Alumni Jessica White

Jessica White

Education

B.A., Biology, Colorado College, 2012
M.S. in Animals and Public Policy, Tufts University, 2021

Biography

Current Position:
Royal Veterinary College, BVetMed candidate.
The MAPP program has been so fundamental in navigating vet school and relevant to everything that I am learning so far.

What were you doing before entering the Masters in Animals and Public Policy (MAPP) program?
I have been working at Littleton Equine Medical Center since April 2016. My primary role there was assistant to one of the founder partners of the clinic, Dr. Beeman, an equine veterinarian specializing in lameness evaluation. I also co-supervised the Field Technicians/Assistants, a team of 13, which entailed coordinating schedules, leading team meetings, and facilitating overall work flow.

What aspects of MAPP led to your decision to join the program?
Since I have worked in different capacities of the veterinary world, from small animal shelter medicine, to equine private practice, I was seeking a program that encompassed my many interests in animal care. I have always seen myself as an advocate for animals and have loved working in veterinary medicine as it channels this advocacy through care, treatment and client education for the overall health of the animal patient.

Interests in and experience with animals
I grew up riding horses which is partially what lead me to my current position at Littleton Equine. Working with horses of all sizes, disciplines and behaviors has been quite the experience as it has provided me with a diverse range of knowledge and understanding within large animal medicine.
Prior to working at Littleton Equine, I worked at the ASPCA Animal Hospital in New York City for three years. I assisted the veterinarians in caring for and treating cats and dogs, working in surgery, ICU, triage and other areas of the hospital. The focus of the hospital is treating animals from limited income families and caring for animals that have been neglected and abused. The exposure to such a wide variety of cases, and helping to treat and rehab those animals, truly fueled my passion for animal rights and advocacy.

What do you want to focus on at MAPP? What drew you to this?
Given the many opportunities afforded through the MAPP program, I’m sure my focus might change! I would like to explore the many ways in which horses impact different cultures, and the roles they play in societies across the world.

What are your career goals?
My career goals involve continuing to work hands on with animals either through veterinary practice or with an organization that supports animal rights and strives to enforce them. I plan to pursue a DVM degree after this program and would utilize the knowledge and skills from this program to complement and enhance a potential medical career.

What are your outside interests?
Skiing, running, and exploring different food scenes, to name a few.

Number of pets? What?
A cat named Jungle

MAPP Externship

My original externship involved research under the supervision of Dr. Elizabeth Byrnes, an Associate Professor of Biomedical Sciences here at Tufts. Given the circumstances with COVID-19, we shifted to conducting a literature review where I could work from home.
Guided by Dr. Byrnes, I explored the impact artificial rearing (or hand raising) has on animal behavior and associated considerations for animal welfare and public policy. This involved an extensive search process, reading and interpreting over 100 studies, and finally compiling a comprehensive review. The knowledge I gained from the MAPP program laid the foundation for the work I did this summer. From analyzing articles in statistics and other classes, to writing research papers, I frequently applied my learnings from MAPP coursework. Understanding the current literature in this topic can help inform animal welfare and policy decisions and I hope it will not only guide me but others in this field!