KARA FIKRIG

255Dunk Rock Road | Guilford, Connecticut 06437

Tel:(203) 738-9317 | Email: kmfikrig@gmail.com

Education

YALE SCHOOL OF PUBLICHEALTH                                                                                        NewHaven, CT

Master of Public Health(MPH)                                                                                                                      2016

·      Concentrationin Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases | Global Health

·      Oneof 20 students in select 5-year BA-BS/MPH program

YALE UNIVERSITY                                                                                                                         NewHaven, CT

Bachelor of Science (BS) inEcology and Evolutionary Biology                                                                  2015

·      GPA:3.85/4.0, Cum laude

·      Distinctionin the major

HorseExperience

I have been riding horsessince I was 8, when I began at a local stable where I learned dressage andjumping. I then moved with my family to the Netherlands, where I continued toride, largely in the form of trail riding. I went on several riding trips overthe summers that involved riding during the day and camping at night. Uponmoving back to the United States, I returned to dressage and jumping. When Iwent to college, I joined the polo team. I picked up the skills quickly betweenmy extensive riding experience and my team background from playing soccer throughoutschool. I was asked to join the varsity team 3 months after starting. Throughoutmy college and Masters degree education, a large portion of my time wasdedicated to the sport, and more over, to the 18 horses that were such anintegral part of the team. After graduation from my Masters degree, I decidedto take a year off of academia before applying to PhDs in order to refreshmyself by working with horses, living in nature, and seeing more of the world. Ibegan work as a wrangler at the Hideout Lodge and Guest Ranch in Shell, Wyomingimmediately after my graduation and finished the season there in November, 2016.I adapted quickly to the Western style of riding and thrived in the hospitalityindustry.

HIDEOUT LODGE AND GUEST RANCH        

Shell,WY

Wrangler                                                                                                                              May2016 – Nov. 2016

·      Worked6-7 days a week on a team of six wranglers under the direction of the headwrangler. Together we cared for the herd of 100 horses, ensured that all werehealthy and administered treatment when necessary. As a team, we caught,groomed, and saddled 30 horses each morning.

·      Ledtrail rides on about twenty unmarked trails through the wilderness. Wasresponsible for the safety and enjoyment of the guests while on the rides.

·      Taughtriding lessons in the arena for beginner through advanced riders.

·      Loadedand drove a six-horse trailer through the mountain passes to the trailheads.

·      Rodehorses that were not yet steady enough for guests, including young mustangs.

·      Herdedcattle between pastures. Cut out cows from neighboring ranches that had gottenthrough the fences.

YALEPOLO                                                                                                                             Captain                                                                                                                                   Jan.2013- May 2015                           

·      Responsiblefor the supervision and management of the health of the 18 horses owned by theprogram including, but not limited to, the proper grooming and feeding of thehorses, the treatment of abrasions, saddles sores, and minor wounds andalerting the vet in the case of more serious issues.

·      Managedthe daily exercise of the horses including assigning riders, maintaining thework regimens and ensuring that the horses were not lame.

·      Coachedjunior varsity practices, aided in coaching beginner practices and led varsitypractices and games. Taught beginner riders how to ride.

Varsity Member                                                                                                                     Dec.2011- May 2015

·      Attendedbiweekly practices and weekly or biweekly games. Also exercised horses on daysoff.

·      Aidedin the barn maintenance, including mucking, sweeping, tack cleaning, andrepairs to the arena.

·      Participatedin horse care, including all aspects mentioned above as well as riding horsesthat were green to polo and horses that were not used to the indoor arena sothat they could be ridden in the polo program.

·      Playedfor Yale in an intervarsity tournament in Tianjin, China in summers of 2013 and2014

Grad Affiliate                                                                                                                         Sep.2015- May 2016

·      Attendedbiweekly practices, exercised horses on days off, and worked at varsity games.

·      Sameresponsibilities for barn maintenance and horse care as those listed under varsitymember.

ResearchExperience

MOSQUITO TRAPPING RESEARCH PROJECT                                                               Cairns,Australia

Downs Fellowship and Officeof Student Research Summer Funding                            May– Aug 2015

·      Conductedindependent research project investigating the efficacy of floral-derived aromaticlures for passive trapping of mosquitoes at James Cook University.

·      Participatedin joint projects investigating the use of canola oil in place of insecticides.

MOSQUITO OVIPOSITIONRESEARCH PROJECT                                                    Rosseau,Dominica

Alan S. Tetelman 1958Fellowship for International Research in the Sciences                   May – Aug 2014

·      Conductedindependent research projectinvestigating the efficacy of several local materials for mosquito trapping.

·      Gainedexperience in public health field research and problem solving in a settingwith limited infrastructure.

·      Cooperatedwith the Ministry of Health and assisted in the chikungunya epidemic response.

DROSOPHILA GENETICSRESEARCH PROJECT                                                         

Research for credit andsenior thesis                                                                                    2013- 2015

·      Conductedindependent research of the function of the Kelch and Huts proteins in theovaries of Drosophila.

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE IN THETROPICS INTERNSHIP                                           

PanamáCity, Panamá

Smithsonian Funding andYale Spanish and Latin American Studies Fellowship   

May– Aug 2013

·      Gainedfield and lab experience in tropical entomology at the Smithsonian TropicalResearch Institute.

·      Conductedindependent research project investigating the natural history of a species ofbeetle.

Additional Information                                                                                                       

·      Languages: Advanced in Spanish and Dutch

·      Volunteer Interpreter at HAVEN: Provided volunteer interpretation fromSpanish to English for immigrants with out health care at the free clinic onSaturdays from 2012-2015.

·      Child Care: Worked with kids in multiple settings, includingbabysitting, refereeing soccer games, and tutoring reading.

·      Trail Maintenance: Worked on a trail crew in SequoiaNational Park as part of the Student Conservation Association in the summer of2010.