Learn Why One UD Degree Wasn't Enough for Shane Cronin

“As an undergraduate, I came to the University of Delaware to prepare for veterinary school. I knew the pre-vet program at UD had great faculty and a high veterinary school acceptance rate.

When I started, I didn’t intend to get a Ph.D. at UD — my dad got his Ph.D. in chemistry here and my brother got his Ph.D. in computer engineering here as well, so I wanted to be different. But the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources drew me into its research community with multiple opportunities to work in research projects across the college. In this work, I gained versatile research skills, and I made friendships that continue today.

My undergraduate research advisor, Dr. Tanya Gressley, was one of the main factors in my staying at UD to pursue a Ph.D. in animal and food sciences. I really enjoyed working in her laboratory, and her teaching style was both inviting and supportive. 

As a graduate student, I’ve also benefited from the opportunity to work in Worrilow Hall where collaborative research across disciplines is actively encouraged through state-of-the-art facilities, and Dr. Gressley has been a phenomenal advisor in my work on ruminant hindgut acidosis. Getting a Ph.D. is all about proving you can apply your mind to a problem and solve it, and my research at UD has developed that mindset for me.”

- Shane Cronin