Ashley Lipps

Ashley Lipps started in the MVZ during the spring of 2007 volunteering in the Prep Lab. That semester, she also was involved in the Pacheco Faunal Analysis original research, where she used MVZ skeletal specimens for comparison to paleontological micro-fauna. Her involvement in the Prep Lab led her to a summer job helping the Grinnell Resurvey effort, focusing mainly on mammals. Her experience included fieldwork (trapping, recording data, prepping fluids/skeletons/skins), post-field specimen prep work, cataloging, labeling, and other curatorial duties. She has now become a graduate student in the UCB Anthropology department, but she hopes to continue her connection to the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology.

“The MVZ is an incredible resource for students at UC Berkeley. The vast collections help to enrich undergraduate coursework, and the museum provides exceptional opportunities for undergraduates hoping to gain real experience in museum curation as well as in laboratory and field-based research. I’m grateful for the experiences the MVZ provided my senior year—from dissections in the prep lab to trapping and observing Microtus longicaudus (long-tailed vole) in the mountains of Lassen Co., California.”