On the island of Kerguelen in the sub-Antarctic waters of the Indian Ocean, alumnus Greg Cunningham, conducted research in collaboration with Dr. Henri Weimerskirch from the Centre d‘Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique from France.

While working with his advisor, Dr. Gabrielle Nevitt at the University of California, Davis, Cunningham found that birds begin to learn and recognize smells before they leave the nest and sometimes as early as when they are still inside their shells. Currently, an Assistant Professor at St. John Fisher College in Rochester, NY, Cunningham continues to conduct research on birds and their olfactory functions. But that is not all he does in his home across the country. “I teach in the Biology department, and teach courses such as animal physiology, animal behavior and zoology,” says Cunningham. His intended goals as a Ph.D. student are being met in his current position at the small liberal arts college.

From being a part of the Professors for the Future 2004-2005 cohort to working with the Teaching Resources Center on campus, Cunningham gained a lot of training by being actively engaged in programs that UC Davis offers its students. “These experiences were crucial in my development of my teaching skills, and much of my current approach to teaching stems from what I learned from both attending and hosting sessions put on by the Teaching Resource Center,” says Cunningham.

Graduate school at UC Davis helped Cunningham pursue both of his passions simultaneously. “Since I was in grade school, I have wanted to be a teacher and since my final year of college I have wanted to research birds,” he says. “I was interested in working with some sort of Antarctic bird for my research and also wanted to stay in California as I was living in Monterey at the time and had grown to really love California. When I found Dr. Nevitt on the UC Davis website, and saw that she worked in the deep south, I contacted her and applied.”

As a student at UC Davis, Cunningham performed as our loving Mascot, Gunrock. He also wrote and played music, as he continues to do with his current band, “Big Tuna and the Fishermen”. His band plays for charity and cancer research events. “I hope to continue to have an impact on the lives of the students of St. John Fisher College both academically and by helping them to put their education into the bigger picture of their life and its goals,” he says.

His valuable experience at UC Davis is one that Cunningham has not taken for granted. “Not only did I get an A+ education while attending Davis, but my experiences and friendships helped to make me into the person, teacher and scientist that I am today. For this reason, I’ll always have a sweet spot in my heart for Davis,” says Cunningham.

Since completing his graduate degree from UC Davis... Cunningham is Assistant Professor of Biology for St. John Fisher College in New York.