Hadley, an EHS alum, earned her Bachelor's degree from Coe College where she triple majored in Biology, Chemistry, and Biochemistry. Initially, she pursued veterinary school, but later fell in love with research during her thesis project and will be furthering our knowledge of reptile ecology. She currently works at the University of Georgia Veterinary Diagnostic Lab as a histologist, helping to determine which diseases are present in a specimen by creating microscope slides and staining them to highlight viruses and bacteria. Hadley has also worked with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and Iowa State Hygienic Lab to collect water chemistry data as well as fish and invertebrate inventory to assess the health of a water body. In addition, she has helped teach about and care for animals at the Kentucky Reptile Zoo as an intern zookeeper and at Anderson Humane as a wildlife rehabilitation technician.
As an avid reptile lover, Hadley strives to learn more about the interactions of these animals and the world around them, especially as it is going through changes such as urbanization and climate change. Better understanding is a huge step in providing conservation and land management for any ecosystem. While hoping to gain knowledge herself, more importantly she wishes to teach others to respect and revel in this complex world.