There is no ‘right’ path to take to get to college, and this rings true
for West Virginia University Davis College of Agriculture and Natural
Resources senior Jay Rossell.
Rossell, a native of Charleroi, Pennsylvania, is a veteran who was deployed twice during the Iraq war. After serving, he got a job to support his family working in the labor trades while earning associate and bachelor's degrees in criminal justice.
Throughout all this, something that was a constant was his love for the outdoors. One day as he was spending time in nature, it became clear that his true passion was in wildlife. This led him to explore wildlife and forestry programs, and he enrolled in the Davis College's wildlife and fisheries resources major.
“I knew I wanted to be out in the woods, so I felt that studying wildlife and fisheries was the best option,” Rossell said. “Also, the Davis College has a small college feel with small class sizes which allowed for more personal relationships with the professors. The college stands out because of the personal touch, the research opportunities, amazing professors and study abroad opportunities.”
Rossell decided to study ornithology after taking wildlife and fisheries associate professor Christopher Lituma’s vertebrate natural history course and hearing about his passion for birds. Christopher Rota, program coordinator and associate professor of wildlife and fisheries resources, also had an influence on Rossell—the first time he did bird research and bird banding was with Rota.
Rossell explained that once you have a bird in your hand, you are just kind of hooked. Trying out bird research ended up turning into a passion and something Rossell wanted to continue learning about.
"I fell in love with birds,” Rossell said. “Dr. Rota has had a huge impact on my college experience. He was the one that really got me into bird banding and served as my mentor. One of my favorite memories from my time at WVU was my first time extracting a bird from a net and holding it.”
Rota explained that Rossell was an outstanding student both in the classroom and the field, excelling academically in all his classes, and proved to be an incredible mentor to many of his fellow students.
“Jay volunteered for two years with my field research projects,” Rota said. “He quickly learned bird banding skills, volunteered in my bird banding lab and became an incredible asset in the field. Moreover, just like in the classroom, he was an excellent mentor to students just learning to band birds and was always actively engaged with professors and students. I will miss having Jay in the class and in the field, I know he will find success in his future endeavors.”
After graduation, Rossell is staying at WVU to pursue a master’s in wildlife and fisheries resources. He will continue to work with Lituma while working on a thesis involving the Kentucky Warbler.
“I always had the goal of getting my master’s and it fell through the first time, so I thought it would never happen,” Rossell said. “Now, I have the chance to do it, and it feels like this is the right program to try and make a difference.”
When asked what he will miss most about the Davis College, Rossell said he would miss the students.
“Believe it or not, I will miss some of the students the most after I graduate,” Rossell said. “It is weird being the old guy in college, but some of these kids are great people and are going to do great things in life.”
A piece of advice Rossell would offer incoming students is to always go to class. He explained that he is not the best student because he is a genius—he is a good student because he went to class every day.
And because of how engaged he was in the program, Rossell was named an outstanding senior in the Davis College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
The Davis College of Agriculture and Natural Resources envisions a world sustainably fed, clothed and sheltered. To learn more about the Davis College, visit davis.wvu.edu. Keep up with the latest updates and news on Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube by following @WVUDavis.
-WVU-
sd/05/07/25
CONTACT: Sophia Darmelio
Marketing Strategist
WVU Division for Land-Grant Engagement
304-293-9490; swd0003@mail.wvu.edu