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Megan Lewis

Entomology

How did you find your way to Ï㽶ÊÓƵ?

I grew up in the countryside, surrounded by nature and farming — so you’d think Harper Adams would’ve been the obvious choice! But when it came to choosing a university course, it wasn’t a done deal. I explored other options across different sectors before making up my mind to go down a more wildlife route.

I’d actually had a few early encounters with Harper, but when I came back for the HAE residential in 2012, that was the moment everything clicked for me. I just loved the Harper spirit — it really came through in that experience, and even more so when I started as a student. I made quick friendships, got involved in all the fun of freshers' week, and felt like part of the community straight away.

Being part of the very first cohort of the wildlife course in 2013 was something special too. The hands-on learning, the farm, and the rural setting all made it the perfect environment to study something I was passionate about.

The first cohort? Wow! But how did that take you into Entomology?

During my undergraduate degree, I spent my placement year in North Pembrokeshire, volunteering with the National Trust — and honestly, I absolutely loved it. I learned so much during that time, from practical skills like cliff fencing and habitat surveying to gaining qualifications in brushcutting and ATV driving. I also got to work with a brilliant mix of regular and holiday volunteers… which also meant the occasional free kayaking trip!

While I was there, I started thinking about my Honours Research Project. My supervisor, Andy Cherrill, asked if I could learn to like dung beetles – odd question, I know! We visited Dr Sarah Beynon’s Bug Farm nearby to see if there were any projects I could get involved in, and that’s where my interest in dung beetles really began. That experience led to me to staying on for an MSc in Entomology.

Dung beetles ended up taking you around the world, didn’t they?

They did! I was lucky enough to be offered the chance to study for my PhD in Australia, based at the University of Western Australia in Perth. I arrived in January 2020 and spent the next four years working on all things dung beetles — with a bit of glitter thrown in — and managed to fit in some travelling along the way too.

In my final year, I also worked part-time as a biologist with an environmental consultancy. It was a great opportunity to build on my skills and revisit some of the topics I’d first explored at Harper — from preliminary ecological appraisals to identifying invertebrates in the lab. The team was incredibly supportive, and the office came with a few unexpected but very welcome perks: regular cake, plenty of biscuits, and unlimited dog cuddles — which definitely helped during those last few intense months of the PhD!

That’s great Megan, what came next?

I’m now working as a Postdoctoral Research Assistant back at Harper Adams, with a focus on farm data. My role centres around making data from the Future Farm — including biodiversity data — more open and accessible. I’m usually dealing with a very different kind of “bug” now – though I still get the occasional chance to look for dung beetles!

Since coming back to Harper, I’ve learned a lot — but the knowledge, skills and general understanding of farming I gained as a student have been a huge help. It’s given me insight into the potential barriers that come up when trying to bridge agriculture and science and helped me think through how to tackle them.

It also feels a bit like a full circle moment being here as we prepare to welcome the first cohort of students on the new Applied Data Science course in Telford — especially as I was part of a first cohort myself when the wildlife degree launched.

What would you say to someone who's thinking about studying at Harper Adams?

I think if you’re interested in hands-on learning with great industry links and a university experience that can take you places you never expected — Harper’s a great place to start!