Inside SFS

Emma Deveraux ’07

Research Intern for the Organization for Tropical Studies in South Africa

Emma Devereux ’07 graduated from Duke University this past spring, where she majored in Evolutionary Anthropology. Emma attended Lick-Wilmerding High School after spending 11 formative years at SFS. During the fall of her junior year Emma studied abroad in South Africa with the Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS). Inspired by her semester abroad, Emma is back in South Africa for nine months as a research intern for OTS before applying to veterinary school.

Emma is working on a conservation-based research project in Kruger National Park. She is evaluating a method to manage elephant populations in and around protected areas of South Africa. Her team will be testing the viability of using African honeybees to deter elephants from areas where they are considered “damage-causing.” If the method proves effective their research could provide park managers and community members with a management strategy for deterring crop-raiding elephants, which can help mitigate human-elephant conflict. This particular strategy can afford economic benefits as the honey can be harvested and sold by local community members. Emma is excited to share her experiences abroad through her personal blog. Read more at https://emmadevereux.wordpress.com.

Posted December 17, 2015