Daniel Woodrich

Daniel Woodrich graduated from Western with a B.S. in Biology, marine emphasis. He was awarded the NOAA Hollings Scholarship in the spring of 2014. For his Hollings summer internship, Daniel went to Woods Hole, MA, where he worked with the Protected Species Branch and helped to protect North Atlantic Right Whales from human threats, such as fishing gear entanglements and ship collisions. Daniel credits the Honors Program’s heavy emphasis on dense academic texts and in-depth class discussions for his strong “critical thinking skills and writing ability, both of which are [essential] in the sciences.” While in school, Daniel served as the lead of a WWU research project that sought to explore the motivation and food preferences of Harbor Seals in Whatcom Creek. Outside of class, Daniel enjoyed making music with WWU’s concert choir and riding with the WWU cycling team. He is grateful for the Honors Program which gave him “a strong head start into marine science, and what it means to truly be a scientist at the college level and beyond.”