Brenna Lynn Decker, MSc.

As a recent Ph.D. graduate from the Department of Biology at Utah State University, I cross discipline barriers to incorporate a broad range of topics, including systematics, natural resource interpretation, education, and museum studies.

Stories from the Collections

Stories from the Field

Stories from the Lab

Stories from the Classroom

Education

Utah State University (USU)Doctor of Philosophy - Dept. of BiologyLogan, UT2019 - 2024
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC)Master of Science - Dept. of EntomologyUrbana, IL2015 - 2017
Lawrence University (LU)Bachelor of Arts - Dept. of BiologyAppleton, WI2010 - 2014

Teaching Experience

Utah State University

2019 - 2024Introduction to Biology LabsGenetics LectureNatural Resource InterpretationCollection Material Handling

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

2015 - 2017Introduction to BiologyEcology HonorsEnvironmental Studies Online

McHenry County (IL) Substitute Teacher

2014-2015High School Biology/Music/Special EducationJunior High Biology/Music/MathElementary Science

Volunteerism

USUSA Entomology Club

2020 - 2023Offices: Vice President, President

UIUC Entomology Graduate Student Association (EGSA)

2015 - 2017Offices: Secretary (two terms)

Sustainable Lawrence University Gardens (SLUG)

2010 - 2014

First-Authored Published Research

Decker, B.L., C. Bryan, L. Kassim, N. Soley, S.D. Sipes, M. Arduser, A.N. Harmon-Threatt. (2020). Preliminary Illinois bee species checklist (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) and use of museum collections. Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society. 93(1): 34-74.

Decker, B.L., J.P. Pitts, D. Yuan, and J. Rodriguez. (2020). Re-examination of Australian and Oriental species of Minagenia Banks, 1934 (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae), with a new record for the genus in Australia and a new species description. Zootaxa. 4768(3): DOI 10.11646/zootaxa.4768.3.5.

Decker, B.L., and A.N. Harmon-Threatt. (2019). Growing or dormant season burns: the effects of burn season on bee and plant communities. Biodiversity and Conservation. 28: 3621-3631.

Selected Presentations

"Bringing Collections to the Classroom: New, Hands-On Museum Studies Course"Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections Conference, virtual talk, May 2023
"Determining Phylogeny and Biogeography of Minagenia"Entomological Society of America Annual Joint Conference, in-person talk, November 20222nd Place Student Oral Presentation Competition
"Utilizing Large Digitized Entomological Collections: Species Check List and Assessment of Comparativeness for Illinois Bees"Entomology Collections Network Annual Conference, in-person poster, November 2018

Selected Work Experience

Purdue UniversityWest Lafayette, IN. 2025 - presentClinical Assistant ProfessorDepartment of Entomology
Utah State UniversityLogan, UT. 2018 - 2024Graduate Researcher in SystematicsEntomology Collections TechnicianBiology Teaching AssistantAnthropology Instructor of Record
Aptive EnvironmentalDenver, CO. January - June 2018Qualified Supervisor - Pesticide Application
University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignUrbana, IL. 2015 - 2017Graduate Researcher in EcologyBiology Teaching Assistant

View the Full CV for Brenna Lynn Decker

brennaldecker@gmail.com | @buggyb1020 (X, Bluesky)

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