When FFA Alumna Dr. Ronda Hamm applied for a science-related internship in high school, she never dreamed she would end up working with insects. But after being selected for the program, she learned she was assigned to an entomology lab. At the time, Hamm was scared of bugs, but she figured she could survive anything for eight weeks. “It was a paid internship, which was one of the motivating factors for me,” Hamm says. “I was trying to save money for college and am a first-generation college student.”
After starting the internship, a funny thing happened — as she learned more about bugs, she realized they weren’t so scary. In fact, she found them to be quite fascinating. She turned her research on Argentine ants into an award-wining Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE), which helped her become a California FFA State Star in Agriscience and American FFA Degree recipient. She stayed at the lab, too, and worked part-time during the rest of high school and college. “That eight-week internship ended up leading to six years of employment,” Hamm says.
Hamm was featured on an episode of “Mission Unstoppable” on CBS, where she showed some of the tools an entomologist uses to capture bugs for research.
Career Success
After high school, Hamm attended Fresno State University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in agricultural education. She went on to get her master’s and Ph.D. in entomology at Cornell University. Then her life took another unexpected turn; instead of going into teaching as she planned, Hamm ended up working as an agricultural entomologist for 16 years. She investigated pests on trees and vines, pests in the traditional Midwestern row crops of corn and soybeans and studied urban pests found in homes.
Currently, Hamm serves as the director of the Food, Farm and Energy Experience for Connor Prairie, a living history museum on a historic farm once owned by pharmaceutical giant, Eli Lilly. Connor Prairie is currently building a new campus, which will serve as a living laboratory and guest experience center to showcase the interconnected systems of modern agriculture, from soil health and regenerative farming to renewable energy, food security and ecosystem management. Ronda hopes it will become a place where farmers can learn new techniques, teachers can bring students for hands-on learning and families can find out about potential agricultural careers. “Outreach has always been important to me because there are so few of us involved in agriculture today,” Hamm says. “As a scientist, I feel an obligation to be a resource for the community.”
Throughout her career, Hamm has remained open to new opportunities, which has led her to accomplishments she never imagined. She credits her FFA experiences with helping her remain open to learning new things and thinks of science as her superpower because it allows her to solve complex problems. Hamm urges FFA members to be curious and open to taking risks. Her top piece of advice? “Find a mentor,” Hamm says. “They can help you figure out what you do well and what you can do better.”
Avenues of Exploration
When it comes to careers in agriculture, the possibilities are endless. From zoologists and flavor technologists to wind turbine technicians and more, the sky is the limit. Continue your search at AgExplorer.FFA.org.
You can also watch Hamm discuss her previous work at National FFA corporate partner Corteva Agriscience in the AgExlorer video library.
