Gael Kergoat has been an Editor-in-Chief for Systematic Entomology since 2022. Systematic Entomology is our RES journal that specialises in insect systematics, phylogenetics, and integrative taxonomy, providing a comprehensive platform for advancing the understanding of insect diversity and evolution. It now also includes arthropods in its scope.
Tell us a bit about the person behind the title Editor-in-Chief.
I try to maintain a balanced lifestyle. I really enjoy my academic work, but I think that it’s very important to have other centres of interests and a social life outside academia. I’m also a family man (I have a wonderful wife and a 7-year-old son).
How did your academic career develop, and what led you to entomology in particular?
As a child, I was a keen collector of shells, fossils and insects, and biology was the subject that interested me most at school. At university, I was lucky enough to have several professors/mentors who were passionate about entomology. It was thanks to them and their support that I decided to pursue a career in this field.
What is the most rewarding part of your job?
By far, training and supporting my students.
“I found RES to be a very welcoming society, with very good links with the general public (e.g., by doing a lot of awareness-raising), but also with a strong scientific agenda.”
– Gael Kergoat
What is the best part of your role as EiC of your journal?
Thanks to the fact that at Systematic Entomology we are managing manuscripts on very diverse groups, it actually gives the opportunity to read and learn a lot. Also, being an EIC leads to many (mostly positive) interactions with researchers from all around the World, which is great.
What has been your most exciting or interesting research discovery, and why?
My most exciting research moment was when we rediscovered several species that were thought to have disappeared in New Caledonia. It gives some hope for the future.
Who is your inspiration and why?
Citing the ‘Souvenirs entomologiques’ from Jean-Henri Fabres would be a bit of a cliché, so I would just say that I have always been inspired by explorers (I was an avid reader of Jules Verne books as a kid).
Many entomologists travel widely – what was the most enjoyable fieldwork location you’ve worked in, and would you recommend it for a holiday?
New Caledonia is amazing (I did six field trips there), especially due to the high levels of endemism that you can find. Sadly, given the current very tense situation, I would not recommend to go there at the moment for a holiday.
What’s your favourite insect and why?
I am partial to the European stag-beetle (Lucanus cervus), because I still have fond memories of me finding one for the first time as a little kid; I was amazed and terrified at the same time.
If you could have one superpower, what would it be and why?
Not original at all but flying is kinda cool.
What is the best piece of advice you received as an ECR?
Only work with people that you appreciate and with whom you’ll be happy to share a beer in a pub.
Where are you hoping your research will take you next?
To the field…
If you could wake up with any new skill, what would it be?
Better drawing skills.
What motto do you live your life by?
Carpe diem.
Quickfire Questions
Gael’s favourite:
- Place? Japan (I did a postdoc there, it is an amazing country with a fondness for Entomology)
- Food? Vietnamese food in general (got Vietnamese ancestry so it is something I learnt cooking thanks to my mom)
- Drink? Good French wine (a good Sancerre or a Chassagne-Montrachet for instance)
- Book? Lords of the Rings
- Film? Depeche Mode
- Sport? Rugby (French national team)
