Meet the Monarch Butterfly Expert
Meet
Monarch Butterfly Expert, Karen Oberhauser
University of Minnesota Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior
1) Any
childhood memory that was important in guiding you into your occupation?;
how did you become interested in this Field?
My family spent a lot of time in the outdoors: camping, canoeing, and
backpacking.
2) Any person, role model or leading authority that greatly influenced
you?
I'm not sure if this influenced my career decisions, but I've always known
that I wanted to be a biologist.
3) Your background:(job title, profession, education/training etc...)
I have an undergraduate degree in biology from Harvard University and
a PhD from the University of Minnesota in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavioral
Biology. I taught high school science in Onalaska, Wisconsin for three
years before starting my PhD work. My job now involves teaching college
classes, most of them for teachers, advising six graduate students who
all study butterflies, and doing research on monarch butterflies.
4) Favorite work story or experience: (One of your most exciting, memorable,
or exhilarating experiences in the Field!)
This is an easy one. My first visit to the monarch overwintering sanctuaries
in Mexico was definitely a highlight! I'll never forget the feelings I
had when I first saw millions of monarchs clustered in oyamel fir trees
on a mountaintop.
5) What advice can you provide to a student who might be interested
in working in your occupation some day?
Learn to ask questions!
6) Any family members, including pets?
I am the oldest of four girls, and have two daughters. My daughters help
me with my research and teaching every summer. My husband Don is also
a biologist; he studies a moth that is an important pest on corn. We have
two cats, many fish, and, in the summer, hundreds of monarch butterflies!
7) Favorite book(s), Favorite food(s), Any hobbies?
I read all the time; my favorite author is Barbara Kingsolver. My favorite
food is cheesecake, and the only hobby I still have time for is running,
which I do for four to seven miles every morning, even in the winter in
Minnesota. I spend lots of time watching my daughters play hockey!
Visit Karen's "Monarchs in the Classroom" education program Web site called "MonarchLab"
