COSAM News Articles 2020 April COSAM Senior Prepares for Future as Veterinarian

COSAM Senior Prepares for Future as Veterinarian

Published: 04/21/2020

Auburn University senior Sara Lowther is following in her grandfather’s footsteps. Originally from Mobile, Ala., Sara is studying microbiology through the College of Sciences and Mathematics (COSAM) with a concentration on pre-veterinary medicine.

“I wanted to come to Auburn because my grandfather attended vet school here and I grew up with so much respect for the school because of the education and opportunities it gave him,” Sara said. “Of course I fell in love with the campus, the town, the people, everything when I visited and that only solidified my decision.”

Sara has been accepted into the Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine’s class of 2024. She said she became interested in becoming a veterinarian when she was young, but moved away from the idea as she got older.

“When I came to Auburn and saw the emphasis put on advancing the field, I changed my major to pre-vet immediately,” she shared. “I have learned from many summers as a veterinary technician in rural Mississippi and many semesters of rigorous COSAM coursework that the years ahead will be trying, but the end game is worth it.”

Sara works with Dr. Paul Cobine as an undergraduate research assistant studying copper transport in the mitochondria. She assists masters and Ph.D. students with experiment protocols so they can synthesize the research and form their theses. This includes everything from making media to grow bacteria and bacterial mutants to helping with plasmid preparation for polymerase chain reaction analysis.

“What I love most about the lab is every grad student is working on a different aspect of the same project, so it has helped me to better understand the multifaceted nature of research and the value of teamwork,” Sara explained. “I love going into the lab and helping in any way I can because the grad students are great teachers and they explain the science behind what I am doing to help them.”

In her time away from school and the lab, Sara enjoys hiking at Chewacla State Park and cooking meals for friends with ingredients from local farmer’s markets.

Sara said she has had a wonderful college experience through COSAM.

“COSAM provided support and community throughout my college experience and it has taught me how to be a better student, classmate and friend,” she said. “I feel prepared to work in the field and tackle problems using my own knowledge and the help of those around me. I wouldn't trade my COSAM experience for the world.”