Purdue News
Purdue News
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April 28, 2000 No fish story – Purdue aquatics student reels in jobsWEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue University senior Brad Kiefer thinks there's something fishy about his job prospects, and that's just fine with him. He's getting a degree in fisheries and aquatic sciences in the middle of Indiana cornfields. "When I came to Purdue, I was planning on going into wildlife management," Kiefer said. "But after talking to some professors and other people in the wildlife field, I decided to go with fisheries and aquatic sciences. The fisheries field is more open." Kiefer will receive his degree at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, May 13, in one of four commencement ceremonies at the West Lafayette campus that weekend. Even before graduation, Kiefer had several job interviews and two offers. He's planning to take a job with a company that specializes in aquatic plant management, although he also interviewed with companies that formulate fish food. He starts work in June – shortly after his May wedding and honeymoon in Mexico. Kiefer and his fiancee, a wildlife science major who graduated in December, plan to live in the southern part of Marion County. On weekends, Kiefer will continue working as a volunteer firefighter and emergency medical technician in White River Township just outside Indianapolis. In his spare time he hopes to take up falconry. Prospects are good for students like Kiefer, said Purdue aquatic scientist Paul Brown. According to his records, all graduating seniors in fisheries and aquatic sciences last year got jobs in the field, and salaries are competitive. "Plus, there's a real future in aquatic science," Brown said. "Consumers are driving the markets, and the trend has been that people want to eat more fish. At the same time, sources of wild-caught fish are capped." Brown predicts that with the world's current population growth and declining wild fish populations, more of the fish on our dinner tables in the future will come from fish farms. With a good education and on-the-job experience, people like Kiefer will be in a position to help produce farm-raised fish and meet consumer demands. Brown helped Kiefer get his first taste of the industry in the summer after his freshman year. Most students in the program either do an internship or get a summer job in the field, Brown said. "I held an internship my freshmen summer as a hatchery aide for Ozarks Fisheries in Martinsville, Ind.," Kiefer said. "And I was a farm manager for them again last summer. As a farm manager I was in charge of 25 to 30 production ponds and was responsible for raising the fish in those ponds." Internships and summer jobs let Kiefer find out if he liked working in aquatics. He did. He also was pleasantly surprised by the academic side of Purdue. "The thing that surprised me the most about Purdue University was the willingness of the professors to work with the students," Kiefer said. "I assumed that because Purdue University was so big that most of the interaction between students and professors would only be from class. I have work fairly closely with Dr. Brown. I like his laid back approach and the fact that he develops good working relationships with most of his students." Sources: Brad Kiefer, (765) 743-6474, kieferb@expert.cc.purdue.edu Paul Brown, (765) 494-4968, pb@fnr.purdue.edu Writer: Rebecca J. Goetz, (765) 494-0461, rjg@aes.purdue.edu Related Web sites: NOTE TO JOURNALISTS: Journalists who want to cover commencement ceremonies May 12-14 at the West Lafayette campus will need tickets and should reserve space for camera equipment. Arrangements can be made by calling Mike Willis or Jesica Webb, Purdue News Service, (765) 494-40371. Ceremonies will be at 8 p.m. Friday; 9:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Saturday; and 9:30 a.m. Sunday.
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