Glow Big Red campaign to support Insect Science Scholarship Fund

Dr. John Ruberson

Donate at: https://glowbigred.unl.edu/ campaigns/department-of-entomology

The "Glow Big Red" match challenge at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln is currently open to receive donations. This year's official 24-hour fundraising dates are Feb. 15-16, 2023. This campaign supports worthy causes across campus and the Entomology Department wants to boost its Insect Science Scholarship fund, according to Dr. John Ruberson, professor and department head for the Entomology Department.

Joe and Chris Stone have challenged the department's friends, alumni, and colleagues to get 20 donors to unlock a $750 donation to the Insect Science Scholarship fund. Ruberson explained that the fund is currently too small to provide long-term, sustainable support for students. Because the undergraduate program has grown lately, the department has a good problem of having more students who could benefit from support. 

"For Entomology, we are seeking to continue growing our Insect Science Scholarship so it can become an endowed fund awarding scholarships to undergraduates in perpetuity," Ruberson said. "We do want students to be able to afford their education, so this scholarship is an important tool in helping students."

The Department of Entomology has been a part of UNL since 1895, and has trained many exceptional scientists for more than 120 years, Ruberson said. Entomology is a remarkably diverse science that interfaces with many other fields. Students have opportunities for broad education and experiences, and can take their training into a variety of professional directions to impact the world.

The department trains students in much more than just insect identification and collecting, he said.

"We help prepare students to manage the many insect pests that get into our crops, livestock, feed, stored food, and fiber, as well as our homes and yards, and to recognize and benefit from the many good arthropods."

Ruberson explained that the department also teaches students how to care for pollinators for commercial and conservation purposes. Other students learn to help solve big medical issues, like malaria that still kills close to a million people and sickens another quarter of a billion annually around the globe, or Lyme disease that is found in Nebraska and around the Midwest. Additionally, Ruberson said, faculty members train students to use the latest molecular tools to address a wide range of issues impacting arthropods, plants, and humans.

"Glow Big Red is a great opportunity to strengthen the support for our Insect Science majors," Ruberson said. "Thanks for your support of the department in so many ways!"

Anyone interested in financially supporting the Insect Science Scholarship Fund may donate through the University of Nebraska Foundation on the webpage at https://glowbigred.unl.edu/campaigns/department-of-entomology.