Jan 31, 2018
Tyson postdoc Katie Westby shared her passion for insects, and mosquitoes in particular, with 2nd grade students at The Biome School in the Central West End neighborhood of St. Louis. She explained how insects have different jobs in the environment and showed off her personal insect collections. The students learned about the mosquito life cycle and what Katie's life is like as a research scientist.
Student drawing of Dr. Katie's visit to a 2nd grade class at The Biome School.
Katie feels strongly about fostering "girl power" in science and has recently spent more time reaching out to the larger community. She met with 5th grade girls at Adams Elementary School in the Southwest Garden neighborhood, sharing stories about women, and specifically women of color, who have chosen careers in science.
Read more about Katie's research on container mosquitoes and invasive Asian tiger mosquitoes in urban areas.