“We collaborate with sponsors to develop new devices and treatments for orthopedic trauma patients, or we explore new mechanisms of how bacteria infect surgical sites,” Miller said. “For example, we look at what kinds of biofilms and bacterial communities come up during a hip joint replacement surgery that cause infection, and then how it could be detected and possibly treated.” 

Miller began as a volunteer research assistant. After graduating from UD, she worked as a part-time employed research assistant before becoming a full-time animal care and operating room coordinator at CORL. With this hands-on experience under her belt, Miller applied to veterinary school at Midwestern University, where she began her veterinary education this month.

Miller is far from the sole Blue Hen with experience at the University of Pennsylvania laboratory. More than 150 UD students have gone through CORL, with 99% becoming veterinarians. 

As of spring 2025, UD has 19 pre-veterinary medicine majors working at CORL. Delaney Oeth, a UD Class of 2025 pre-veterinary medicine major, began at CORL in spring 2022 and now works as a research assistant. 

“The main research here is what’s called translational research, where animal models are the main focus to advance both human and animal medical technology,” Oeth said. “The primary focus is on orthopedic technology. I am always so impressed with our ability to directly impact so many facets of human and animal health.”

Carly Grzeskiewicz, another UD Class of 2025 pre-veterinary medicine major, has worked with CORL since 2023. She also worked her way up to research assistant.

“Our job is to help with maintenance, inventory, feeding animals every day and checking all our barns on campus,” Grzeskiewicz said. “But there is also a more clinical side of things, where we help the veterinary surgery fellows with things like placing catheters, preparing for surgery, sometimes we even get to scrub into surgeries. We get to participate in a little bit of everything.” 

Grzeskiewicz became involved with CORL after working on the UD Newark Farm with larger animals, which ignited her interest in large animal medicine. 

“I needed research experience for veterinary school applications, but it was also really appealing to me because there were a lot of large animal opportunities,” she said. “I’ve learned everything I know about handling horses at CORL, which anyone who works with horses would probably tell you is more of an art form than anything. You need to kind of get a feel for it. So that is a valuable experience for me.” 

In addition to horses, they also work with many other animals — exposing students to both small and large animal husbandry, surgery and research.

“I quickly learned how to handle sheep, goats, pigs, horses and rabbits, and do my job with ease, which I’m so proud of,” Oeth said. “I came into the job really with just clinical experience with cats and dogs, so I had much to learn quickly. I am now truly confident in my clinical skills.” 

Some of the clinical skills that Oeth picked up during her time at CORL include placing IV catheters, preparing sterile surgical fields, scrubbing into surgeries, administering injections, basic animal handling and husbandry for a variety of animals.

“That’s what is special about CORL,” Miller said. “Not only do you get your research experience, you get veterinary experience with so many different animals.”

Veterinary school acceptance is notoriously difficult. But UD’s emphasis on hands-on animal experience is one of many reasons why Blue Hens are accepted into veterinary schools at more than twice the national average. 

“A lot of people going into veterinary school either have only small animal or only large animal experience — not both,” Miller added. “When I did one of my veterinary school interviews, they were impressed with how many different types of animals I had contact with.” 

UD and CORL’s collaboration extends beyond simply giving students research assistantships, they also work together through the UD Center for Biotechnology and Brain Imaging. 

“We bring our goats and pigs to use [UD’s] MRI scanner right off Academy Street [in Newark], which allows us to collect high-quality, important imaging data that’s useful for our study,” Grzeskiewicz said. “It’s a short commute, so it’s pretty easy for animals. We’re able to get the animals in and out of there, and they’re back in their stalls, happy and eating like they were the morning before.” 

More experienced interns at CORL help train the newer assistants, ensuring an informative experience and enhancing learning. In addition, Schaer mentors all students in the lab on their journey toward applying to veterinary school. 

“When I first started, I wasn’t allowed to assist in all these clinical procedures and scrub into the surgeries right away,” Grzeskiewicz said. “But it’s just cool how the older students teach the younger students, and you see them taking on more tasks, and the cycle continues for generations of students.” 

Through these assistantships, students’ class and lab work are enhanced with hands-on research in a biomedical facility working with veterinarians. 

“[CORL] showed me all the things I can do with a degree in veterinary medicine, which just kind of enticed me to pursue it more,” Grzeskiewicz said. “Not only does it apply to the health of animals, it applies to the health of humans and the health of our environment.”