Published on 12/09/19

Triple Dawg Bethany Harris lands job at Callaway Gardens

By Sharon Dowdy

Griffin, Georgia, native Bethany Harris has found the perfect job using her entomology and horticulture education from the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES). As assistant director of education at Callaway Gardens, Harris truly works out in the field, overseeing the butterfly center and educational gardens, managing over 200 volunteers, and teaching workshops for the public.

A 2009 graduate of Griffin Christian High School, Harris earned a bachelor of science degree in environmental resource science in 2013, a master of science degree in entomology in 2015 and a doctoral degree in horticulture in 2018, all while taking most of her upper-level courses on the UGA Griffin campus.

“My degrees exposed me to working with pollinators and butterflies, so this job is a perfect fit for me,” said Harris. “In addition to the butterfly center, we have an outdoor butterfly garden and my research at UGA centered around native pollinators and butterflies.”

Harris said her doctoral work with CAES horticulture Professor Bodie Pennisi at UGA-Griffin exposed her to many horticultural concepts that she brings to her new role.

At Callaway Gardens, she hopes to reestablish an insect zoo and is working with her UGA colleagues in the UGA Department of Entomology to make that a reality. She also plans to establish a honeybee colony at Callaway with the help of a volunteer beekeeper.

To learn more about the degrees offered at UGA-Griffin, go to www.griffin.uga.edu.

Sharon Dowdy is a news editor with the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

Authors:

Sharon Dowdy

Experts/Sources:

Bodie Pennisi

Bethany Harris' UGA degrees exposed her to working with pollinators and butterflies, so her job as assistant director of education at Callaway Gardens is a perfect fit. “In addition to the butterfly center, we have an outdoor butterfly garden and my research at UGA centered around native pollinators and butterflies," she said.

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