Ben Hawthorne
Ben Hawthorne

Student Representative

Like many others, I have been captivated by insects since childhood – featuring in a ‘Minibeasts’ documentary at the age of six. I first experienced entomological research during Sixth Form, where I completed a CREST Gold award at Harper Adams University, investigating Vine Weevil behaviour. This opportunity set me on the track to a career in entomology. Subsequently, I went on to study my undergraduate degree in Zoology at the University of Leeds, returning to Harper Adams for a Master of Research degree in IPM. During this time, I was able to learn about insects across many different modules and field courses, investigating nematode control of Vine Weevil in peat-free growing media for my master’s.

I am now a PhD student at Newcastle University, investigating the application of eDNA metabarcoding for assessing the impact of Environmental Land Management Schemes (ELMs) on invertebrate networks.

portrait of Ben Hawthorne