Monmouth’s Caleb Ruyle just can’t seem to get enough of the outdoors.
The senior third baseman for the Fighting Scots knows his days in the diamond sun are limited, but when the environmental science major looks into post-graduate opportunities, he hopes the sun is shining on him, both literally and figuratively.
“I am thankful to Monmouth College for allowing me the opportunity to study a subject that I truly enjoy,” said Ruyle, who came to MC from Routt Catholic High School in Jacksonville, Ill. “Hopefully, studying environmental science will lead me into a career where I can put my love of the natural world to use and have a significant impact on the lives of both humans and wildlife.”
Ruyle said the type of wildlife conservation position he’s seeking often requires a master’s degree.
“Because of that and because I would really like to enjoy college for a couple more years, I’m interested in attending the University of Illinois and pursuing a master’s degree in natural resources and environmental sciences.”
Ruyle said he made the decision to commit to environmental science during his freshman year, switching from his declared choice of biology.
“I have always been an avid outdoorsman, and environmental science allows me to better explore my interest in nature, wildlife, the environment, and all of the interaction between them,” he explained. “So far, Field Zoology has been my favorite class. All of the labs consisted of interacting with different types of animals in several different ways, including observation and trapping. We even took a weekend trip to southern Illinois to study reptiles, which was one of the best experiences I have had at Monmouth.”
During the upcoming academic year, Ruyle will work with associate professor of biology Kevin Baldwin, researching the effects of the pharmaceutical Zoloft on fish reaction time.
Ruyle has a passion for the major and recommends it to students as “a great program to study at Monmouth. There is the option to pursue a concentration in science or policy. A policy concentration allows students to explore the economic and political aspect of environmental science and a science concentration allows students to take more biology classes and focus on the actual science of the field.”
Ruyle chose the science concentration but has also taken some policy courses and has become very interested in the business side of environmental science, so much so that he has picked up a minor in business administration.
"The Midwest Conference is formed as an organization of colleges sharing a similar educational philosophy of inter-collegiate athletics. Conference members believe that intercollegiate athletics provide unique and valuable experiences in the total educational program. They contribute significantly to the development of the individual students and provide excellent opportunity for their growth, self-realization, and the fulfillment of personal potential." (Excerpt from MWC Constitution)