Entomologist

Sandy M. Smith

When I was in school I knew I wanted to observe the actions of living things. I liked to see responsive behaviour and originally intended to pursue microbiology. After looking at Petri dishes and through microscopes for awhile it was obvious that there wasn’t enough going on to keep me interested. I chose insects and I have been fascinated with them for the twenty-two years of my career. I needed a practical application for my education in entomology and I soon found it with Forestry Canada. A couple of years later I joined the University of Toronto and advanced from Adjunct to Assistant Professor and then to Associate Professor.

Through research, hard work, collaboration and sound scientific process I have been able to establish the respect of my colleagues and peers. One of the rewards of this occupation I value most is my autonomy. An entomologist with a doctorate can find employment opportunities in teaching at universities or colleges or research positions in government, private industry or environmental consulting non-governmental agencies. I need to be aware of research priorities, government policies and funding criteria. It is essential to anticipate the next question of importance so you are prepared with a proposal to meet those needs.

To do all this requires me to read constantly from scientific journals as well as the Internet. I also receive current research papers from the university library on topics of interest. Sometimes the amount of information is difficult to manage, however, it is important to keep your standards high. As a university professor, I see increasing pressure to perform better in terms of teaching, research and administration. An emerging trend is to separate the practicing professional working in the field from those that research and those that teach. As the demands on individuals increase, there will often be one person who focuses on teaching and one who focuses on research where before a single person covered those roles. My personal future will include research in other parts of the country where I hope to broaden the scientific basis of my work.

Know what you don’t like and you’ll find what you like. If you work hard and are good at what you do the job will come. Networking is a great way to make connections. The community of entomologists is small in Canada and even internationally so it is easy to get to know many of the people in this type of work. I am a professor at a university so my work is a balance of research and teaching roles. Daily tasks include writing research proposals for funding agencies, designing and setting up experiments, collecting data in the lab, analyzing and interpreting data, writing scientific papers for journals, reviewing other people’s journal papers and writing summaries and annual reports for funding agencies.

My teaching role involves classroom lecture, review of student graduate theses, administrative roles and setting academic programs. I get re-energized by the students. Their positive, critical approach is inspiring and makes me aware of the possibilities for my own learning During my career as an entomologist I have trained thirty-five graduate students in advanced degrees, published fifty-four refereed journal papers, provided a biological pest control alternative to practitioners, taught in over fifteen courses at the university and became President of the Entomological Society of Canada. I was fortunate to receive the C. Gordon Hewitt Award from the Entomological Society of Canada for "Outstanding Achievement in Entomology by an Individual Under 40 in Canada”. These accomplishments are a career-long contribution to the betterment of the environment.