|
John SoHaving been born in Guam, I was exposed to a tropical landscape where I became fascinated with the diversity of living organisms around me. After moving to Orange County, CA, I was intrigued with the large and showy order, Lepidoptera, comprised of butterflies and moths. Like many others, the process of metamorphosis particularly caught my attention. As I started rearing native Lepidoptera, my interests branched out to other areas such as behavior, host plant preferences, and diverse life histories.
I received my Bachelor of Science in Entomology from University of California, Davis in 2017. During my undergraduate career, I assisted the Bohart Museum of Entomology through curating and databasing specimens as well as working with Tardigrades. I also developed a fondness for public outreach. My passion for pest management began at my internship working in an Entomology lab for Marrone Bio Innovations, a company that specializes in developing biopesticides. Upon graduating, I accepted a position as an Assistant Research Scientist at the company to help further advance products against agricultural pests. The research involved testing product efficacy, understanding mode of action, and collaborating with other companies. Overall, my research interests lie in the development of novel insecticides and the effects that they may have on behavior, fecundity, and mortality; ultimately giving rise to more sustainable and safer methods of pest management. Although my previous experience deals with agricultural pests, I will be working with Blattella germanica at UCR. Currently, I am investigating the potential for an inorganic compound to be used as a bait active against German cockroaches. In my spare time, I enjoy hiking, folding origami, rearing Lepidoptera, and tracking down native Saturniid species. Email: jso021(at)ucr.edu |
Publications |
(working hard towards my first paper)
|
