10/09/2026
So much of what Jen does happens behind the scenes, so we don’t always get the chance to publicly celebrate the person whose vision started it all. This past week, we had a very good reason to change that.
Over Homecoming weekend, the University of Montana honored our founder and Executive Director, Jen Marangelo, as a Distinguished Alumna. She was celebrated at an awards ceremony, in the Homecoming Parade, and on the football field, honoring a journey that began when she came to UM to study wildlife biology. Along the way, a lab manager position with Professor Doug Emlen, focusing on dung beetles, sparked a newfound appreciation for insects, and the idea of using those animals to get people excited about science eventually grew into the Missoula Butterfly House and Insectarium you know and love today.
Jen founded this organization in 2009 with no building, staff, or much more than a collection of bugs and a big idea. What you see when you walk through our doors today exists because she kept believing Missoula deserved a place like this and spent years helping others believe it, too.
We’re incredibly proud of Jen, and we’re so happy to see someone who's spent so many years building this place get a well-deserved moment in the spotlight!
