Tierney Brosius is a biology professor at Augustana College who also happens to be an accomplished illustrator. She combines her passion for entomology—the study of insects—with beautifully detailed drawings.
While earning her doctorate at the University of Nebraska, she studied the endangered Salt Creek Tiger Beetle and published an article in the journal American Entomologist, in which she demonstrated how the visual arts can increase the public's awareness of and interest in an otherwise overlooked species. She is currently illustrating a book on insect conservation, and is co-authoring a book chapter on the connection between insects and modern art.
Listen to our conversation here about why the practice of drawing helps connect us to a subject matter more deeply, why scientists who are illustrators often portray insects in a truer light, and why in this time of increasing detachment from the natural world we should foster and cultivate our connection to nature.
