Women scientists, love of nature inspire donor’s gift to the Ag Sciences

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences and its Department of Entomology are benefiting from a $1.5 million gift from a donor who has chosen to remain anonymous. The gift, split into two parts, supports the creation of the Maria Sibylla Merian Endowed Faculty Position and the Rachel Carson Graduate Training Program.

Maria Sibylla Merian Faculty Position

The faculty position, the fifth endowed professorship exclusive to the Department of Entomology, can be filled as an early career professorship, faculty fellowship or professorship. The future holder’s primary teaching and research focus will be the conservation and ecology of Lepidoptera — an order of winged insect including butterflies and moths — with a preferred focus on the butterfly.

The donor, who has a deep love for the natural world, said they are a great admirer of Maria Sibylla Merian, including her life, her work and especially her art. Born in Frankfurt, Germany, Merian was a 17th-century botanical artist who is best known for her artwork documenting insect transformations in Suriname titled “Metamorphosis.” She was one of the first to illustrate the different life stages and metamorphoses of insects, challenging the accepted theory at the time of spontaneous generation from soil.

Starting as a teenager, Merian raised silkworms, moths and butterflies. Through decades of observation, she made notes of behaviors, food sources and the timing of metamorphoses while accurately depicting specimen colors. In addition to “Metamorphosis,” she published other volumes on caterpillars and flower patterns. The professorship will honor her contributions to the field of entomology.

“Endowed and named professorships are the most effective way to recruit top faculty,” said Gary Felton, head of the Department of Entomology. “These professorships are highly desirable for recruiting as they offer an attractive combination of prestige, resources and stability.

“Because the funding is stable, it enables the holder to pursue higher risk, greater impact research that can result in novel discoveries,” he added. “And, in today’s climate, where federal funding is hard to come by, it makes these positions even more desirable. We are deeply appreciative of this donor’s generosity to support such a position within our department.”

This faculty position also can provide support for graduate and undergraduate students, and funds for other research, education and travel expenses as needed by the holder.

Rachel Carson Graduate Training Program

The Rachel Carson Graduate Training Program will enable three graduate students each year from the entomology and ecology programs to integrate the innovative research going on at Penn State’s Center for Pollinator Research and Insect Biodiversity Center with real-world applications and experience working with organizations engaging in habitat, pollinator and insect biodiversity conservation.

Christina Grozinger, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences director and Publius Vergilius Maro Professor of Entomology, noted that community, government and non-profit agencies are looking for students to have both deep expertise and experience in specific fields but also the ability to contribute to outreach and education programs.

“To pursue a successful career in those roles, which are competitive to get, students need a different educational experience with internships and real-world experiences from their degree programs,” Grozinger said.

Students in the program will receive funding for a graduate research project with direct-to-application benefits for insect conservation, while also having an internship-style engagement performing applied work with an agency, such as the Environmental Protection Agency, Xerces, Penn State Extension Master Gardeners or the U.S. Forest Service, among others. They also will pursue coursework in outreach, policy, conservation and management while completing their degree.

“This gift allows a focus on training and research in areas that might otherwise be hard to offer,” said Heather Hines, interim director of the Center for Pollinator Research and Insect Biodiversity Center. “Funding research and training is challenging, and many valuable projects cannot be funded. Such generosity helps jumpstart and advance the pressing conservation initiatives most needed today and provides opportunities for faculty to pursue agency and public connections while building this program area.”

The program is named in honor of Rachel Carson, a native of Springdale, Pennsylvania, who was a biologist, ecologist and writer best known for her 1962 book, “Silent Spring.” During her career, she worked for the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and authored three other books examining the ocean before shifting her focus to chemical pesticides and their impact on the natural world.

Gifts like this advance the University’s historic land-grant mission to serve and lead. Through philanthropy, alumni and friends are helping students to join the Penn State family and prepare for lifelong success; driving research, outreach and economic development that grow our shared strength and readiness for the future; and increasing the University’s impact for families, patients and communities across the commonwealth and around the world. Learn more by visiting raise.psu.edu.