Molly Lobel finds “joy and pride” in the research she does at the University of Kentucky Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment. 

“It’s kind of like your baby,” said Lobel, who is a senior studying animal science on a pre-veterinary track. 

Lobel works in the lab of Tayo Adedokun, associate professor in the Department of Animal & Food Sciences, researching heat stress and mycotoxin contamination of poultry feed. This research will help determine how the poultry industry may be affected by climate change. 

“Is this going to cause anything bad?” Lobel summarized as the research question. “And obviously this is a starter study—if it does cause something bad, what can we do to stop it?” 

Selected as a 2024 UK Undergraduate Research Ambassador, Lobel also advocates for and raises awareness of undergraduate research, sharing her passion with other UK students. 

“I love talking about how I got into research,” Lobel said. 

While she was a second-semester sophomore, Adedokun asked if anyone in his class wanted to work in his poultry lab. Lobel, who said she never says no to an opportunity, jumped at the chance, even though she knew little about research and thought it would be “daunting and terrifying.”  

“But after starting, it’s like a handhold with your mentor the whole time, and that’s what I like to tell people about,” Lobel said. “You’re never alone. You’re never expected to do anything by yourself. Being in a lab is like being in your own little network, in your own little family.” 

Adedokun said Lobel is “outstanding” in the lab, digging into literature when she has further questions or isn’t satisfied with outcomes.  

“Molly is very dependable, and she has a great appetite to learn new things,” he said.  

From Roswell, Georgia, Lobel has long known she wanted to be a veterinarian, which led her to UK.  

“I always knew I wanted to be a veterinarian. It’s been like my one path, and I haven’t really strayed away,” she said. “I was really looking for somewhere that had a really strong animal science program that would get you those hands-on experiences because that’s what veterinary school is going to be." 

UK had “everything” close by, she said, like university farms with units for beef, poultry, honeybees and more.  

“I looked into what UK has that I don’t have to go far to get,” she said. “That’s definitely why I’m at UK—it's all right here and everywhere is inviting you to go there.”  

Research, though, was less on her radar. As a hopeful one-day vet, Lobel had worked in veterinary clinics, but she thought research was just “pipetting in a lab.” UK gave her the opportunity to learn what research can be—and fall in love with it.  

Participating in undergraduate research has not only bolstered Lobel’s veterinary school application but has also shaped her educational and career goals. She is especially interested in vet schools with strong research componentsand may work in research someday rather than in a clinic.  

“Being a veterinarian is the most limitless job,” she said.  

Through talking with her fellow ambassadors and visiting other labs, Lobel continues to learn how many different fields benefit from research, from health care to agriculture to the arts. In presentations to undergraduate classes and organizations, she shares those experiences to encourage students to get involved in research.  

Lobel recently planned an undergraduate research seminar featuring multiple professors, including Adedokun.  

Adedokun shared in the seminar that he, too, finds joy in research.  

As a child, nothing brought Adedokun more joy than playing soccer. As an adult, he gets that same level of joy from research.  

“Especially when I get good data from a study and when such data gets published,” he said. “More importantly, the level of joy that I experience when my students become successful is indescribable.”  

So if building a resume, expanding education and gaining confidence aren’t enough, Lobel has one more reason to encourage students to get into research.  

“Because it’s fun,” she said.  

To learn more about undergraduate research opportunities in Martin-Gatton CAFE, visit https://students.ca.uky.edu/undergrad_research.  

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Writer: Bailey Vandiver, bailey.vandiver@uky.edu 

The Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment is an Equal Opportunity Organization with respect to education and employment and authorization to provide research, education information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function without regard to economic or social status and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnic origin, national origin, creed, religion, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, marital status, genetic information, age, veteran status, physical or mental disability or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.