Graduate Spotlight
Gabriel Patrick Hughes
January 2014
Advisor
Matthew D. Ginzel
Expected Graduation
May 2015
EGO Officer Position
Linnaean Team Chair
Originally From
San Diego, California
Future Career Plans
Working in a government organization like the US Forest Service has always interested me, but I haven’t completely ruled out academia or industry.
Area of Research
Chemical ecology of woodboring beetles.
Summary of Research
I am interested in both volatile pheromones and contact sex pheromones of longhorned beetles, as well as the biosynthesis of these compounds. I believe that semiochemicals hold great promise for controlling insect pests, and that we have only scratched the surface in our understanding of the many ways chemicals mediate the various behaviors of insects.
How You Got Into Entomology
As a child, whenever I helped my parents in the garden I always got distracted by the insects crawling around in the dirt. I loved to read nature books and learn all about the world around me. But somewhere along the way I decided that I couldn’t do biology because I hated dissections. But in my Freshman year at BYU Dr. Gary Booth taught an excellent course in biology for non-majors, and I was hooked. He happened to be an entomologist, and encouraged me to work in the insect collections at the Life Sciences Museum on campus, which set me on the path to become an entomologist.
Favorite Insect and Why
I love all species of cicada. They are fascinating, especially their different songs. When they fly they are agile and clumsy at the same time, which is hard to pull off!
Hobbies
I am an avid fan of LEGO, and also a fan of just about anything Star Wars.
Favorite Book
Star Wars: X-wing series, by Michael A. Stackpole and Aaron Allston.
