Bringing Nature to your Neighborhood

Dr. Megan Wilkerson, better known as the Agricultural IT Girl and DC's Chief Entomologist, earned a dual-title doctorate from Penn State University and a Master of Science from Florida A&M University, both on full scholarship. A scientist who has tracked crop-damaging insects in Lebanon, studied ant colonies in Mozambique, and explored farming ecosystems across Africa, she has built a career that spans four continents, two government institutions, and one very memorable roasted cricket demonstration for a room full of kindergartners.

 

As Chief of the Pesticides Branch at DC's Department of Energy and the Environment, Dr. Megan shapes the environmental regulations that protect public health across the nation's capital. She created the first digital pesticide recertification program in DC history and previously managed plant health across 450 acres of urban land as a plant scientist with the Architect of the Capitol. Her work sits at the intersection of science, policy, and community impact and she has never once made it boring.

 

She is an Amazon bestselling author and illustrator of the A to Z Bug Facts Coloring Book, the A to Z Plant Facts Coloring Book, and Minibeasts: The Big World of Tiny Creatures. Dr. Megan delivered the keynote at STEM for HER and has spoken at and led workshops with the National STEM Festival, Yale University, the Association of Women in Science, the Entomological Society of America, and the American Entomological Society. She has been featured on NPR, the National Gallery of Art and in Washingtonian Magazine, and her social media presence turns everyday nature moments into science lessons that actually stick.

 

Noticing a gap in culturally relevant, accessible STEM content for youth and underrepresented scholars, Dr. Megan built a platform dedicated to changing the face of agricultural science and entomology. Her background in field research, government policy, education, and digital storytelling makes her uniquely qualified to engage any audience, from a federal agency to a first grade classroom, from a university stage to a TikTok screen. That range is exactly what makes her effective.

 

She does not wait for people to come to the science. She brings the science to them. The Agricultural IT girl, everyone's favorite entomologist, bringing nature to your neighborhood, one tiny creature at a time.