Heath Ogden recently completed a three year study of the insects found in Capitol Reef National Park. He’ll share what he learned about the interesting insects who live in our area.
Ogden, an assistant professor at Utah Valley University, has coordinated with the park service to develop educational programs and a field guide for park visitors.
The three main purposes of his research at the Park is to 1) provide students with excellent field and laboratory research opportunities; 2) to catalog the insects of Capitol Reef (especially around the field station) via collections, identification, and curation of material; and 3) create an insect field guide (Pamphlet) for Capitol Reef National Park, which will serve as reference material for the community visiting the Park and UVU’s Field Station.
Over the three years of the project five collecting trips have been carried out that included the participation of more than 30 students.
Biography
Heath Ogden joined the Biology Department at UVU July 2009. Prior to this he was a visiting assistant professor at Idaho State University and a post-doctorate researcher at Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ.
His research interests are in bioinformatics, evolutionary biology, systematics, phylogenetics, comparative genomics, and entomology. He is specifically interested in applying my research of bioinformatics and phylogenetic methods to examine insect evolution and systematics, particularly within the basal pterygotes (mayflies, dragonflies, and damselflies), and the origin of insect flight.
Ogden is also am interested in the acceptance and knowledge of evolution from a pedagogical standpoint. He is also married and have four wonderful children.
