Todd Eckroat
Erie, Pa.
Class of 2009
Biology major

I will be able to show that I can start something and see it through to completion. I also hope to publish and present my work. It’s a great experience to have as an undergrad.

Planning ahead: Although he just finished his first year at Behrend, Todd already has amassed 71 credits, giving him junior-year status. A student in the Schreyer Honors College, Todd lives with other honors students in Almy Hall and hopes to both publish and present the honors thesis he’ll be required to produce. Because he’s so far ahead of his class in credit hours, Todd may try to add a second major, in chemistry.

Research plans: “I came to Behrend because I really like its small size and the interaction with the faculty. I also want to do undergraduate research, which I’ll start this summer.” Todd will work with David Hunnicutt, assistant professor of biology, studying the pathogenesis of flavobacterium in zebra fish. He’ll scrape scales off fish and deliberately infect them with various strains of the bacteria to determine which are most dangerous, and how infection occurs and progresses. “We don’t know much about it,” he said. “I hope that as we learn more, we can help find a treatment, which is important to fish farmers.”

Graduate plans: After he graduates from Behrend, Todd hopes to earn a graduate degree in pharmacology and eventually work in pharmaceutical development, researching drug delivery within the body. He expects his undergraduate research experience to impress grad schools. “I will be able to show that I can start something and see it through to completion. I also hope to publish and present my work. It’s a great experience to have as an undergrad.”

Todd’s picks:

Book: A Lefty’s Legacy by Jane Leavy “It’s a biography of Sandy Koufax. I’m a baseball fan.”

Movie: Bull Durham

Music: Country Music

On my iPod: Tim McGraw, Toby Keith, Alabama

Ringtone: “Some generic thing that came with the phone.”

Technology I couldn’t live without: “A computer with the Internet. I’m always checking e-mail.”