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Luminescent Lightning Bugs Illuminate Kansas Backyards

A photograph of a firefly, taken by Jessica Lucia, courtesy of featuredcreature.com
A photograph of a firefly, taken by Jessica Lucia, courtesy of featuredcreature.com

You know it's summertime when fireflies start blinking their green lights after the sun goes down. You might not know a lot about this little bug that lights up your back yard... but Commentator John "Richard" Schrock does.


Commentator John "Richard" Schrock is the director of biology education at Emporia State University, where he trains future biology teachers. He's also a regular contributor to Kansas Public Radio. 

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Production assistance for this commentary was provided by KPR News Intern Kristin Selby.

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The photograph of the firefly used on this page was taken by Jessica Lucia and it comes to KPR courtesy of Carly at the website featuredcreature.com. Thanks, Carly!

Schrock attended Indiana State University in Terre Haute, where tuition was $8 a semester hour in 1964, completing a bachelor's degree in biology teaching and a master's in science education. He began teaching in Kentucky before he graduated from I.S.U., and completed his degrees during summers. Schrock taught five years in Alexandria, Kentucky middle and high schools and two years at the I.S.U. Laboratory School before going overseas to teach at Hong Kong International School for three years. Schrock completed his Ph.D. in entomology working on insect ecology and systematics at the University of Kansas and, upon graduation, worked for the Association of Systematics Collections for three years. When the A.S.C. moved to Washington, DC, Schrock took the position at Emporia State University, directing biology teacher training. He was on the state biology committee and closely involved in the Kansas evolution debates of 1999. He writes a weekly Kansas newspaper column on education, produces public radio commentaries, and appears monthly on Kansas television.