Alumni Spotlight

College of Arts & Sciences Alumni Spotlight Series

Dec. 2, 2024

Laney Rather

• Tell us about yourself! Did you graduate from A&M-Central Texas?
  
My name is Laney Rather, and I graduated from TAMUCT in May 2023. I graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science concentrating on organismal biology.

• Tell us about your time at A&M-Central Texas

I spent quite a few years at TAMUCT because I was only going to school half-time, but I always received encouragement from the faculty. I loved spending time on the campus, walking the grounds, and attending the many events hosted by school organizations. I always enjoyed trying all the different foods that were offered at events!

My favorite part about TAMUCT was meeting people, both faculty and students, that were passionate about the same things that I am. Students and staff were always supportive and encouraged me to do my best in everything I did at school. Because class sizes were small and personal, it made my time at TAMUCT feel like a community.

• Tell us about any awards, scholarships, or work (past or present) that you are proud of.

During my time at TAMUCT, I received the Knights Endowed Scholarship most semesters. I was also granted the biology department’s Award for Academic Excellence. I am very proud of my final thesis that I created for my biology degree entitled “Effects of diet on the growth and calorie output of Tenebrio molitor”. I am also proud that I was able to work for Texas Parks and Wildlife Department at Ink’s Lake as a summer employee after my graduation.

• Tell us anything else you’d like to share!
My time at TAMUCT was very special, and that was due to the people that I spent my time with at school. The professors always made sure that we had the tools that we needed to succeed, and they wanted every one of their students to do the best work that they could. Dr. Weiser Erlandson was especially supportive of her students and always made sure that we had a voice in the work we were doing.