Shahan Derkarabetian Ph.D., Curator of Entomology

Shahan comes to The Nat from Harvard University’s Museum of Comparative Zoology, where he served as a post-doctoral fellow with a focus on the arachnid lineage Opiliones (harvesters, harvestmen, daddy-long-legs). He integrated genomics and collections-based research, and developed new molecular techniques to sequence 100+ year-old museum specimens.

He earned his Ph.D. through the joint doctoral program between UC Riverside and SDSU, studying phylogenomics, integrative taxonomy, and population genomics of Opiliones. Shahan often incorporates iNaturalist data into his research and collaborates with community scientists on research projects and publications.

Pamela Horsley, Entomology Collection Manager & Collections Registrar

Pamela Horsley happily returned to The Nat as Entomology Collection Manager and Collections Registrar in 2020. She previously worked at the museum from 2009-2012 as part of a National Science Foundation Improvements to Biological Collections grant to curate and increase the accessibility of the entomology collection.

Pamela has more than 15 years of experience working in collections management and museum registration and has a keen interest in the best practices and management of pinned, slide, and fluid-preserved invertebrate collections. She earned her M.S. in entomology from McGill University studying the systematics of central American weevils (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). Her duties include general curation, coordination and management of museum-wide collection transactions and compliance, collection digitization and database management, supervision of department science volunteers and project staff, and whenever possible joins in to conduct fieldwork for the museum. Pamela can be reached at 619.255.0193 or by using our contact form under "Research".

Christiana Mojica

Project Manager

Christiana Mojica serves as The Nat’s Entomology Project Manager and holds a First-Class Honours B.Sc. in Biology from the University of Newcastle Upon Tyne. Christiana specializes in specimen digitization, protocol-development, data handling, and collection curation, and has trained and managed over 50 volunteers and interns to date. Christiana has led multiple, large-scale collection digitization and stewardship projects at The Nat, including for butterflies, moths, vernal pool specimens, and dry marine invertebrates. Currently, Christiana manages a project for the wet marine invertebrate collection and administrates the department’s two specimen databases. Christiana is passionate in her role to promote the integrity and accessibility of natural history collections for all.

Araceli Gomez Villegas

Technician

Araceli Gomez has over 5 years of experience conducting biological surveys across multiple states. She received her B.S. in Biology with a Zoology emphasis and returned to The Nat after earning her M.S. in entomology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She studied community composition and pollination services of native bees. Araceli previously worked at the Museum as a visitor services associate from (2016–2021), while actively participating with and contributing to our PaleoServices, Herpetology, Birds and Mammals, and Entomology departments. Araceli has expertise in native bee identification, specimen identification and curation, project management, and laboratory and field techniques. She is passionate about conservation and enjoys showing others how wonderful and interesting insects can be.

Megan Wagner

Technician

Megan joined the Museum after completing her B.S. in Ecology and Evolution at the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2024. As an undergraduate researcher, Megan investigated the floral visitors of Nemophila menziesii, a native California wildflower, and the potential for phenological mismatch as a response to climate change at the Cheadle Center for Biodiversity and Ecological Restoration. She is experienced in various field collection methods for terrestrial invertebrates and is skilled at specimen sorting, identification, and curation, and specializes in San Diego bee identification. Megan is passionate about protecting biodiversity and loves sharing her enthusiasm for the often strange, always wonderful world of insects (and invertebrates!).

Eva Sofia Horna Lowell

Entomologist

Eva Sofia received an M.S. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Denver studying the behavioral ecology of bees. Since 2019, Eva has been studying native ants and plant-pollinator interactions in Southern California. She joined The Nat as an entomologist in 2022 to contribute to the California Insect Barcode Initiative, a statewide effort to build a DNA barcode library for every insect in the state. In 2024, Eva joined the BioServices team where she oversees entomology research projects, consulting contracts, and develops proposals. One of Eva's current projects is building a custom insect camera trap and using machine learning algorithms to identify insects from images.

Rachel Allingham

Biologist

Biologist with six years of experience in field biology and local species identification. Rachel conducts general biological assessments, environmental compliance monitoring, and focused surveys for sensitive faunal species in a variety of habitats in southern California. Rachel also has a broad taxonomic knowledge and excellent insect identification skills.

Volunteers

Mary Svonovec
Quinn Tomlinson
Richard Hughes
May Lew
John Hawk
Jeanine Kleeman
Lyle Stotelmyre
Annette Taylor
Colton Holloman
Fran Bookheim
Callie Mack
Phil Roullard
Randy Supczak
Jess Mullins
Judith Carlstrom
Daniel Sebastian
Leslie Yoder
Tom Olinger
Charlotte Dossey
Dean Dixon
Kourtney Meyer
Yueke Li
Zoie Andre
Brandi Sanchez

Amita Stowitts
Eugene Kim
Katelyn Chu
Nathan Luk
Ashley Seow
Joseph Byrd
Christopher Wootton
Leia Mileto
Charlotte Shih
Jaydon Galindo Lovell
Andrew Flores
Remy Winckler
Laural Boone
Brett Guadagnino
Oliver Pashuta
Sofie Blazejova
Grant Wass
Emma Edmonds
Gavin Henry
Chelsea Ho
Veronica Torres
Trey Williams
Trudy Pachon