Entomologist and Director Western Fumigation Bordentown, New Jersey
The vast majority of graduate students are familiar with the traditional academic career path. Most graduate students are also familiar with industry careers in research and development laboratories. However, those two pathways are not a holistic perspective of career tracks that are available for graduates in scientific disciplines. In particular, entomology offers careers in government (e.g. USDA APHIS, USDA ARS, US Forest Services), regulatory compliance (e.g. US Department of Defense or EPA), as well as private industry in manufacturing, consulting, and the service industry. Dr. Shannon Sked has meandered through several of these paths along his career as a Navy Entomologist, technical expert in the landscape industry, a business manager in the private service sector, a business owner as a technical consultant, and compliance officer for private industry. This talk will show how integrating scientific expertise with other industry specific skill sets can afford entomologists with higher education degrees opportunities to expand their career beyond traditional tracks. Additionally, the importance of continual improvement in the sciences and professional development in obtaining career goals will be explored.