About Me

My name is Annika, and I'm an entomologist who loves talking with anyone and everyone about the fascinating, beautiful, and bizarre world of arthropods! From school visits to presentations at libraries and science centers to outreach events, I absolutely love talking about the natural world with the public. When I was five years old, I decided I wanted to be an entomologist - and never changed my mind! I graduated college in 2019 with a degree in Entomology from Cornell University, and decided to stick around for a PhD in the same field. I started doing insect outreach in high school the old-fashioned way (with an insect Tumblr blog!) and have been unable to shut up about bugs ever since!

Though that blog is now defunct, you can still find me online on my Instagram and Twitter, where I post stories and photos about my field experiments, insect art, and sometimes get political.

My Philosophy

I strongly believe that displaying passion is the best way to inspire interest, and that cultivating a relationship with the natural world can begin with the smallest of organisms, in any place or time and at any age. Connecting with other living beings, through knowledge and understanding, is a powerful way to affect positive attitudinal and behavioral changes - with the goal of working towards a world full of environmentally conscious and caring humans. If I can cause one person to take a second look at an insect outdoors, get someone to pay closer attention to what they plant in their garden, or best of all, teach their children the value of respecting even the smallest of life forms - that's all I could ever ask for. Do I believe insects can save the world? Not on their own, but…they're a fantastic place to start! 

Bugs should be for everyone, but access to science (and the science itself) is shaped by institutional, societal, and political barriers that we cannot ignore as science communicators. Science without political or social awareness is irresponsible, exclusionary, and dangerous. I recommend following ENTOPOC - and all their team members - on social media for more information on the work being done to diversify biology and entomology and break down barriers to access in our field.




Thanks for reading...click through the rest of my site to see my publications, digital art, murals, and more!