From Carlisle to Tanzania: Learning to Live Alongside Wildlife
Darian Crim ’28 in Tanzania
Student Snapshot: Darian Crim ’28
For Darian Crim ’28, studying biology at Dickinson has taken him from his hometown of Carlisle to Tanzania, where he explored wildlife conservation and the challenges of human-carnivore interactions. Along the way, supportive professors have helped him discover opportunities in the field, while competing in soccer and track has taught him to learn from setbacks and keep improving.
Hometown:
Carlisle, PA.
High School:
Carlisle High School.
Majors:
Clubs and organizations:
Dickinson men’s soccer and track.
On Dickinson experience:
The faculty are amazing because of the flexibility they have in how they teach. They’re also available outside of class, and I often end up having conversations with them about both class topics and real-world issues. I’m not just another student to them; I feel like a real person they care about and want to see succeed.
Best thing about my major:
The biology faculty are always available when I need help, whether that’s for a quick five-minute meeting or a longer conversation. The pre-med advisors and my major advisor have also done a great job introducing me to opportunities and helping me stay on track.
Favorite class/learning experience:
Wildlife Ecology with Professor Wingert. He has been working in this area for around three times as long as I’ve been alive, and he would stop in the middle of class to tell stories that connected back to what we were learning. His passion for the subject was contagious. He taught me things about the area and even my own backyard that I never knew before, and after the class I viewed my home in a completely different way.
Favorite professors:
Professors Boback, Frey, Niblock, Wingert and O’Neill have all inspired me and served as my advisors. Every time I meet with them, they share information that can help advance my career and take the time to ask about my interests before suggesting pathways and experiences that might be a good fit for me.
On studying abroad:
I spent the summer in Tanzania, where I learned about the challenges of conserving wildlife in communities that live alongside predators. Local communities can see predators as a threat to their livestock and even their families, while those same animals are an important part of Tanzania’s tourism economy. I learned about ways humans and predators can coexist and about the difficult decisions involved in balancing the needs of local communities with wildlife conservation.
About my research:
My research examined carnivore-human interactions and how the expansion of human activity in conservation areas has affected carnivore home ranges over the past 40 years. As people bring livestock into these areas, carnivores have access to a more concentrated food source, which can change how far they travel and cause their home ranges to overlap more frequently.
Post-Dickinson plans:
Medical school.
Proudest accomplishment so far:
Being named an Academic All-American in track and field.
Most important thing I’ve learned so far:
You will fail a lot. I’ve had some poor performances on exams and in soccer and track, but failure has given me information about where I need to put in more effort. I try to take what I’ve learned from each setback and use it to improve the next time I compete or take an exam.
Honors/scholarships/awards:
Centennial Conference 400-meter champion, Centennial Conference Men's Soccer champion, and school-record holder in the 4x100, 4x200 and 4x400 relays.
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Published August 18, 2026