Jennifer C. Girón

Dr. Jennifer C. Girón serves as Curator of Invertebrate Zoology at the Museum of Texas Tech University within the Natural Science Research Laboratory, where she leads research, collection curation, and biodiversity informatics initiatives.

Her academic credentials include:

• Ph.D. from the University of Kansas (2019)
• M.S. from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez (2010)
• B.S. from Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia (2006)

Her research centers on beetle taxonomy and systematics, specializing in Neotropical broad-nosed weevils (Curculionidae: Entiminae) and water scavenger beetles (Hydrophilidae: Acidocerinae). She actively describes new species, manages biological collections, and advances biodiversity informatics through ontology development for insect anatomy, including the Ontology for the Anatomy of the Insect Skeleto-Muscular system and the Coleoptera Anatomy Ontology.

Analysis of her 2020-2025 publications reveals dominant themes in taxonomic revisions of Neotropical beetles, evolutionary biogeography shaped by Gondwanan history, host-plant relationships in agricultural pests, and computational applications of morphological data through ontology frameworks that enhance biodiversity research.

No scientific awards are documented in the provided materials.

Dr. Girón maintains extensive collaborative networks with students and researchers globally, as evidenced by her numerous co-authored publications across entomology, systematics, and informatics fields, though specific advisee names are not listed. Grant details are not mentioned in available sources.

She coordinates the Grupo Coleoptera de Colombia (surpassing 1,000 cataloged species in 2022), co-edits Curculionoidea.org, and contributes to OBO Foundry-accepted ontologies. Her work bridges traditional taxonomy with digital biodiversity platforms through SiB Colombia and GBIF, while her 2025 writings explore beetle anatomy and taxonomic history.