Error. For some of us, the tiny crawfish are home invaders or pests, while others see them as small but necessary animals with interesting habits. Jamora Hamilton, alumna of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, is the latter. The graduate in spring 2021 works as a development scientist at Bayer Environmental Science.
“Mistakes are everywhere, but we never really stop and think about them and why they’re so important,” says Hamilton. “I either kill them or ignore them.” But like every other species on this planet, beetles play a role in our ecosystem.
“You can’t just kill an entire species and think that everything will be fine in nature. It doesn’t work that way, ”says Hamilton.
The South Carolina native’s fascination with beetles began during her undergraduate studies at Clemson University, majoring in chemistry and minor in entomology. She wanted to learn more about these interesting little creatures and was interested in the Ph.D. Program.
“When I was looking for different labs, I discovered a great professor at NC State, Coby Scarf, who works with cockroaches and bed bugs. I wasn’t really excited to work with both of them, but I knew it was going to be a great opportunity, ”says Hamilton.
She packed her bags and moved to Raleigh, North Carolina.
“It’s a beautiful campus and a beautiful city,” says Hamilton. “It’s not that far from South Carolina, but it feels far when you’re so young.”
Hamilton was part of NC State’s Initiative for Maximizing Student Diversity (IMSD) program, something she believes helped transition to NC State and CALS. However, Hamilton recalls that shortly after joining the program, she considered quitting. She was one of only two black women in the program.
“I was the only African American black woman. The other woman was actually originally from Africa, ”said Hamilton. “It was a bit difficult to get in touch with my colleagues. Sometimes I would sit in different seats just to see if someone was sitting next to me. I didn’t want people to feel uncomfortable, but I wanted to see if more people would talk to me if I was in the front row because I was in the front? “
Hamilton wondered if it was because she was Black. She says the uncomfortable feeling gradually got better as she got to know more people and they got to know them, which reduced some of her initial feelings of insecurity.
“You begin to question yourself and become more reserved. I think that happened a lot. In my first year, I was exposed to a lot of micro-aggressions, ”says Hamilton. “I didn’t really want to talk to anyone at the time.”
Then she met Alex Graves, the director of the CALS Bureau for Diversity and Inclusion. “I had to talk to her about it because I was just lost. She was so helpful in giving me advice and the confidence I needed to keep going. “
And Hamilton did, and soon fell in love with a place where she could study some of the most interesting and complex creatures. One of their favorite things about bugs is their behavior.
“When you really look at it, so much happens and it’s just so cool and interesting. That’s why I really loved her, “enthuses Hamilton. During her doctorate, she mainly dealt with German cockroaches. She remembers witnessing their mating ritual.
“The male approaches the female and the male turns and lifts his wings back. There is a substance on the male’s back that the female will feed on and it positions them in the right position for them to connect and mate, ”explains Hamilton. She says the couple will stay connected for about 30 minutes.
Hamilton says that outside cockroaches that we normally see are actually scavengers. “They eat everything we don’t want out in nature, including dead plants and rubbish. Usually, if a cockroach is in your house outdoors, they usually don’t want to be there. It’s usually there by chance, ”says Hamilton. “It’s not necessarily a bad thing, and it doesn’t mean your home is dirty.”
However, cockroaches and other pests still have to be controlled, and this is where Hamilton comes in. She wants to improve and look for new pest control products. Hamilton never thought that a course on beetles would spark a lifelong interest.
“The course I took gave me some recognition that I needed to graduate, and it took all of my mind. My advice to incoming students, if something sounds crazy like bugs, just give it a try. You never really know what you like until you do, ”says Hamilton. And don’t feel rushed to make a decision right away, either.
“Nobody says you have to graduate in four years. As long as you are able to figure out what you want to do and what makes you really happy, it is worth all the time it takes to achieve your goal. “
