When passions connect: insect biology meets history
H
er love for insects started early. “From the moment I could walk, I was outside looking at insects,” she said. “I even kept a journal as a kid with poorly drawn and labeled bugs from my grandparents’ yard. That little journal still sits on my desk today, reminding me of home.”
Meet Fern Rice, a junior from Columbus, Indiana, who is double majoring in Insect Biology and History Honors through Purdue’s Degree Plus program.
Choosing Purdue was a natural next step. Growing up in a rural community, she was always surrounded by agriculture, and Purdue’s entomology program, known for both research and outreach, offered the perfect environment to turn her childhood passion into a career path.
“Professors are approachable, networking across year levels is easy, and the community fosters both groundbreaking research and supportive collaboration. Everyone works incredibly hard to produce research, but they also work just as hard to build a community,” she said.
Learning THROUGH HANDS-ON EXPERIENCES
In her first semester, she began volunteering at the Purdue Entomological Research Collection (PERC), which houses more than 1.3 million insect specimens. She sorted and documented the correspondence of Willis Blatchley, a notable Indiana naturalist. That work grew into a larger project on professional and amateur naturalists in Indiana, which she presented at the Indiana Academy of Sciences in spring 2024.
“It was amazing to be able to attend a conference and present work as a freshman, something my department supported and made possible,” she said.
She also volunteers for Bug Bowl, part of Purdue’s Spring Fest, and helps with entomology outreach at Tippecanoe County libraries. “It’s so rewarding to see kids and adults light up when they hold a bug for the first time,” she said.
One of her most memorable opportunities has been serving as a collections intern for Purdue Galleries, where she helps to run the integrated pest management program. She monitors climate conditions in gallery spaces, checks insect monitors, inspects items and identifies insects that could damage art or artifacts.
Protecting History, One Specimen at a Time
“Few people get to handle art and look at insects through microscopes, but I get to do both,” she said.
A global perspective
In summer 2025, she studied abroad in the Czech Republic, gaining skills in object research, conservation and preservation while living and learning in a castle in the village of Nelahozeves. “It exposed me to the world’s cultural and insect diversity,” she said. The experience also opened her eyes to careers in museum pest control, a field that combines her two passions.
As a first-generation college student, she sees higher education as both a privilege and a motivation. Her advice to students considering Purdue is simple: there’s a place for everyone. “I never thought my interests in entomology and history would cross over, but Purdue has given me a way to explore both and make them valuable career-building experiences,” she said.
Having the opportunity to attend college is not something I take for granted,” she said. “I want to make the most of it by doing my best in everything I take on. And it helps that I’m studying things I’ve had a lifelong passion for!”
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