WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – April 2, 2024 – Students, faculty, staff, and the community are invited to the first annual WLU Zoo Science open house on Thursday, April 4 from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. in Arnett Hall.

The open house will flow through Arnett Hall where visitors will travel through a series of stations to see the program’s ins and outs, including many animal interactions, demonstrations, and student research. After completing the stations, visitors will be entered into a drawing to win prizes. Students and faculty from the zoo science major are excited to share their program with the community.

“We want to see as many people come through the door as possible. I hope to show the community that we exist, and we are always excited to share what we do. Anyone is welcome to come and learn, and this is a resource for our students and the community to be connected,” said Lauren Mort, WLU’s Animal Care Specialist.

“I feel like we are a hidden gem right now, and we don’t want to be hidden. We want to showcase all our students do and the opportunities they have. We felt like an open house was the best way to start that. The goal is to have this be an annual event to celebrate our department and students,” Mort added.

“I am most excited for the rest of campus to see how much passion we take into maintaining our animal collection. It’s not just about playing with our animals but getting valuable experience that not many other institutions offer,” said the Zoo Science event coordinator and lab mentor Matthew Shuttleworth.

Through the completion of WLU’s unique Zoo Science curriculum, students will have ascertained skill sets that prepare them for employment in zoo and conservation facilities, wildlife rehabilitation and restoration, federal and state conservation agencies and graduate schools in ecological and conservation science.

For more information regarding WLU’s Zoo Science program, please visit https://westliberty.edu/zoosci/.