UCF graduate heads to Minnesota for entomology doctorate

Robin Marquez has packed his bags for the University of Minnesota, where he will begin a Ph.D. program in entomology. He is heading north with a new passport and arthropod samples collected from the UCF Arboretum.

Marquez, who turns 31 soon, graduated from UCF in May with a biology degree. His path to graduation was unconventional. He first enrolled at the University of South Florida in 2013 on a full ride but left after 16 months with a 0.9 GPA and mental health challenges. He described that period as feeling crushed and stuck in a nebulous space of adulthood.

Years later, he re-entered higher education through Valencia College, where he earned a 4.0 GPA and multiple plant certifications. He then transferred to UCF in January 2024 via the DirectConnect program. At UCF, he engaged with the McNair Scholars Program and worked with mentors like former professor Patrick Bohlen.

His research interests deepened through exposure to the UCF Arboretum and the Bug Closet, a collection of more than 575,000 insect specimens. Marquez described the specimens as books that provide knowledge about the world. He collaborated with researchers at Yale University and the Smithsonian Institution, where he worked with species new to science.

During his time at UCF, Marquez received several honors. He was recognized as the first student nominated through Valencia College for a Goldwater Scholarship. He also received the Order of Pegasus, UCF’s most prestigious student honor. In 2025, he became the only undergraduate to receive the Entomological Society of America Alate Award.

Marquez plans to support America’s natural resources through entomology, potentially working for the U.S. Department of Agriculture or the Smithsonian. He credits his mentors for helping him find the right path. First Generation Week at UCF is scheduled for Nov. 2-6.

He has shed the label of college dropout and now presents research at international conferences. Marquez said he no longer believes in hitting traditional academic checkpoints. He noted that it might take time to find the right people to propel a student in unexpected directions.