Arachnophobia, the fear of spiders or other types of arachnids, is one of the most common and intense fears. Not for triple San Diego State University alumnus Shahan Derkarabetian (‘06, ‘09, ‘17), however.
Researching and studying arachnids is something Shahan does for a living in his new role as Curator of Entomology for the San Diego Natural History Museum. But Shahan’s work with arachnids started long before his position at the museum.
Growing up in southern California, Shahan was always interested in animals and insects. Whether it was chasing lizards with his friends or watching different kinds of wildlife pass by, Shahan was surrounded by nature.
Despite having three degrees in Biology, Shahan wasn’t originally going to pursue a career in the field. While working at a pet store during his undergraduate years, Shahan’s co-workers began talking about their biology courses and field trips, which caught Shahan’s attention. After realizing how much fun studying animals would be, Shahan switched his major to biology and never looked back.
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