Linden Reid
She/Her
I am queer and I am a museum educator, parasitologist, and educational diversity specialist.//
I’ve loved being outdoors and learning about “gross” science for as long as I can remember, so when I learned about parasitology in high school I knew I wanted to pursue it. I have a B.S. in Biology with specializations in parasitology and statistics, and a research interest in endoparasitic population change after weather events, particularly after fire and rain. I’ve studied two populations — nematode infection among small southern African rodents, and gregarine infection among damselflies, and any and all opportunities for field work are close to my heart.
I had to leave my masters program in Zoology “all but thesis” after a medical crisis, and several years later realized I was more interested in the way we translate and communicate science than I am spending time in a lab. I graduated in August of 2022 with an M.Ed. in Diversity Education with a specialty in studying women in science, and now work for the Milwaukee Public Museum as the Diversity and STEM Educator on staff.
My interests now center around the socialization of interest for stereotypically “gross” organisms, empathetic approaches to museum displays and education, the integration of scientific approaches from minoritized populations, and the broader ethical implications, history, and process of museums displaying human remains.
We’re told as scientists that our path to “becoming a scientist” has to look a certain way, but there is always opportunity to change direction and take chances we never thought we would have been interested in. I love hearing about non-traditional paths to science, about museums, and about anything strange science related, so feel free to reach out!