Heath Ogden

Submitter Statement:

I studied the evolution of insects during my PhD at BYU in the early 2000s. I came to love insects and all of life's diversity. J.B.S. Haldane quipped that if a god or divine being had created all living organisms on Earth, then that creator must have an “inordinate fondness for beetles.” BYU prepared me with the tools to research the evolution of insects, specifically the evolution of flight. And it prepared me for a teaching career at a university, where I can be a light to students on how to reconcile science and religion and "accept truth with joy" (First Presidency 1910). I now teach hundreds of students each year about the amazing diversity of our world and I encourage them to be "accountable, as a steward over ... my creatures.” D & C 104:13. May we all maintain curiosity and awe for this amazing planet and the diversity of life that it holds, especially the insects. I have recently been rediscovering my love for art and watercolor. The piece is a watercolor with pen of the Hercules Beetle, Dynastes hercules, the longest extant species of beetle in the world.

Entry Description:

Watercolor with pen – Artwork 12 X 9 – if accepted will be 16 X 13 with frame. Description: J.B.S. Haldane quipped that if a god or divine being had created all living organisms on Earth, then that creator must have an “inordinate fondness for beetles.” The piece is a watercolor with pen of the Hercules Beetle, Dynastes hercules, the longest extant species of beetle in the world. May we all maintain curiosity and awe for this amazing planet and the diversity of life that it holds, especially the insects.