My Background
Personal Profile
My name is Owen McCool, and I am from Edmond, Oklahoma, but I couldn't be happier to be here at UF! I am a student within the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, majoring in Wildlife Ecology & Conservation. I am also hoping to obtain the CALS Honors Certificate by using my research this summer as the basis for my undergraduate thesis! My project aims to discover whether the hunting of large mammals within the Ecuadorian Amazon has any effect on snake abundance and diversity (more info available under the "Research Log"tab).
Bio
A little more about me...
Education
Academic Interests
Personal Interests
2022-2026
University of Florida
College: Agricultural and Life Sciences
Major: Wildlife Ecology & Conservation
Minor/Certificate: CALS Honors Certificate
Expected Graduation: May 2026
I love learning about Florida's unique situation in the conservation world. Specifically, I enjoy expanding my knowledge on the specialized ecosystems and invasive species we have. I do research in the Flory Lab of Invasion Ecology at UF, where I have participated in experiments involving Brazilian Peppertree, Erigeron, and many other invasive plants. I love learning about the wildlife of Florida, and more tropical ecosystems in general. Recently, I have joined the Loiselle Lab of Tropical Conservation, where I will work on projects involving species interactions in the Amazon Rainforest.
Some of my hobbies include playing basketball and football. I am always in the intramural sports leagues each fall and spring! I also really enjoy photography. Specifically, I enjoy photographing wildlife and landscapes, and I post many of my photos to social media. This trip will not only be a great research experience, but it will give me a great opportunity to capture images of some wildlife I may never see again. In general, I typically enjoy doing most activities that take place outside. Especially when the weather is nice! Luckily for me, Florida has great weather just about every day of the year. Lastly, I love traveling. So far, I have been to India, Mexico, and a few other Central American and Caribbean countries. Over this summer, I will have also gone to Peru and Ecuador, and I could not be more excited!