write reviews of these papers. I gained a better understanding of how to read and interpret the scientific literature, and my scientific writing skills noticeably improved during this course. These are skills that I use daily in my current position.
Why did you choose WVU?
Both of my parents attended WVU, and WVU offered me a very competitive scholarship package. I didn’t seriously consider any other university or college.
Who was your favorite professor and why?
Although many WVU faculty members were instrumental in my academic success, three definitely stick out in my mind: Dr. Paul Lewis, Dr. Robert Dailey, and Dr. Keith Inskeep. All three pushed me to excel, but with different approaches.
