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Tanya Dapkey
Staff Scientist, Academy of Natural Sciences
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You will need good people in your corner to help support you.
WHAT DO YOU DO?
I am an entomologist who studies insects in streams to learn more about the health of the stream.
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THIS FIELD?
I was lucky to have great professors in college who studied entomology and fresh water ecology. They were inspirational and helped guide me.
WHAT DO YOU LOOK AT & THINK, "I WISH YOUNGER ME WOULD HAVE KNOWN THIS WAS POSSIBLE?"
I work in the oldest natural history museum in our country, I never thought I would be part of such an amazing institution.
WHY DO YOU LOVE WORKING IN STEM?
I love working in STEM because I am able to be employed in a field I love and that makes sense to me. I look forward to organizing, identifying and writing about insects!
BEST ADVICE FOR NEXT GENERATION?
It's hard to "have it all." Being a mother and working is challenging, but with hard work you can do it. Never give up on yourself, seek mentors who can help guide you and advocate for you. You will need good people in your corner to help support you.
INSPO / FUN FACT
"In my youth, I spent my time investigating insects." Maria Sibylla Merian