• Home
• About
• Archives

Students honored for academic achievements

Dr. Tom Waltzek, center, with undergraduate students Jared Freidas, left,  and Rachel Henriquez, right. (Photo courtesy of Dr. Tom Waltzek)

Two University of Florida undergraduate students who are currently working in UF’s Wildlife and Aquatic Veterinary Disease Laboratory recently have been honored for their academic achievements.

Jared Freitas, who plans to enter medical school, and Rachel Henriquez, who hopes to enter veterinary school, “have both excelled academically,” said Dr. Tom Waltzek, co-director of the University’s Aquatic Animal Health program.

“Rachel has been inducted into Gamma Sigma Delta based on her outstanding GPA and just returned from a veterinary internship working in South Africa at a wildlife rehabilitation facility,” he said. “Jared has characterized a novel herpesvirus in Northern Pike and Rachel has characterized a novel herpesvirus in an ornamental catfish. Both recently did an excellent job presenting posters of their research at the UF Undergraduate Research Day event.”

Freitas also presented his poster at the Fifth Annual Microbiology and Cell Science Undergraduate Research Symposium, where he won first place for his presentation, Waltzek said.

Both students hope to publish their work in peer-reviewed journals.

“In addition, the Wildlife and Aquatic Veterinary Disease Laboratory would like to thank them for their continued support around the lab,” Waltzek said.