When did you realize you wanted to work in STEM or Skilled Trades?
I knew I wanted to work in a science-related field in high school, but at the time the only careers I was aware of were medicine and engineering. I didn't want to be a doctor, so I started university in an engineering program. I realized after a few years that the actual work done by engineers wasn't what I wanted to do, but I really enjoyed the math courses I had been taking, so I switched my focus to mathematics and statistics. I had always liked biology, so I thought I would do a graduate degree in applied math, focusing on modelling biological systems. After getting a summer job as a research assistant on a project about how black widow spiders use vibratory signals to communicate, I fell in love with spiders and their behaviour, and have been studying spiders, their ecology, and communication ever since. I never knew when I was growing up that the kind of scientific research I do now was a potential career (and I was actually terrified of spiders until I started working with them in my mid-20s).
What is a common misconception about your field of work?
I am basically a field biologist, but even so, a lot of my time is spent in front of a computer. For a lot of biologists, the farther you go in your career, the less time you actually get to spend outside doing fieldwork. I think most people don't realize how much math and writing are involved in biology. You need to use math and statistics to analyze data, and biologists spend a lot of time writing proposals and scientific papers.
What do you do for fun? What are some of your hobbies/activities?
I like to go on nature walks with my partner, who is also an entomologist and macro-photographer. I look for insects and spiders for him to photograph. I also love to go for hikes with my dogs, knit, quilt, and sew, and read science fiction and fantasy.
What is your favorite book? Why is it your favorite?
My current favourite book is Children of Time, a science fiction book in which some of the protagonists are spiders based on a real species of extremely intelligent spider. As an arachnologist, I love how this book combines science fiction with speculative evolution, and how the author often includes aliens based on insects and their relatives in his work.
What is an app on your smart phone that you couldn’t live without?
I use iNaturalist all the time, both for fun and in my research. It is a great way to connect with nature and document the spiders and other animals that I see no matter where I am.
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