In June, Kait Chapman joined Nebraska Extension as an urban entomology extension educator for Lancaster, York, Seward, Cass and Otoe Counties. Her primary focus will be programs related to plant- and food- insect issues and other insects that affect humans like head lice and bed bugs. Kait’s research background has primarily been in plant-insect interactions, including host-plant resistance to aphids, earning a bachelor’s degree in Insect Science and finishing her doctorate’s degree in Entomology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. During her time as a graduate student, Kait devoted time to teaching and developing science literacy and informal outreach programs that communicate complex scientific topics to diverse audiences.
In 2018, Kait acted as the Director of Outreach for a strategic communications and marketing consultancy in the environmental, sustainability, science, and social equity sectors. Kait is especially passionate about community engagement, and as a native Nebraskan from Papillion, she’s eager to assist her fellow residents as well as businesses, institutions, and industry and health professionals solve their pest problems. You can contact Kait at 402-441-7180 and kchapman13@unl.edu or follow her on Twitter @KaitChapmanUNL. Lancaster County currently offers diagnostic service of insects and pests.