Clemson University senior Sofia Salvino has had a lifelong love affair with animals. But it wasn’t until a research opportunity arose that she discovered an affinity for working with large animals.
Salvino landed an opportunity to work in the lab of graduate instructor Erika Hwang. She processed blood and serum from horses to prepare it for a gas chromatography test to look at fatty acid concentration in the blood. The goal was to find out whether the level of a particular fatty acid in horses’ blood was related to how much pain the horses appeared to be in after exercise.
“We sampled the blood to look for a specific isomer conjugated linoleic acid,” Salvino said. “We then compared it to different (checklists of behaviors to estimate how much pain the horse is experiencing) that we analyzed on different exercising horses.”
Working with Hwang helped Salvino discover her love and passion for working with large animals.
“Without having direct equine experience, I wasn’t sure if she’d be as interested in equine medicine as she has become, but I knew she would excel in whatever she decided to do because Sofia has an incredible work ethic and is extremely reliable,” Hwang said. “She always has a lot of questions and wants to understand the material at a deeper level, so she can apply what she has learned to real-world problems.”
That experience with Hwang, along with several other professors, led Salvino to decide she wanted a future working with large animals. She also enjoyed learning about animal reproduction from Scott Pratt, a professor in the Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, and equine physiology from Kristine Vernon, associate dean of the Clemson University Honors College and a professor in the Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences.
Salvino went on to complete an independent research project with Hwang that was labor-intensive and required long work hours. That project consisted of supplementing pregnant mares with the same oil supplement that was tested in a previous study to see if it transferred from the mother to the baby once it was born.
“She made it so enjoyable through her dedication to the project and bubbly personality,” Hwang said. “She also went on to win second place in the annual Clemson University Research Forum for this project.”
Salvino, a native of Cleveland, Ohio, is set to receive her bachelor’s degree in animal veterinary science. She was accepted into Ohio State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, where she will begin classes this fall.
What made Salvino’s Clemson journey a success was the relationships she forged within the College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences. “It really helped me find my little family and my little niche,” she said. “I loved learning about all the various forms of agriculture and all the important parts of animal science. I really think that is what made my Clemson experience so special.”
As much as she enjoyed her time at Clemson, Salvino is excited to attend vet school at Ohio State, where her dad attended.
“Ultimately, my goal is to open my own practice one day,” she said. “However, I know right now that I would like to most likely specialize. Right after I graduate, I’m most likely going to go into residency. I think I want to go into the reproduction field, but I’m not sure yet.”
There are many things Sofia Salvino will miss about Clemson. There are the people. There’s the campus, which she fell in love with while touring with her dad as a high school student. And then there are the views. Can’t forget about the views.
“The thing I think is the coolest about Clemson is that every sunset happens to always be orange and purple,” Salvino said.
