Assistant Training

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Jennifer A. Higgins

*** ******* ****** **** • CHERRY HILL, NJ 08034

HOME 856-***-**** • CELL 908-***-**** • E-MAIL ************@*****.***

CAREER OBJECTIVE

To implement my strong work ethic, knowledge, education and experience pertaining to animal husbandry, behavior, enrichment, training and conservation, in an effort to maintain a safe, clean and stimulating environment for exotic animals in a captive or semi-captive living situation, as well as educate, inspire and foster human appreciation of our natural world.

EDUCATION

9/95 – 5/97 City University of New York New York, NY

• Master of Arts in Animal Behavior (Biopsychology) – GPA 3.6/4.0

9/87 - 5/92 Rutgers University Piscataway, NJ

• Bachelor of Arts in Psychology – GPA 3.23/4.0

EMPLOYMENT

HADDON VETERINARY CLINIC / GARDEN STATE ANIMAL HOSPITAL Cherry Hill, NJ

10/11 – present Veterinary Assistant/Receptionist Haddonfield, NJ

• Duties include typical office administrative tasks, taking preliminary health information (temperature, respiration, pulse, weight) from pet patients and helping restrain pets for examination and providing the veterinarian with the appropriate tools/aides. Commended for my hard work, focus, dedication and initiative in a fast paced, challenging work environment.

SIX FLAGS GREAT ADVENTURE

7/10 – 2/11 Seasonal Animal Trainer Jackson, NJ

• Duties included animal training using operant conditioning and positive reinforcement techniques; preparation and feed-out of specified diets; cleaning animal enclosures; creating and implementing enrichment and detailed documentation of training sessions, husbandry, behavior and medical information on daily reports. Interacted with and educated park patrons on animal behavior, training and conservation. Commended by my supervisors, for maintaining a strong work ethic, being punctual, taking initiative and being proactive in educating myself about behavior and training methods. Worked with dolphins, sea lions, other small mammals, birds and reptiles.

BRANDYWINE ZOO

1/09 – 7/10 Seasonal Animal Keeper Wilmington, DE

• Duties included preparation and feed-out of diets, cleaning animal exhibits and holding areas, creating and implementing enrichment; presenting keeper talks; and documenting husbandry, behavioral and medical information on daily reports. Also responsible for grounds, exhibit and holding area maintenance, repairs and improvements. Represented BWZ’s keepers on the zoo’s Green Team.

Worked with and trained birds, mammals and reptiles.

PHILADELPHIA ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS Philadelphia, PA

3/08 – 7/10 Seasonal Outreach Educator

• Duties included traveling to elementary schools, daycare facilities and birthday parties, presenting theme based programs on wildlife, animal behavior and conservation in an educational and entertaining manner. Worked with and presented program animals including large & small birds of prey, ferrets, degus, chinchillas, macaws, parrots, ducks, chickens and many different types of reptile.

PETSMART Lawnside, NJ

7/08 – 4/09 Pet Trainer

• Duties included recruiting pet parents and their dogs for pet training classes and holding one hour obedience classes. Exclusive use of operant conditioning and positive reinforcement training.

CAPE MAY COUNTY PARK & ZOO Cape May, NJ

5/07 – 11/07 Seasonal Animal Keeper

• Animal care duties included preparation and feed-out of specified diets, medicating those animals under veterinary care; cleaning animal exhibits and off exhibit enclosures; providing fresh water, food & enrichment and documenting specific information on daily reports. Occasionally presented impromptu keeper talks and interacted with zoo patrons. Worked with farm animals, birds of prey, Psittiscines, flamingos, giraffes, zebras, bongo, African crowned cranes, Arabian oryx, howler monkeys, and several species of lemur, ferrets, otters, camels, llamas, American bison, elk, pronghorn and more.

