He's always liked frogs and toads, but until he came to Mississippi State, Andrew House never thought he'd get a job working with them.
The junior from Kennedy, Alabama, works in an amphibian laboratory, a part of the Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Entomology and Plant Pathology. House's work enhances his studies in biochemistry and natural resource conservation, he said.
"I'm really glad I got into the lab where students have the opportunity to do something different: to work with critically endangered frogs and try to help them reproduce," he said. "Frogs are environmental indicators that show the health of the ecosystem because they need water and land to reproduce and be able to thrive and survive."
The research laboratory houses critically endangered Mississippi gopher frogs, as well as Boreal toads. Researchers also work with Fowler's toads, which are not endangered but offer relevant information about the species' physiology. The team focuses on assistive reproductive technology to encourage species to reproduce, House explained.
After classes ended in May, he presented the researchers' work at the Amphibian Conservation Research Symposium 2014, held by the Zoological Society of London. House said getting to speak at the prestigious gathering was an exciting opportunity for him, and he hopes it will be the first of many.
"I do want to continue doing research after I graduate; I'd like to get my master's and possibly a Ph.D.," he said. "I really like frogs and the work I'm doing with animal-conservation reproduction, but if another opportunity came up with another kind of animal, I might be interested."
House said he came to Mississippi State, in part, because his brother and his cousin also had attended. The Junction and North Farm are two of his favorite places on campus.
"I'm really glad I came here; it was a really good decision to come to State," he said. "I've made a lot of really good friends that I'll have forever, and there are lots of opportunities here.
"If you come here, you can do what you want to do and be who you want to be."