Kamryn Cregger graduated from the Herbert College of Agriculture last December with her bachelor’s degree in plant sciences and minor in entomology and plant pathology. Since then, she has been working for a biotech company and recently accepted a position as a postbaccalaureate researcher for the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) at the Rocky Mountain Laboratory in Hamilton, Montana.

What drew you to the Herbert College of Agriculture?

I was first interested in Herbert when I heard about the biotechnology program, and specifically, all of the research opportunities! I knew I wanted to work on government projects and the Herbert College of Agriculture gave me that opportunity! I also loved the idea of having smaller lectures like I had in community college, and UT Knoxville was noted to have a small student-to-faculty ratio in the major I was looking into!

Why did you pursue this research opportunity with the NIAID?

Graduation came very quickly since I felt like I hadn’t been in college for very long and in the fall of 2022, I decided to apply to one PhD program, one master’s program, and one postbaccalaureate research program. I wound up being interviewed for the master’s program and the research program and was given the opportunity to choose between the two. I recently decided to defer the master’s program and received an offer to work as a postbaccalaureate researcher for the NIAID for one year. I will be helping the bacteriology laboratory study Lyme disease and relapse fever at the Rocky Mountain Laboratory in Montana.

What will your position entail and how will it contribute to your future goals?

Within my position, I will assist two postdoctoral students and my principal investigator with their research roles. Each one specializes in something different, which is what drew me into this specific lab’s position! I have a great interest in learning more about becoming a principal investigator as well as the role of running a government laboratory and this opportunity will allow me to have a better idea of both roles! I plan on teaching at the university level one day and help undergraduates with research.

How has the Herbert College of Agriculture prepared you for this opportunity?

While attending UT Knoxville, I assisted in research at the East Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center as well as the Anthropological Research Facility, and I think both research roles have prepared me for the responsibilities I will have in Montana and within my future career as well. Specifically, working with quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) in the Stewart Laboratory. I know for a fact that was one of the greatest skills I gained while working as an undergraduate research assistant while earning my undergraduate degree.

Are there any Herbert faculty members you felt mentored by?

While earning my minor at UT Knoxville, I was able to take a variety of classes, and I had one professor who really inspired me! So, I decided to reach out and ask her if she would be willing to meet with me and discuss questions I had about my ideal career path and how I could get there. I basically asked her to help me lay out my life. I had a really hard time deciding between earning a master’s degree or spending some time doing the research program through NIAID. I met with Dr. Hadziabdic-Guerry during her office hours and discussed my fears and ideas, and I tried to summarize everything I could about the programs I had to choose between. She then gave me the best advice I have ever been given and it quite literally changed my way of thinking and will forever be something that I remind myself of. I said I was worried that choosing to spend time doing research would push my ideal family aspects back to later in life. She explained that I needed to think about all of the things I wanted and not hold back, and I can’t thank her enough for inspiring my independence. If I wanted to do research and improve my skills in a specific lab, do it. If I wanted to have a family, there are many different ways to accomplish that. Not everyone’s path is the same and we have to do what we love or else we will forever regret it. I can’t wait to see where life takes me next!