LOS ANGELES ZOO & BOTANICAL GARDENS Los Angeles, CA

8/03 - 07/06 Animal Keeper (P/T)

• Duties included cleaning exhibits and flight cages, preparation and feed-out of daily diets, dispensing medications, observing animals for unusual behavior or illness and detailing pertinent information in daily reports as well as keeper logs. Worked with large and small mammals (including sea lions, polar bears, seals and otters) and a vast array of birds.

5/03 – 8/03 Commissary Attendant / Animal Care Staff

• Prepared and packed produce, feeder animal specimens and meat products for each animal section of the zoo.

2/99 – 10/99 Educator – Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association’s Outreach Program / Zoomobile

• Traveled to area schools with animals and presentations on California’s local wildlife.

9/98 – 12/99 Teaching Assistant, UCLA Extension class Observing Animals

7/97 – 5/00 Research Assistant (LAZ Research Dept.)

• Integral in creating animal ID sheets, ethograms and protocols for various behavioral research projects involving mostly primates, specifically Great Apes. Collected behavioral data and trained volunteers to do the same.

ADDITIONAL EMPLOYMENT

2/99 – 7/02 Morning Mist Farm Burbank, CA

Barn Manager/Assistant Trainer

• Responsibilities included overseeing all aspects of care for 20+ horses, supervising the barn staff and riding to exercise/train horses as well as prepare them for competition.

>>>CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK – HUNTER COLLEGE<<<

9/95 - 5/97 Teaching Assistant – various undergraduate Psychology courses New York, NY

1/96 - 12/96 Research Assistant - Laboratory for Comparative Cognition in Non-human Primates Bronx, NY

9/95 1/96 Research Assistant - Laboratory for Neuroethology - Dr. Peter Moller New York, NY

Designed and implemented research; maintained fish and aquatic laboratory holding tanks and equipment; operated a Hitachi VC 6023 Digital Storage Oscilloscope and Fourier Spectrum Analyzer; analyzed data collected during my own research. Assisted Dr. Moller with his work in the department of Ichthyology at the American Museum of Natural History. Thesis Title: The effects of water temperature on EOD characteristics in the African weakly discharging electric fish, Gnathonemus petersi (Mormyridae, Teliostei)

JOB RETLATED TRAINING & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

September 2011 ABC Animal Training – Dolphin Trainer Academy (certificate) Mexico

8/08 – 8/10 Animal Behavior Institute – Certificate program in Zoo and Aquarium Science On line

2/04 – 2/06 AZA Professional Development Program Workshops

• Institutional Records Keeping / Managing for Success: Organizational Development / Managing for Success: Career Development / Advances in Animal Keeping in Zoos and Aquariums / Institutional Collection Planning

1/03 – 3/03 Los Angeles Zoo Keeper Academy - Animal Keeper Training Class

VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES

5/12 – present Mystic Aquarium – Marine Theater Mystic, CT

Sea Lion Trainer Volunteer

Assisted the sea lion trainers in the Marine Theater with their daily food/fish preparation, cleaning, enrichment and training.

9/08 – 4/10 Philadelphia Zoological Gardens – Children’s Zoo Philadelphia, PA

Animal Keeper Volunteer

Assisted the Children’s Zoo keepers with their daily animal care, diet preparation and enrichment duties.

10/02 - 5/03 Los Angeles Zoo Los Angeles, CA

Animal Keeper Volunteer

Assisted animal keepers with their daily animal care, diet prep. and exhibit maintenance duties.

COMPUTER/TECHNICAL/OTHER SKILLS

Animal management, training, capture and restraint / IV, IM and subcutaneous injections / use of standard lab equipment / Basic Chemistry / Microsoft Office programs and applications / Small industrial forklift operation / Industrial meat grinder & band saw operation / small scale aquatics management / Amateur photography / SCUBA certified / Red Cross Pet First Aid certified

MEMBERSHIPS / EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

Professional member of the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA) / active member of the International Marine

Animal Training Association (IMATA) / member of the Animal Behavior Management Alliance (ABMA) / fostering and fund raising for Coast to Coast Dachshund Rescue / Writing

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