Crazy for critters
When Mitch Bellrichard returned to campus for his senior year this fall, he brought his cat, an African clawed frog and a hedgehog with him. At one point he had four hedgehogs, but fortunately found homes for three of them. “My girlfriend gave me a hedgehog for my birthday. It turned out to be pregnant and delivered a litter the next day.”
An animal lover from childhood, Mitch has known for a long time that he wants to be a veterinarian. While most future vets major in animal science, Mitch wanted a stronger grounding in basic science because he’s considering a research career. So he chose the College of Biological Sciences and a major in ecology, evolution and behavior. He’s been very happy with CBS because the sense of community “makes the U feel smaller” and because the new Foundations in Biology course, where students work as teams to solve biology problems, provided such a strong grounding for the rest of his coursework. “Taking Foundations of Biology made my advanced biology courses much easier,” he says.
Mitch applied for the Denneth “Denny” and Joan Dvergsten Itasca Summer Scholarship because he wanted to do field research with animals at Itasca. His 3.95 GPA and experience working at the Oxbow Park Zoo, where he cared for a sick porcupine and packed a rattlesnake up for a trip to the hospital, made him an outstanding candidate.
Denny, who received his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Minnesota, was a distinguished science teacher in the Roseville school district for many years. He was also president of the Minnesota Science Teachers Association and a Minnesota Teacher of the Year. From 1986 until his retirement in 1991, Denny served as director of outreach for the College of Biological Sciences. Joan received a degree in education from Mankato State University.
This summer at Itasca, Mitch studied animal behavior and learned about radio-tracking from Larry Kuechle, an adjunct faculty member who pioneered radio-tracking at Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve in the 1960s. Under Kuechle’s guidance he conducted research comparing the home ranges of female and male raccoons living in the park. In 1981, Kuechle and a core group of Cedar Creek engineers and biologists founded Advanced Telemetry Systems, which provides electronic systems to track fish and wildlife worldwide. He continues to work for the company, which doubled in size a few years ago.
“When I think of Mitch as a person and as a student, I see someone who is well rounded. He has the academic skills to succeed, clear goals for the future and the interpersonal skills to apply his talents in a work environment,” Kuechle says.
Now a senior, Mitch hopes to attend the U of M College of Veterinary Medicine next year. Comparative research involving animal and human medicine is one direction he’s considering. He also enjoys caring for exotic zoo animals and companion animals.
