Fall 2025 Featured Graduate Student: Kelly Waters
Print
EmailMeet Kelly Waters, a Ph.D. student studying entomology at MSU.
Kelly Waters
Hometown: Neshanic Station, NJ
Previous education: Loyola University Maryland (B.S.)
Advisor: Eric Benbow
Q: What sparked your initial interest in entomology, and how has it evolved over time?
A: My first introduction to entomology was during a forensic entomology class at Loyola University Maryland during my undergraduate degree. I then had the opportunity to join Dr. David Rivers’ forensic entomology lab and work on a project characterizing beetle stains that resulted from contact with blood. This work led me here to continue researching decomposition.
Q: Could you tell us a bit about your current research? What are you focusing on, and what impact do you hope it will have?
A: My research focuses on decomposition ecology and insect-microbe interactions, focusing on microbe change in beetles and soil throughout the decomposition process.
Q: What has been your favorite course or project so far, and what makes it stand out?
A: The most impactful project that I have had the opportunity to join was team Limelight Rainforest in the XPRIZE Rainforest competition. XPRIZE Rainforest was an international, $10 million competition that began with 33 qualifying teams in 2021. The goal of the competition was to develop autonomous biodiversity monitoring methods to support local conservation and economies. During the final competition, our team traveled to Amazonas, Brazil to remotely monitor and sample 100 hectares in 24 hours, and processed all samples, analyzed data, and generated a final report within the following 48 hours. In all, we produced over 2 million sequences with 1,582 taxa detections, 250 of which were unique species, and led to us winning first place!
Q: What’s your favorite part about being at MSU?
A: My favorite part of MSU are the natural areas and how pretty campus is, especially in the summer and in the snow!
Q: What has been a particularly memorable or meaningful experience for you during your time in graduate school?
A: In June, I had the opportunity to attend the Global Symposium on Insects for Food, Feed & Food Security in Africa where I learned about the newest developments in black soldier fly (BSF) farming, and the use of other insects as food and feed in Africa. So much work is being done to further BSF, and other insects, farming to contribute not only food and feed, but fertilizer, waste management, and building economies. My favorite part of the conference was visiting the BSF farms in Uganda led by Dr. Deborah Amulen and her group and learning about their ongoing collaborations within Uganda and neighboring nations.
