John Hallas ’07 can’t remember a time when he wasn’t interested in animals and biology.  A biology major from Largo, FL, and a graduate of St. Petersburg High School, John has taken his passion for animals and used it in a senior independent research project with his advisor, Assistant Professor of Biology Erika Barthelmess, titled “Winter Dietary Preference and Home Range of Porcupines.” 

“Prof. Barthelmess had been researching porcupines and introduced her research in one of the classes I had with her,” John explains.  His aspect of the research came out of his interest in how porcupines change their behavior to survive winters in the North Country.

John found that there are a lot of perks to doing independent research with a professor. “Independent research meant I was out in the field all of the time experiencing it, rather than hearing or reading about it,” he says. “I was actually doing it.

“It’s nice to form a relationship with someone who’s in the field you want to go in to,” John continues.  “Prof. Barthelmess has given me good advice about what I should be doing while I’m at St. Lawrence, and shown me opportunities for after I graduate.” He’d like to be a curator of a zoo, but first he will return to St. Lawrence as a graduate student to play on the men’s ice hockey team next season.  He plans to continue his research.