Not every entomologist grew up with a love for bugs. I spoke with Dr. Rebecca Maldonado about how she discovered a love for insects during college and how that turned into a PhD and continuing into a postdoctoral position.

During her PhD, Dr. Maldonado was fortunate enough to get to do some field work in Australia. I had a ton of fun hearing her stories about braving extreme weather (both dry and wet) while searching for termites. You might also be surprised by her go-to piece of collecting equipment, although once she shares what it is you'll probably think, "Of course!"

She also had some great life advice she received from her dad about picking a career path. But my favorite quote from the interview has to be "If there's an insect around, you have a friend."