When I was a kid, I had great hopes of becoming the world's greatest zoo keeper. My goal was to keep these animals alive, so I paid careful attention to what they needed to eat and drink and found out more about their behavior. I became more and more interested until I was able to study zoology in school.
I got my Ph.D. in zoology from the University of Oklahoma. While at graduate school, I was a research assistant in herpetology (the study of reptiles). My job was to curate the specimens in the university collections and present programs for children. It turned out that I enjoyed the experience. As I became involved in the educational part, I found I liked the museum environment very much. I was then hired at the Illinois State Museum, where I've served in the zoology department for more than a few years!
As a curator of zoology at the Illinois State Museum, I study the genetics of certain animals. My lab work and fieldwork vary from project to project. I spend most of my time in the lab. In just one day of fieldwork I can collect enough material to keep me busy in the lab for a year and a half. In general, the lab portion takes much longer than my field work.
The process of discovery is my favorite part of what I do. I enjoy taking problems and finding out something that no one else in the world knows. It doesn't matter if it is genetics, animal behavior, or field ecology; the process of researchócollecting data, answering questions, data analysis, and writing up resultsóis what I enjoy. The process of scientific research is the important part; it provides an exciting way to answer questions.
Take courses in the biological sciences, math, physics, and chemistry. The ability to write and speak in front of a group is also crucial. Verbal and written communication will be even more important in the future than they were in the past.
Learning
is a life-long pursuit. This is the case for all fields. As you step out
of school, your learning curve is just beginning. So, even after you finish
graduate school it's necessary to take time to learn new techniques, since
our knowledge of the natural world and ways to study it are always evolving.
Curator of Zoology (Entomologist)
I was always interested in insects. I visited museums in grade school, did collections projects in high school, and had several summer internships at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History. I later joined a Smithsonian scientific expedition to Madagascar to study insect life on that island.
At college I studied wildlife biology and then went on to get my master's degree in entomology, ecology, and botany, and my Ph.D. in entomology. For a time I was a graduate teacher and an adjunct professor of biology. It's now been more than twenty years since I first began working in the zoology labs of the Illinois State Museum.
As an entomologist, I study the taxonomy (classification), distribution, and ecology of insects. I identify and study insectsómostly dragonflies, butterflies, and moths. I also identify insects and sometimes reptiles for the general public, poison control centers, and hospitals, My main interest is fieldwork on the dragonflies of Illinois and research on the Hine's emerald dragonfly, a federal and state endangered species.
I curate the Museum's insect collections and enter information about them into an electronic database. I participate in education programs and help develop the background information for exhibits. Like most zoologists, I have a strong interest in animals and how they adapt to their environments.
To pursue
a career as a museum zoologist, you must have a broad background in natural
history and a Ph.D. in your area of special interestófor example, entomology
(the study of insects), ornithology (the study of birds), or mammalogy (the
study of mammals).