Isley-Baerg Entomology Club Hosts Outreach Event at Fayetteville Library

Photo by Palika Dias-Morse

Bumpers College graduate students (from left) Janithri Wickramanayake, Krista Pike and Stephen Robertson from the Isley-Baerg Entomology Club talk to young students at the Fayetteville Library about insects and careers in entomology.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Science's Isley-Baerg Entomology Club recently hosted a community outreach program at the Fayetteville Library to confront common misconceptions about insects and inform the community about insects and entomology.

The club, housed in Bumpers College's Department of Entomology, hosted a presentation entitled "Careers in Entomology." The program was presented by entomology graduate students Krista Pike, Stephen Robertson and Janithri Wickramanayake.

"The outreach at the Fayetteville Library is an example of club members taking time out of their busy schedules to talk to students about why they got involved in entomology and where they hope their studies will lead them," said Joe Black, outreach coordinator for the Isley-Baerg Entomology Club.

The presentation featured practical tools used in the entomology field, including sweep nets and insect traps, as well as a small collection of insects for the students to observe.

The club is composed of graduate and undergraduate students as well as members in postdoctoral positions who are interested in entomology. The club has a priority in educational outreach, specifically focusing on educating children.

"The club strives to introduce children and adults alike to the world of insects and hopefully kindle a love for bugs," said Black.

The event drew more than 20 students and parents.

"Bugs are everywhere, bugs are life," said Robertson.

The club also hosts a semi-annual insect festival where live insects are displayed with various activities. Other aspects featured are the roles of insects in food and insect research at the U of A.

About the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences: Bumpers College provides life-changing opportunities to position and prepare graduates who will be leaders in the businesses associated with foods, family, the environment, agriculture, sustainability and human quality of life; and who will be first-choice candidates of employers looking for leaders, innovators, policy makers and entrepreneurs. The college is named for Dale Bumpers, former Arkansas governor and longtime U.S. senator who made the state prominent in national and international agriculture.

About the University of Arkansas: The University of Arkansas provides an internationally competitive education for undergraduate and graduate students in more than 200 academic programs. The university contributes new knowledge, economic development, basic and applied research, and creative activity while also providing service to academic and professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the University of Arkansas among only 2 percent of universities in America that have the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the University of Arkansas among its top American public research universities. Founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas comprises 10 colleges and schools and maintains a low student-to-faculty ratio that promotes personal attention and close mentoring.