17 Jessica Ware

Dr. Jessica Ware

Time period:

2001-present

Subject:

Entomology

Biography:

Jessica Ware spent her childhood in Ontario, going on to receive her Bachelor of Science from the University of British Columbia in 2001. From there, she finished her PhD in Entomology in 2008 at Rutgers University. Dr. Ware is currently an Associate Curator for Invertebrate Zoology at the American Museum of Natural History where her current research looks at the behaviours and evolution of insects, particularly the groups of insects that include dragonflies, cockroaches and termites, using phylogenetics.

Summary of their contributions:

Dr. Ware has made wide contributions to the field of entomology. Formerly, she was the president of the Entomological Society of America and the World Dragonfly Association. Her research has looked at the evolution of insect adaptations and she is working to uncover the genetic relationships between 1000 different dragonfly species. She is also a champion for diversity in science, sharing her own experiences to encourage people of colour to become a part of the entomology community.

Integration with the BC Secondary Science Curriculum:

Dr. Ware’s research links well with the BC Life Science 11 curriculum. In the Life Sciences 11 curriculum, students look at evolution, taxonomic principles, and the evidence for phylogenetic relationships. All these topics relate to Dr. Ware’s research on the evolution of insect adaptations and her work looking at the genetic relationships between different insect species.

Additionally, by introducing Dr. Ware and her work on unraveling the evolutionary relationships between insects, students will be able to engage in some important curricular competencies:

• Use knowledge of scientific concepts to draw conclusions that are consistent with evidence
• Connect scientific explorations to careers in science
• Consider the role of scientists in innovation

References:

Dr. Jessica L. Ware. (n.d.). Jessica L. Ware & Lab. Retrieved December 4th, 2023, from https://www.jessicalwarelab.com/about

Dr. Jessica Ware, Entomologist. (n.d.). Shape of Life. Retrieved December 4th, 2023, from https://www.shapeoflife.org/news/featured-scientist/2023/10/03/dr-jessica-ware-entomologist

Jessica Ware. (n.d.). American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved December 4th, 2023, from https://www.amnh.org/research/invertebrate-zoology/staff/division-chair/jessica-ware

Tugend, A. (2023, April 25). Dragonflies, Beetles, Cicadas — What’s Not to Love?. The New York Times. Retrieved December 4th, 2023, from https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/25/arts/design/jessica-ware-insects-american-museum-natural-history.html

Ware, J. (n.d.). New Science: Jessica Ware. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved December 4th, 2023, from https://www.calacademy.org/new-science/jessica-ware