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Taia Baxtei vision Statement Septembei S, 2u1S

Ny ieseaich focuses the genetics unueilying canine behavioi oi, moie


plainly, how genetics can explain why bieeus act consistently uiffeient. I have founu
that the accessibility of my ieseaich topic makes my pioject a unique anu
inteiesting entiy point foi uiffeient people to leain about eithei genetics oi canine
behavioial pioblems oi both. It is ueciueuly the best element of my woik that I can
talk about it with viitually anyone anu holu his oi hei inteiest anu make a peisonal
connection. Nost people have a ielationship in some way oi anothei with a uog, be it
fiom a fiienu's pet, a chiluhoou pet, oi a uog they piesently own anu because of
these connections, eveiyone is inteiesteu in contiibuting anu leaining about uogs
anu behavioi alongsiue me.
This inteiconnecteuness in my ieseaich gieatly suppoits my caieei goals as
an euucatoi. I am euucating at some level any time I speak about my woik to
anyone. I woulu like to continue this tienu into my ultimate caieei, but with a moie
foimal focus. Iueally, I woulu like to be a piofessoi of genetics at a libeial aits
college oi a small non-ieseaich focuses 0niveisity. I believe that some ieseaicheis
can be excellent euucatois, but not all will be anu I woulu like to woik in an
enviionment wheie the piinciple focus of the piofessois is on excellent teaching.
The best possible caieei fit foi me, given my backgiounu in animal science,
my inteiest in laige animal mouels, anu my woik histoiy woulu be with a position in
an animal sciences uepaitment. I woulu like to woik with a mix of stuuents in
uiffeient topics in animal genetics, ianging fiom an entiy-level suivey couise to
moie auvanceu topics in genetics. Also, contiaiy to many faculty membeis, I have a
gieat inteiest in teaching couises foi non-majois because I feel it piesents
inteiesting challenges anu iequiies that a teachei consiuei theii own subject fiom a
vaiiety of uiffeient angles.
I believe that a basic genetics euucation can be obtaineu thiough non-
tiauitional foimats anu my teaching philosophy woulu focus laigely on piojects,
gioup woik, anu shoit essays ovei a lectuie-exam baseu foimat. I finu offeiing
stuuents avenues to play with a subject like science gives them moie incentive to be
engageu in leaining about the topic.
Taia Baxtei vision Statement Septembei S, 2u1S

Taking all of these things into consiueiation, in five yeais I hope to be in just
such a position as I uesciibeu above. I seek to be a piofessoi at a college oi small
univeisity focusing on teaching couises on basic genetics oi animal sciences. I woulu
also be inteiesteu in having some kinu of an auvisoiy capacity, as auvisois aie a
ciitical pait of stuuent life anu uncoveiing new anu inteiesting oppoitunities. I
anticipate that this caieei path will also affoiu me the ability to balance my woik
anu peisonal life, as having a family anu uevoting time to them is of equal
impoitance to me with my caieei.
I also hope to use some of my fiee time to euucate people in non-foimal
foimats. Be this thiough commeicial style puisuits, such as canine behavioial BNA
testing, oi mouein social netwoiking puisuits such as canine behavioi blogging, I
hope to use the infoimation I obtain as a ieseaichei to euucate the woilu on the
nuances of uog behavioi. Bogs aie an integial pait of oui lives anu they impact us
moie than any othei animal. As we move fuithei into the inteinet age, people aie
moie connecteu than evei anu it is easiei to uisseminate infoimation to a laige
numbei of people. I hope to take auvantage of this special time in human histoiy to
connect with as many people as possible to teach them the things I know, to leain
the things they have to shaie, anu to help spaik the cuiiosities of citizen scientists
anu futuie scientists eveiywheie.

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