Name: Kyla F
Role: Entomologist 
Location: Institute for Horticultural Development Knoxfield 

ABOUT MY CAREER 

What is an Entomologist?
»Somebody who studies insects. 

What does a typical day in your job involve? 
»I identify and preserve samples of pest insects so they can be permanently stored in the collection for future reference. 
»All of the information I collect on the different insects I identify is stored on a database so that it can be used again later. 
»I am also involved in teaching other people that work in the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) about pest insects and diagnosing pest problems for farmers, orchardists and members of the public. 
»The information I collect helps to keep the Victorian Agricultural Insect Collection up to date. 

What do you enjoy most about your job? 
»Looking at interesting insects under the microscope. 

Why did you choose this career?
»It's fascinating! 
»There are literally thousands of undiscovered species of insects in the world each interesting in their own right. 
»So very little is known about the role insects play in the Australian environment. 
»We don't even know how many species of insects there are in Australia yet we know that they are an important part of a healthy ecosystem. 
»We need to know more about these little creatures so that we can make more informed choices about environmental management. 

What would you like to do in the future? 
»I would like to continue to work in entomology and help young, up and coming scientists get involved in this area of work. 

A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MYSELF 

Where did you grow up?
»I grew up in the leafy suburb of Eltham in Melbourne where it was possible to go for walks in the bush or along the Yarra River without going too far away from home. The mature eucalypts in the front garden housed an abundance of birds, many possums and the occasional koala. 

How did this influence your chosen career?
»I grew up with an appreciation of the 'bush' and decided I wanted to learn more about Biology and Environmental Science.

EDUCATION AND TRAINING 

Were courses in secondary school planned for this sort of work? 
»No - the only option I had when I went to school was to study biology. I believe Environmental Science is a subject available to current VCE students however. 

Which University or TAFE course have you completed? 
»I went to University to do a Bachelor of Education in Environmental Science which meant I could become a secondary school teacher. After two years, however, I decided teaching was not for me and transferred to a straight Bachelor of Science degree.
»The emphasis of this degree was on environmental studies but I really enjoyed the invertebrate zoology components. 
»I returned to University some time later to complete an honours degree where I studied macro-invertebrate communities in streams, focusing on mayflies. 
»Some time later, again, I won a PhD scholarship to study Australian mayflies, in particular their status as bio-indicators of aquatic health. I am still completing this - nearly finished! 

Have you completed any Work experience?
»While I was travelling and working in London, I worked as a volunteer at the Natural History Museum in the Entomology Department sorting specimens and entering them onto the database. 
»After a while I was offered full-time employment working on a project to re-curate and database the Department's famous Rothschild Collection of Fleas, which had unfortunately been neglected through lack of funding. 
»I have also worked as a volunteer at the Manchester Museum and, closer to home, the Museum of Victoria (before it moved to Carlton Gardens!) 

FUTURE OPPURTUNITIES 

Is there a lot of learning on the job?
»A taxonomic background has allowed me to adapt my skills to study a new order of insects from that which I have expertise. 
»My focus has shifted to terrestrial agricultural pests and every day I am amazed at the number and variety of pests that affect our agricultural crops. 

Do you plan to do further study?
»No more immediate plans for study after finishing the PhD - I will have had enough by then! 

Do you travel much in your job?
»Our team has done some extensive travelling to collect samples of pest species through out Victoria and to look for potential new pests that could be a problem. For example, we have made trips to the grape growing regions of Mildura and the stone-fruit areas of the Goulburn Valley.
»We work closely with other institutes, such as those at Horsham and Tatura and visit them for meetings and to discuss research. 
»We travel interstate and sometimes overseas to attend conferences which are vital for meeting people working in our area and to learn about the work they are involved with.
»I try to attend the Annual Entomological Society of Australia conference every year, which was held in Sydney this year and Darwin last year. 

What are graduates from you course doing now? 
»Scientist at the Arthur Rylah Institute (NRE) in Heidelberg
»Director of the Victorian College of Health Care Education 
»Scientific Environmental Consultant for Hydro Tasmania 
»Technician for Co-operative Research Centre for Freshwater Ecology 
»Lecturer at Overseas University 
»Post-doctoral researcher at Monash University 

ADVICE TO STUDENTS NOW 

Primary students 
»Enjoy it! 

Secondary Students 
»The most important thing is to get through VCE without too much stress. A successful VCE will be a 'foot in the door' for whatever you choose to do later, even if you don't know what you want to do now!
»Take time for yourself and learn about what you like and are good at! 

Tertiary Students
»Science at university does not specialise much in the first few years. Take the opportunity to study a wide range of topics so you get to know what you are good at. 
»If you know what you want to do, involve yourself as much as you can. Go to relevant talks, do volunteer work and join a study group or society. 
»Volunteer work shows you are keen and willing to take on extra responsibility and looks good on your Curriculum Vitae. These days universities have people who can help you with relevant summer and vacation work, work placements or even overseas study if you want it.