91传媒 graduate student honored with Phi Kappa Phi national Love of Learning Award
Contact: Meg Henderson
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥擜 Mississippi State doctoral student in the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture is being honored with an award from the nation鈥檚 oldest and most selective collegiate honor society.聽
Rebecca Bracken, who soon will defend her dissertation, is one of 200 Phi Kappa Phi members nationally to receive its annual Love of Learning Award, a $500 post-baccalaureate professional development grant. Bracken was first inducted into PKP during her master鈥檚 program at Texas State University in 2014 and was reinstated in 2020 during her doctoral program at 91传媒.
鈥淭his is the second award I鈥檝e received from Phi Kappa Phi, the first being the Graduate Research Award last year,鈥 Bracken said. 鈥淭he monetary support from that award helped me fund outreach workshops for undergraduates, and this year I will be able to continue that outreach and also attend an upcoming conference.鈥
Originally a pre-vet major at Miami University of Ohio, Bracken discovered her enjoyment of working outdoors and decided to shift her academic focus, graduating with a B.S. in Zoology and going on to earn an M.S. in Biology.
In her doctoral studies under advisor and associate professor Scott Rush, Bracken has studied the effects of silvicultural management in private working forests on breeding and wintering passerines, or birds that perch. With her research focused on assessing wildlife-habitat relationships, she has worked on banding birds over the winter to identify how different species use the forest and to investigate parasite prevalence in overwintering birds.
Bracken credits Rush for encouraging her to reinstate her membership as a doctoral student.
鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 aware of the award opportunities offered through Phi Kappa Phi, but hearing about them from my advisor gave me that push to renew my membership,鈥 she said.
Rush, a former president of 91传媒鈥檚 PKP chapter, thought Bracken would be a strong candidate.
鈥淎 lot of graduate students aren鈥檛 aware of award opportunities that academic societies offer, so when someone deserving, like Rebecca, comes along, you certainly want to encourage them to apply,鈥 Rush said.
Bracken said she is grateful for the recognition and the professional opportunities the award will support.
鈥淚t鈥檚 always rewarding to be recognized for your work, and I will certainly benefit from the financial support, but this also has been a great experience in learning how to market myself,鈥 she said. 鈥淲hen you鈥檙e honored by people who don鈥檛 know you and judge you only on your application, it means a lot.鈥
For more on the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture in 91传媒鈥檚 College of Forest Resources, visit .
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