Issue 12 Arthropoda

A Life of S ervice, E xcellence, and S cholarship in the Life Sciences

Cosimo Gualandi 4th

Q. Why did you want to

Interviews Teacher of Biology, Dr Andrew J

be a teacher?

Davis on his career and passion for beetles

When I was young, I never

Q.What was your PhD

thought about becoming a

research about?

teacher, but it has always been a

extinction and loss of

I had the serendipity to do a

part of my interest.After ten

biodiversity because of certain

final year project and wanted to

years of research, I just wanted

logging practices.

do a life gorilla research at

a change and what I went on to

If I could go back, I would still

London, but my supervisor told

do was teaching. It proved to

do research again because it is

me to do dung beetles because

be the right thing choice as I’ve

easy to capture and research

it was what he spent his life

enjoyed my time at Teddies very

them; much easier than a bigger

studying. So, I decided to try

much. Research is quite narrow

animal.

researching dung beetles, luckily

and specific on one group of

for me my PhD

animals, whereas teaching is

teacher

much broader: it’s drawing

was a rainforest

more of your other interests

ecologist.

such as DofE, sports and it’s a

So, I applied for

more sociable community. I was

money to do the

in ‘the large animal group’ in

research and brough

Cambridge.Though I enjoyed

a one-way ticket to

my research, I felt out of place;

Borneo. The actual

we would go to lunch and all

research was to do

they’d talk about is their own

with deforestation

animals! I thought it was time

and its impact on

for a change.

dung beetles such as

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