The biology department has added an alumnus to their zoo science program, and it isn’t an animal either. Professor Kinsey Skalican Guthrie just recently joined the teaching faculty at West Liberty in 2020. However, Guthrie was a member of the staff from 2016 until 2020 when she became a member of the faculty.

“I am truly thankful for the opportunity I have been given here at WLU,” stated Guthrie.

Guthrie attended West Liberty to obtain her undergraduate in environmental biology and education, MA in community education, and MS in biology as well as zoo science. She decided to become an educator because she has always had a passion for animals, especially the odd ones that most people are unsure about.

Guthrie feels that she learned through her experiences that she loved teaching people about the unique animals that they encounter. As a result, being able to combine both education and zoo science into a career is an absolute dream come true.

Currently, Guthrie teaches courses such as introductory biology for non-majors, principles of zoo science, and the husbandry training lab for zoo science. In addition, she also leads all undergraduate and graduate student work with the living animal collection on campus.

Besides teaching, Guthrie assists with the science fairs on campus as well as Sifi day each year. She also prior to the pandemic was involved in regular educational programs for the K-12 classes on campus in the zoo science community.

Her decision to teach at West Liberty came from her love of the biology department when she was an undergraduate. She felt proud of her degrees and decided that “when the opportunity arose for me to be on the opposite side and assist others in expanding their knowledge and reaching their goals,” she had to join the WLU biology department.
Welcome back to the Hilltop Professor Guthrie!