Heather Ketchum

Heather Ketchum, PhD, is a Professor and Director of the Oklahoma Biological Station at the University of Oklahoma. She holds a PhD in Entomology from Texas A&M University, an M.S. from California Polytechnic State University, and a B.S. from the University of California, Riverside. Her research focuses on medical/veterinary entomology and forensic entomology, with emphases on tick ecology/pathogen control and forensic blow fly studies.

Her work includes evaluating tick repellents (e.g., coffee bean oil), studying blow fly larval development under drug/toxin influence, and standardizing forensic entomology methodologies. She collaborates with undergraduate researchers on projects in Oklahoma's parks and criminal investigations. Ketchum has contributed to understanding Gulf Coast tick genetics and geographic expansion of species like Chrysomya megacephala in Oklahoma.

Her articles address practical applications of entomology in public health, forensics, and ecology. Though no awards are listed, her work demonstrates significant contributions to applied entomological research. Advising primarily involves undergraduate students, with no grants explicitly mentioned. The Oklahoma Biological Station serves as her primary research base for ecological and forensic studies.