University of Colorado at Boulder student Julia Massey, one of the top students on the fall 2002 dean's list for the College of Arts and Sciences, is following her dream of becoming a primatologist, a dream inspired by an article she read on Jane Goodall when she was in seventh grade.
Massey, who currently holds a 3.78 grade-point average, has been on the dean's list every semester since she started attending CU-Boulder in 2001. Originally from Catonsville, Md., Massey chose CU-Boulder to accomplish the first step in pursuing her career goals.
"When I was in seventh grade, I read an article on Jane Goodall in National Geographic and decided 'that's what I want to do,' " Massey said. "I called the Jane Goodall Institute and asked them what I would have to do to become a primatologist and they told me to start out by going into anthropology, so I chose CU because of its great anthropology department."
Massey also was accepted into the President's Leadership Class and the Kittredge Honors Program and has maintained an active schedule outside of her classes. She has participated in intramural sports on campus, volunteered at the Boulder County AIDS Project, worked at Norlin Library and the physics department, interned for the Kittredge Honors Program and participated in a student-run production of the musical "Godspell."
"I was looking for a good anthropology department and I love outdoor activities, so once I saw the mountains I knew CU would be a perfect fit for me," Massey said.
Her goal at CU-Boulder is to take as many classes from recommended professors as possible. She also plans to study abroad in Africa next fall through the School for International Training, where she hopes to gain experience in wildlife research.
After graduation, which is slated for May 2005, Massey hopes to begin doing research in Africa and eventually would like to go to graduate school. But for now she is enjoying her time at CU-Boulder.
In order to be placed on the dean's list, a student must maintain a GPA of 3.5 or better for the semester and be enrolled in 12 or more credit hours on the Boulder campus. The dean's list is generated for the fall and spring semesters of each academic year.
For a full listing of students who are on the 2002 dean's list for the College of Arts and Sciences go to