Tam Tran, who graduated in December 2025 with a major in wildlife and a minor in aquatic sciences, has been named the Outstanding Transfer Student by the Department of Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR) at Purdue University, according to a May 5 announcement.
Tran said that being selected for this recognition means her efforts in academics, extracurricular activities, and career development have been acknowledged. “Being selected for FNR Outstanding Student means so many things to me,” Tran said. “It means that the work I have put in towards my classes, extracurriculars, and career has been recognized by my colleagues. To me, it means that by following my passion to leave a positive impact on the environment, I am doing something right, and that above all else means the most to me.”
She also reflected on her experience as a transfer student: “As someone who transferred into this department, and compared myself to my peers, I felt inferior. I feared I wasn’t doing enough in the department… Being named an outstanding student of the year validates that I… must be doing something right.” Tran added she feels honored to represent her cohort and hopes her story inspires others passionate about conserving natural resources.
During her time at Purdue University Department of Agriculture—a core academic unit within Purdue University—Tran was active in several organizations including The Wildlife Society (as treasurer), American Fisheries Society (as student council representative), and Vietnamese Student Association (as marketing intern). She earned certifications such as Conservation Leaders for Tomorrow Hunting for Conservation program certification along with animal use and biosafety qualifications.according to the official website.
Tran participated in hands-on research projects after transferring from Saint Mary’s College in January 2022. She worked as a hellbender husbandry technician at Purdue Aquaculture Research Lab during summer 2024 where she cared for eastern hellbender salamanders through various life stages. She also contributed to avian research projects like turkey vulture vision analysis and joined field crews studying population density of white-tailed deer using video surveys.
In summer 2025 she interned at Carlos Avery Wildlife Management Area with Minnesota Department of Natural Resources conducting habitat management tasks such as prairie restoration, invasive species removal, wildlife surveys—including disease surveillance—and fish sampling alongside different departments within Minnesota DNR.
Since graduating from Purdue’s top-ranked agricultural program,according to U.S. News & World Report as cited on the official website, Tran has assisted with white-throated sparrow research under Dr. Patrick Ruhl while planning a future career working with birds.
