Tracey Tobkin

Biology and BioArt

Tracey began her journey shortly after, the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College captivated her with its idyllic landscape, genuine community, and intimate connections between students and professors. There is an all-around passion for learning at the Honors College that made it the one and only choice for Tracey. The interdisciplinary approach of the Honors College is what allowed Tracey to broaden her perspective and gain a greater appreciation for the world around her. Though she began as a Biology student, who had never before picked up a paintbrush, the warm encouragement from Christopher Tepetitlan, a fellow Wilkes Honors College student and the invaluable guidance of Dorotha Lemeh, an Associate Professor of Studio Arts catalyzed Tracey’s studies in the Fine Arts. She now holds a double concentration in Biology and Bioart, and could not be happier. Tracey’s passion and focus in her studies is ornithology, the study of birds. As a student at the Honors College, she has taken a cross-disciplinary approach to the hummingbird, analyzing it from the biological, visual-artistic, and literary perspectives. Her time at the Wilkes Honors College has even enabled her to take the first steps in writing and illustrating a children’s book about hummingbirds. Tracey has had the great privilege to hold the positions as the Co-president of ART Club, Teaching Assistant, Elite Owl Leadership Ambassador, Certified Global Student Leader, and Wilkes Honors College Student Ambassador. She has presented her research on Bioart at the Florida Collegiate Honors Council (FCHC) Conferences, and attended the NCCWSL after receiving the top scholarship from Northern Palm Beach County’s American Association of University Women (AAUW) chapter. When it comes time for Tracey to move beyond the Wilkes Honors College, she plans to continue her ornithological research through a Ph.D. program in ecology or evolutionary biology. Likewise, she plans to take the next steps in her career as a budding children’s book author and illustrator.