Emerald
Ash Borer Confirmed In Kentucky, Quarantines Established
8 July, 2009 - The Emerald Ash Borer (EAB), an invasive pest of ash trees,
was found for the first time in Kentucky in Shelby and Jessmine counties in
May 2009. This story is covered in detail in an official College of
Agriculture News release here.
In July 2009, quarantines were established to help slow the spread of
the insect. Read the full story about EAB quarantines here.
And read all the details about this highly destructive pest at the Kentucky
EAB page.
UK Entomology Alumni: ESA Leaders
UK Entomology Alums Dr. Larry Godfrey, Dr. Alvin Simmons, and Dr. Kristine Braman have been elected to serve as President of their respective branches of the Entomological Society of America (ESA) since 2007. Read the whole story».
U.K. alumni, Drs. Alvin Simmons and Kristine Braman
Eastern Tent Caterpillar Hatch Underway For 2009, and Numbers are Up
University of Kentucky entomologists have determined that Eastern Tent Caterpiallrs, the insects associated with the Mare Reproductive Loss Syndrome (MRLS) outbreak of 2001, have begun feeding on trees in Central Kentucky and their populations have been up for the past three years. Read more in this article from College of Ag correspondant Holly Wiemers.
University of Kentucky Entomology Students WIn at 2009 North Central Branch Meeting
Students from the University of Kentucky Department of Entomology received multiple awards at the recent 2009 North Central Branch (NCB) meeting of the Entomological Society of America (ESA) in St. Louis. Pitcured below are winners Luke Dodd (2009 NCB Graduate Student Scholarship Award), Mark Adams (B.S. Student competition presentation), Logan Minter (M.S. Student Competition Presentation), Sarah Colvin (M.S. Student Competition Presentation), Sarah Vanek (M.S. Student Competition Presentation), and Julie Peterson (PhD Student Competition Presentation).
2009 NCB Winners (l-r): Mark Adams, Sarah Vanek,
Julie Peterson,
Sarah Colvin, Logan Minter, and Luke Dodd
UK
Entomology graduate-student research published by National Academy of Sciences
A study by Derrick Hammons was recently published by the Proceedings of the
National Academy of Sciences. Derrick is a doctoral student in Dr. Dan
Potter's hoticultural entomology research program, and his research concerns
the impacts of Japanese beetle damage to grapes. Read more in this story
by UK College of Agriculture news correspondant Katie Pratt.
UK Entomology Students Win Honors at 2008 ESA National Meeting
In December 2008, University of Kentucky Entomology Graduate Students (pictured below) brought home awards from the Entomological Society of America (ESA) National Meeting in Reno, Nevada. In the 10-minute Oral Presentation category, Hua Bai, Tonja Fisher, and Julie Peterson placed 1st in their respective topics. Alvaro Romero and Juliane Deacutis both received 2nd-place awards in the Display Presentation category.
2008 ESA Winners (l-r): Hua Bai, Juliane Deacutis,
Tonja Fisher, Julie Peterson, and Alvaro Romero.
The University of Kentucky Linnaean Team (pictured below) also competed at the 2008 ESA national meeting. The UK team won their first round match against UC Davis and lost the next match to North Carolina State (who advanced to the finals, where they lost to UC Riverside). The Linnaean Games are entomology-themed, college bowl-style competitions for student members of ESA. Read more about the Linnaean Games at the official website.
2008 ESA Linnaean Team (l-r): Ray Fisher, Sarah Vanek, Kacie Johansen, Julie Peterson,
Sarah Colvin, Logan Minter, Bekah Hassell, and Coach Dr. Ric Bessin.
Entomologist Dobson Featured in Lee Todd's State of the University Address
The
Gates Foundation-funded research program of U.K. Entomologist Dr. Stephen
Dobson was highlighted in the recent (9.19.08) State of the University Address
by University of Kentucky President, Dr. Lee Todd. Stephen Dobson's
mosquito-control research is the first winner in of the Bill and Melinda
Gates Foundation Grant (a $5.3 million award) in the State of Kentucky.
The video can be viewed online here.
Dr. Dobson is discussed at the 25:40 mark.
