Sara Isgate, a first-year Ph.D. student in the Indiana University Bloomington Department of Biology, has been awarded the 2024-25 Holland Fellowship. She is focusing on behavior within the Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior (EEB) program as a member of the Rosvall lab.

Isgate grew up in Ringtown, a small borough in the coal region of Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. She earned her bachelor's degree in 2016 from Albright College in Reading, Pennsylvania, where she dual-majored in digital media and biopsychology, concentrating on evolution and animal behavior. Her senior honors thesis, supervised by Dr. Justin Couchman in the psychology department, investigated how breed and pose influence the perceived personality traits of shelter dogs.

Recently, Isgate completed her master’s degree in wildlife and fisheries science at Penn State University, with a minor in forestry. Under the guidance of Dr. Jason Keagy in the Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, she wrote a thesis examining the effects of anthropogenic noise on learning performance and reproductive success in cavity nesting birds.

Growing up in a rural area surrounded by domestic and wild animals sparked Isgate’s interest in the impact of humans on animal behavior and welfare. This curiosity evolved into a research question during her time at Albright, where she studied human-animal interactions in domestic dogs. Following her graduation, she gained experience at the Byrnes-Vassoler lab at Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, where she explored reward-seeking behavior in rodent models using molecular neuroscience and operant conditioning techniques. During this period, Isgate also volunteered for wildlife conservation initiatives, including Connecticut’s Osprey Nation and the wildlife rehabilitation team at Cummings School. These experiences deepened her understanding of the challenges wild animals face in the Anthropocene and the role humans can play in addressing these issues.

At Penn State, Isgate began investigating innovation potential and cognitive performance in wild birds. Now at IU, she is eager to study the intersection of animal behavior, physiology, and anthropogenic interference in wild tree swallows exposed to heat stress.

Isgate chose IU for its strong research credentials and welcoming atmosphere. She was particularly impressed by Kim Rosvall’s enthusiasm for her research ideas and the hospitality shown by Rosvall's students during her initial visit. Isgate looks forward to integrating her diverse interests in cognitive psychology, conservation biology, and molecular neuroscience within IU’s emphasis on interdisciplinary science.