Between the wetlands and the woodlands of North Carolina, wildlife biologists like NC State alumna and master’s student Mila Lauck ’25 dedicate their lives to understanding how ecosystems breathe, bend and balance themselves hundreds of thousands of times a day.

Their work ranges from field surveys under open skies to hours spent underwater collecting data to reveal health defects that can ricochet across the planet — making it a science rooted in both calculations and connections.

Wildlife biology combines deep compassion for the natural world with the academic rigor of research and policy, demanding patience, advocacy and a willingness to get a little dirty.

Undergraduate Research

Lauck’s journey had a messy start — quite literally — as she fondly remembers childhood afternoons spent crouched in the dirt searching for insects and digging through mud in hopes of finding salamanders in her family’s backyard.

Her parents, Leah Millar and Jerome Lauck, recall her early fascination with the natural world. “We have always admired Mila’s enthusiasm for animals – from playing with earthworms as a toddler, to teaching her girl scout troop about the dangers of plastic in the environment, to volunteering as a teenager for watershed cleanups, all the way to pursuing wildlife conservation studies.”

Mila shared, “Like most kids, I’d always loved animals, but I was really drawn to the less charismatic ones, like invertebrates and herps.” NC State’s wildlife biology program seemed almost too perfect when I found it, which made me start seriously considering conservation work.”

That passion deepened during her first major research experience – an internship with Ph.D. student and fellow fisheries, wildlife and conservation biology major Eric Teitsworth. His project focused on the Neuse River waterdog — one of the rarest amphibians in the southeastern United States.

“I had volunteered on other projects before, but this was my first in-depth look at a Ph.D.-level research project,” Lauck said. “I also got to handle outreach, which gave me a whole new perspective on the things that really mattered to me.”

Under Dr. Krishna Pacifici, associate professor for the College of Natural Resources, Lauck’s undergraduate research also dove deep into a tool known as Pattern+, a non-invasive way to track the movement of various elusive wildlife species in their natural habitats through capture-mark-recapture software.

Lauck studied how photo quality affected the program’s accuracy and results — and, by extension, the reliability of the data. “I found that the most variability in success occurred when the Neuse River waterdog was bent in the photographs, detailing the importance of standardizing your research protocol. Computer work in conservation doesn’t always look as glamorous as snorkeling surveys, but it’s easily just as important,” she said.

“Computer work in conservation doesn’t always look as glamorous as snorkeling surveys, but it’s easily just as important.”

“Mila already had an impressive resume when she joined my lab, but what stood out to me most was her patience and persistence.” Pacifici said. “It became more apparent each week I worked with her that she thought deeply about what we were doing, both how it worked and how to improve it. She has an incredible set of skills and a strong desire to make a difference, and I fully believe she will.”

Lauck lit up when describing the species surveys she conducted, where she donned snorkeling gear to study aquatic life during her internship at the Yates Mill Aquatic Conservation Lab. “It was amazing to meet people in the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission and see what a day on the job is like for them,” she said. “Observing the ecological dynamics and how those relationships can ricochet into other environments truly made me realize the fragility and importance of these aquatic habitats.”

Master’s Research

Lauck’s research attention, now under Dr. Greg Cope, distinguished professor in the Department of Applied Ecology, has turned toward the effects of different environmental parameters on freshwater mussel health.

“First, I will examine how water quality affects total hemocyte count in wild populations of a common freshwater mussel species. Then, how total hemocyte count responds to being relocated to a propagation facility,” Lauck said. 

Hemocytes are cells found in the immune system of invertebrates, any animal that lacks a spinal column, which function similarly to human white blood cells. These cells are crucial for defending these creatures against pathogens and other potentially harmful foreign cells.

Lauck continued, “Propagating mussels in a captive environment is one of the leading efforts in their conservation, so understanding their recovery process is very important. I will also look into the seasonal variation of hemocyte counts for two species located at the Yates Mill Aquatic Lab. The results should hopefully give the facility baseline health metrics for these populations.”

Lauck is on track to complete her master’s degree in May 2027. Until then, she plans to continue aiding vulnerable local populations through outreach and education of the public.

Outreach Efforts

For Lauck, outreach efforts reveal the broader stakes of conservation. “Researching vulnerable species not only contributes to their conservation but also supports the effort of advancing sustainability legislation,” she said. “A major driver of biodiversity loss is human activity, so the more evidence we present, the stronger the case we make for conservation as a priority.”

“A major driver of biodiversity loss is human activity, so the more evidence we present, the stronger the case we make for conservation as a priority.”

Lauck’s commitment to public outreach also led her to give tours at Yates Mill, where she finds joy in translating complex scientific research into accessible stories.

“The point of scientific research is to share it, not hoard it,” she said. “Communication of science is just as important as the data itself, and it’s so rewarding to connect people to the work we’re doing and show them why it matters.”

After the completion of her master’s, Lauck hopes to find work as a freshwater biologist where she can help lead research studies and species surveys, especially for the most vulnerable populations. “I hope my research and vocal advocacy for conserving our freshwater ecosystems will create lasting solutions and inspire the next generation of conservationists,” said Lauck.