During a visit to the Cleveland Zoo as a small child, Maureen “Moe” Duffy, B.S. ’17, witnessed a zookeeper working with a gorilla, sparking a lifelong interest in animals.

When it came time to pick a college, Duffy knew two things for certain: she wanted to pursue a career where she could work with animals and she wanted to stay in Ohio.

She looked into three different schools in Ohio and said, “Kent State’s where I ended up finding my happy place.” Duffy earned her bachelor of science degree in zoology from Kent State in 2017, and today she works as a zookeeper in the Australia and the Islands region of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium.

“The zoology program at Kent State is well-established and I felt that the classes I would be able to take and the opportunities I was going to be able to have through internships was going to give me the best opportunity in this field,” Duffy said.

Noting that her field is extremely competitive Duffy said earning her degree at Kent State helped open doors. “Being able to go to Kent and get my degree … Without that college degree, I definitely wouldn’t be standing where I am today,” Duffy said.

See how Kent State helped Moe Duffy find her happy place.

WRITTEN BY: AMY ANTENORA

PHOTO CREDIT: KENT STATE UNIVERSITY