Casey
She/Her
I am bi and I am an entomologist.//
Currently, I am a graduate student studying sustainable agriculture and entomology. I study new methods of varroa mite control in honey bee hives, and help with my lab’s research pertaining to wild bees, particularly bumble bees, and their floral preferences. I spend my summers in the field and I would not have it any other way (except for when I step on a yellowjacket nest while waking through a pollinator meadow).
I struggle with my identify in my professional career at times. Sometimes we forget that coming out does not happen just the once, but is an ongoing decision throughout our lives as we meet new people. While I still get anxious when I first open up about my sexual identity, it is comforting to know that I am being true to myself and helping promote the amazing queer community within STEM.
In times of stress, I tend to make my way into the woods with my pup for some fresh air and time to reconnect with nature. There’s nothing like turning over a rotten log and finding an entire secret ecosystem to remind you that we’re all just here, doing what we can and being who we are.