Hi there! I am a PhD candidate in the Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior program at the University of Texas in Austin, researching bacteria that are associated with subsocial and social spiders. The four things that I love most about my field are 1) getting to roam around in nature and call it work, 2) getting to learn about AND teach my favorite subjects, 3) getting to travel to new, sometimes remote locations, and 4) getting to stare at cool arthropods under a microscope for hours on end. So, if any of these are interests of yours, as well, I think that we will get along just fine…
When I first started grad school I was extremely afraid of spiders (and I even believed that we eat a bunch of them in our sleep…oy). To learn more about them (beyond my grad school studies), I occasionally researched and wrote about them in a blog, Spider World, which is archived here on my website. Once I started researching them, I realized that they are beautiful, interesting, and highly misunderstood.
Outside of work, I like to travel, spend time with friends, drink coffee, and watch bad reality TV shows… hey we all have a weakness!
If you’d like to contact me, my e-mail is emma.dietrich@utexas.edu.
Thanks for reading! -Emma
