The Frost Entomological Museum cares for a large (>1.3 million specimens), historical collection of insects and related arthropods from around the world. The collection is accessed frequently for use in research, education, and outreach. The collection is also constantly growing, with the addition of several thousand specimens annually. This use and growth requires a lot of management and curation. Example tasks include:
- preparing new specimens
- addressing museum conservation issues that compromise specimens (for example, replenishing preservatives and cleaning specimens)
- preparing specimen data for global accessibility (biodiversity informatics)
- using design and informal education best practices to develop new exhibits and then test their effectiveness
Students can enroll for internship (ENT 495) or research (ENT 496) credit, depending on the project, each of which counts towards the minor in Entomology.
Museum staff organize new projects every semester that touch on one of four focal areas: specimen preparation, collection conservation, databasing, and public engagement. Students work with museum staff to fulfill the goals for each project.
Training can be provided in the following areas, as appropriate:
- how to pin, point, slide-mount, or otherwise prepare specimens
- how to monitor and remediate museum problems (for example, museum pests)
- spreadsheets, data standards (Darwin Core), and methods for sharing biodiversity data (for example, GBIF)
- niche modeling to understand species distributions or invasion threats (biosecurity)
- effective exhibit design and development of other informational resources
- Passion for biodiversity and museums
- Curiosity about the natural world
- Excellent attention to detail, in part to maintain accuracy of historical records
- Extreme care in handling small, fragile objects
- Ability and willingness to learn new software
- resume
- statement of interest
Send resume and statement of interest (one page maximum) to Laura Porturas (ldp5188@psu.edu), collection manager at the Frost Entomological Museum. The statement should describe your major/minor at Penn State and which kind of project interests you and why.