Kevin Postma is a doctoral student studying entomology who lives in Manistee, Michigan where he has taught high school science for 23 years. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in botany from Miami University and a Master of Arts in curriculum and instruction from the University of Mississippi.
Due to the pandemic, entomology professor Larry Gut was unable to find an undergraduate scout for his research in orchards in the Hart and Manistee areas. He needed a scout to check traps for codling moths and potential new invasive species that haven’t shown up yet but could be harmful for the fruit growing industry.
He begged local growers to find him a scout, which led to the local biology teacher (me) taking the job! Though just a scout, I enjoyed the research and getting to interact with really intelligent people. At the end of the summer, Julianna Wilson and Gut asked if I would be interested in pursuing a Ph.D.!
Because I am working full time as a high school science teacher, I have had to complete most of my coursework virtually during the school year. Before the pandemic, few of us could zoom or use other online tools so I doubt that I could be a Ph.D. student if the pandemic hadn’t forced us all to learn these tools.
I have taught high school science for 23 years at a small school, so I have taught almost every subject area. Teaching has pushed me to deeply understand concepts so that I can help students reach an understanding. While I hope that they will all grow to love and understand science, I know that many of them struggle and get frustrated because science is hard.
Being a grad student lets me experience some of the struggle and frustration as earning a Ph.D. isn’t easy. Learning isn’t always easy. I realize how little I know and that I have to work to understand the material and reach out to my professors for help when needed. While this feeling is uncomfortable, I ask my students to do this every day. Hopefully my frustrations and moments of intellectual insecurity will help me become a better, more compassionate teacher.
Currently, I am researching whether orchards sequester significant amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and whether the grass alleys between the trees can be manipulated to increase soil carbon sequestration. While my research is primarily biogeochemical, plant changes affect insect populations. Everything is multidisciplinary.
My favorite thing about MSU is the people. My professors have been great, and I enjoy my fellow students. I do miss participating in the activities happening on campus. MSU is such an intellectually engaging place and I wish I could attend all the seminars in all of the departments.
When I’m not teaching and studying, my spouse and I spend time with two high school daughters who are brilliant, forward-thinking, politically-engaged people. In all honestly, I am just trying to hang with them by getting a Ph.D.! While I would love to hang out with them all the time, they don’t seem to feel the same way, so it frees me up to ride my mountain bike with friends. It gives me a chance to burn off stress, break and fix stuff, and experience nature at a high speed.