Celebrate National Zoo Lovers Day with two wild alumni

April 8 is National Zoo Lovers Day, and what better way to celebrate it than talking to two UAA graduates at Anchorage's own Alaska Zoo?

Accounting alumna Sam Lavin, B.B.A. '06, and biological sciences alumna Erica Quiett, B.A. '23, are the curator and husbandry assistant, respectively, at the Alaska Zoo. Since they both grew up in Anchorage, enrolling at UAA was an easy choice, but they especially loved the small class sizes, the option of online classes and the variety of electives offered. In an exploration ecology class, Quiett and her peers captured footage of brown bats in the Portage area, some of the only visual evidence of the species in Portage.

It was a winding road to their current positions. After getting her degree, Lavin spent some time working as an auditor for the State of Montana. While in Montana, she recalled a piece of advice from one of her former professors, Soren Orley. "He said we [his students] were luckier than we knew and we should give back if we can, so I started volunteering at a wildlife rehabilitation center." From there, Lavin discovered a true passion for working with animals, and eventually ended up at her hometown zoo. Quiett actually interned at the zoo back in 2020, then worked as a tour guide and volunteer in 2022. By the time she graduated in 2023, she had over a year's worth of zoo experience, and they hired her on as a zookeeper.

Lavin's role as zoo curator means she supervises the zookeepers and manages the zoo's collection of animals. There's a lot of logistics to consider and a lot of very specific regulations to follow when it comes to transporting animals between zoos, which is where her business degree comes in handy. "Shipping camels isn't easy," she grins, "but I'm very good at paperwork." Quiett's role as the husbandry assistant is pretty broad. "Any little job that a zookeeper can do, I can do it." A typical day might include caring for and training the animals, cleaning their enclosures and completing administrative projects.

For students wanting to get into the animal care industry, passion and experience are necessities. "It's hard. It's mentally, physically, emotionally difficult, so if you don't love it, you're gonna hate it. Make sure you're happy doing it!" Lavin emphasizes. It's also a fairly competitive field, and employers want to see that applicants already have practical skills. "Get [experience] wherever you can," Quiett says. "Intern, volunteer, keep sticking around and showing up to things even if it makes you uncomfortable."