Even at just 5 years old, Jessica Ward knew she wanted to be a veterinarian. The child of 2 scientists, Ward says she was always curious and trying to learn new things about the natural world. Animals were the subject she was always most interested in learning about. It led her to veterinary school and eventually to the country of Botswana in southern Africa, where she studied lion prides for a year while living in the bush. Her curiosity also pushed her to research new ways of using ultrasound to study lungs in animals. Her research has become a vital tool for diagnosing animals, and has changed the curriculum for Iowa State veterinary students she helps teach.
