My name is Katie Kollars and I grew up in Statesboro, Georgia. I moved to Athens to earn my BFA in scientific illustration at UGA. During my undergrad, I worked as a lab assistant in the dept. of entomology and realized how much I enjoyed working with insects in the lab. I decided to stick with what I enjoyed, leading to currently working in the Joyner Lab as a research professional, rearing mosquitoes. Alongside the lab, I work on creating illustrations to be used in publications and research communication. Creating artwork alongside scientists to help them visualize their ideas clearly, helps bridge the gap between researchers and those trying to understand it. This is an issue that I’m passionate about and working in labs is the perfect environment to pursue this!