Gareth Powell

Bio

Gareth Powell’s research focuses on evolutionary shifts in insects, primarily Coleoptera. These shifts are often centered around the feeding behavior of the beetle, and often these behaviors lead to interactions between themselves and humans. The beetles Gareth enjoys working on the most are very diverse in their feeding behavior, eating wood products, carrion, fruit, pollen, and fungi, often vectoring pathogens along the way. The methods used in the Powell lab include molecular phylogenomics, comparative morphology, and the utilization of natural history collections in biological research. Gareth started as an undergraduate at Purdue University where he received a BSc in Entomology, after several years working in the Purdue Entomological Research Collection, Gareth stayed on and earned a MSc in Entomology from Purdue as well. In 2017, he moved to Utah to work towards a PhD in Biology from BYU, continuing his research on beetle evolution, but adding a focus on sensory systems. After a short post-doc working with bioluminescence, he moved to Florida where he served as a Research Curator for the Florida State Collection of Arthropods. Finally, Gareth was able to make the move to NC State and begin as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology and as the Director of the NCSU Insect Collection.