SUNY Cobleskill and the Wildlife Conservation Society’s (WCS) Bronx Zoo are collaborating to make the zoo an affiliate placement site for students enrolled in the College’s Histotechnician Program. This is a unique new internship for a SUNY Cobleskill student that will be offered each summer. The selected student will complete a 10-week training program at the Bronx Zoo, gaining applied learning experiences in the zoo’s histology laboratory.

The lab is located in the zoo’s Wildlife Health Center and operated by the Zoological Health Program’s Pathology Department. The lab processes diagnostic samples from animals at WCS’s four zoos and aquarium in New York City and from WCS field sites around the world. Work performed in the lab is integral to the identification and study of diseases that affect animals, which ultimately informs veterinary and pathological diagnoses.

“This is an exciting partnership and we are looking forward to hosting SUNY Cobleskill students at the Bronx Zoo,” said Dr. Kenneth Conley, Senior Pathologist, Zoological Health Program. “We’re confident that experiences gained through analysis of a wide variety of species will benefit the students and help position them for success in the future.”

SUNY Cobleskill students will be able to apply their internship experience to a wide range of fields including medical research, human and veterinary pathology and other biological sciences.

SUNY Cobleskill offers New York State’s only accredited degree-granting Histotechnician Program, the two-year Associate’s Degree in Applied Science (AAS). It is the first program of its type in the country. SUNY Cobleskill Histotechnician graduates are eligible for national certification by the American Society for Clinical Pathology, and New York State licensure.

“The Bronx Zoo is a world-class zoo that will provide our Histotechnician students with opportunities to expand their horizons as learners and rising professionals,” says SUNY Cobleskill President Marion A. Terenzio. “There is no better environment for our students to apply themselves to enhancing their global citizenship. We are excited to announce this partnership, and look forward to providing our students with the learning experiences they deserve to launch their careers. I share (SUNY Cobleskill Histotechnician Program Director) Adam Tegnander’s belief that ‘the sky is the limit’ for our students who will be participating in this collaboration.”

About SUNY Cobleskill: With an emphasis on applied learning and experiential, interdisciplinary education, the State University of New York College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill (SUNY Cobleskill) prepares students for successful careers, advanced studies, and engaged citizenship. An accredited, baccalaureate, residential college, SUNY Cobleskill fosters a rich academic tradition that spans more than 100 years. Today, students are enrolled in 58 baccalaureate and associate degree programs offered through two schools – The School of Agriculture and Natural Resources, and The School of Business and Liberal Arts and Sciences. A contiguous farm, with an equestrian center and 200-cow dairy facility is housed on the modern, 902-acre campus, that features outstanding educational facilities including cold and warm water fish hatcheries, specialized classrooms and laboratories, two state-of-the-art culinary arts teaching kitchens, a student-run restaurant, child development and child care centers, an art gallery and graphic design center. More information about SUNY Cobleskill can be found at Cobleskill.edu.