Battus philenor, by Kevin Roddy
Battus philenor caterpillar – artwork by Sonoma Mendez on Leah’s fingernails
As of July, 2024, I am retired from UC Davis, and am no longer taking on any new graduate students.
I am proud to have trained students with diverse career goals. Of the 31 students or postdoctoral researchers who have worked in my laboratory group, 13 are currently in professorial positions, 7 are in the private sector (most doing research, but 2 recent PhD recipients have founded their own companies), one is working for a non-profit conservation agency, one is working for the State of California as a scientific advisor focused on invasive species, one is working as a researcher at an international agricultural research institute, and 7 are currently in postdoctoral researcher positions. Thus, while academia is still the commonest career goal, my lab members have also thrived in other diverse career paths. I think this is a positive aspect of work on insect ecology: it is relevant beyond the Ivory Tower.
Photo credit: Yao Hua Law