Bug Talk

On this episode of Bug Talk, Ariana and Jen chat with Dr. Marjorie Weber, evolutionary ecologist and assistant professor at Michigan State University's Plant Biology department. We chat about the importance of art, diversity in science, and her career journey researching plant-arthropod mutualisms!
Check out the Weber lab's platform for education in diversity throughout science!
https://projectbiodiversify.org/

This week our cohosts, Ariana and Natalie, talked with M.S. students Colin Bailey and Ellie Darling from MSU. We discussed their love for drawing, crazy things you can get from yard sales, if they are team Friends or The Office, and team Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings. Listen in to hear our controversial opinions on these TV shows and movies!

In this episode Ali and Zsofia chatted with Dr. Jen Pechal about maintaining insect colonies at home during quarantine, traveling to do research on different continents, her childhood inspiration for studying decomposition, her garden and animals in her backyard, and teaching. 

This week Logan Appenfeller and Kayleigh Hauri discuss Zoom defenses and post-graduation plans, fantasy books, and real-life superpowers. Congratulations Logan, and good luck with the move and the new job!

In today’s podcast Andrea Glassmire talks to four current postdocs in the Entomology Department, Drs. Eli Bloom, Kelsey Graham, Nate Haan, and Benjamin Jarrett, to find out what life is like as a postdoc at Michigan State University. Our conversation spanned many topics including how we found our current postdoc, the importance of networking, and balancing work and life. It turns out we all took different strategies to get to where we are today. We are all successful because we are doing what we love….Entomology!! Send any questions in regard to this episode to Andrea’s email: <[email protected]>.

In this podcast Ariana, Jen and Zsofia talk to Dr. Therese Poland about her life growing up in Canada, how she found a career in forest entomology focusing on chemical ecology, and running 20 marathons. We also chatted about the Michigan Entomological Society and her recently becoming the coeditor-in-chief of Environmental Entomology. Therese works for the US Forest Service and is also an adjunct professor in our department. The book Therese recommended in this podcast is “Buzz - The nature and necessity of bees” by Thor Hanson. The gods of technology were not with us during the recording, so we expose how the sausage gets made since we don’t edit the audio files - sorry about that - we hope you still enjoy this episode.

This week we chat with Brianna Alred, graduate student in the Szucs Lab, about the transition to grad school and best places to go hiking in Michigan. Hosts of this episode were Ariana and Kayleigh.

Join us this week as we chat with Dr. Rufus Isaacs and discuss hobbies outside of science, how to tell someone they have their facts wrong, and Detroit’s top museums. Hosts of this episode were Andrea, Jen, and Kayleigh. Rufus’s band recommendation: https://newenafrobeat.bandcamp.com/

In this episode we talk to Dr. Meghan Milbrath about her love of the outdoors, being an EMT in Maine and California, going abroad to do research in Tanzania and Ecuador, getting a PhD in human epidemiology at the University of Michigan and then choosing to pursue a career working with honey bees at MSU. She is currently the coordinator of the Michigan Pollinator Initiative and also keeps honey bees as a hobby. Meghan has found a way to blend her personal passions with a professional career.

In this weeks podcast we meet Dr. Adam Ingrao, alumnus of our department, where he got his PhD in 2018. Adam wears many hats, he is currently working with MSU Extension as a Veteran's Liaison, runs the Heros to Hives Program, and is State Co-Coordinator for North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (NCR SARE). He and his wife live full time on the Upper Peninsula where they have a lavender farm and keep honey bees (beewisefarms.com). Adam has many interests, and he is able to juggle them all at the same time, with a great sense of humor.