Dan & Mike Potter Featured in College of Ag Magazine
University of Kentucky Entomologists Mike and Dan Potter (who happen to be brothers!) were featured in the Fall 2008 UK College of Agriculture Magazine. Their current research is discussed along with the influences and inspirations that led them both into entomology. Read the online article, "Potter and Potter, Insect Experts," here.
UK Entomologists Dan and Mike Potter
Staff Service Honored at 2008 Entomology Luncheon
Five University of Kentucky Department of Entomology staff members received service awards at the 2008 Fall Luncheon. Read more and see pictures from the luncheon here.
Hammons
Receives SARE Grant
Congratulations to Derrick Hammons, Entomology PhD student, who recently was awarded a USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Graduate Student Research Grant for his proposal “Sustainable Management for Scarab Pests Impacting Grape Production in the Southern Region.” Derrick’s project is one of only 14 funded by the competitive USDA-SR SARE program in 2008.
New Entomology Grad Students, Fall 2008
Five new graduate students joined the University of Kentucky Department of Entomology in Fall 2008. Front Row (below, from left to right): Elizabeth Andrews (Dobson Lab), Mark Goodman (Haynes Lab), Kelton Welch (Harwood Lab). Back Row: Philip Crain (Dobson Lab), Jason Wulff (White Lab).
Dr.
Dan Potter Selected as ESA Fellow
Dr. Daniel A. Potter has been selected as an Entomological Society of America (ESA) Fellow. Dr. Potter will be recognized at the ESA Annual Meeting in Reno, Nevada in November 2008. This award marks the second year in a row that a faculty member from the University of Kentucky Department of Entomology has been selected as a Fellow of the ESA. Dr. Ken Yeargan was named an ESA Fellow at the San Diego meeting in 2007.
Sarah
Colvin Builds Display for National Fish Hatchery
In May 2008, UK Entomology student Sarah Colvin designed and built an insect display for the Wolf Creek National Fish Hatchery in Jamestown, KY. Read more and see pictures of the display here.
UK Linnaean Team Places at NCB ESA
The UK Entomology Linnaean Games team finished 2nd at the recent North Central Branch Entomological Society of America (ESA) meeting in Columbus, Ohio. The team will represent the University of Kentucky at the competition at the national ESA meeting in Reno in November, 2008.
The members of the team are Sarah Colvin, Sarah Mack, Logan Minter, Julie Peterson, Ray Fisher, and Kacie Johansen. UK Entomology professor Dr. Ric Bessin is the coach. The Linnaean Games are entomology-themed, college bowl-style competitions for student members of ESA. Read more about the Linnaean Games at the official website.
Julie Peterson Wins Student Paper Competition
At the recent North-Central Branch ESA meeting, UK Entomology graduate student Julie A. Peterson won first place in the PhD student paper competition for her paper: Quantifying exposure pathways in Carabid food webs: Uptake of Bt-endotoxins from multiple transgenic events. Co-authors on the paper were John J. Obrycki and James D. Harwood.
Palli Receives Cooper Research Award
UK Entomology professor Dr. S. Reddy Palli has been selected to receive the 2008 T. P. Cooper Research Award from the College of Agriculture. Dr. Palli received this award at the annual Gamma Sigma Delta banquet in March 2008.
Dr.
Dan Potter awarded endowed professorship
UK Entomology professor Dr. Daniel Potter is the first recipient of the Bobby C. Pass Research Professorship. In a recent ceremony, Potter was recognized by his colleagues, his family, and UK administrators. Read the complete online article here.
UK Entomologist Hua Bai Receives Fellowship
University of Kentucky Department of Entomology Graduate student Hua Bai has been awarded a 2008-09 Dissertation Year Fellowship from the
Graduate School at the University of Kentucky. Hua was one of nine students
who received this UK Fellowship. Selection for the Fellowship is based on outstanding scholastic and scholarly achievement.
UK Entomology Receives Honors at 2007 ESA National Meeting
University of Kentucky Department of Entomology Graduate students Cynthia Khoo, Barb Sharanowski, Michael Eskelson, Susan Moser, Alvaro Romero, and Julie Peterson received honors at the 2007 ESA (Entomology Society of America) National Meeting. Details»
UK Entomology Professor named 2007 ESA Fellow
University of Kentucky Entomology professor Ken Yeargan was named a 2007 Entomology Society of America (ESA) Fellow. ESA Fellows are selected for outstanding contributions in research, teaching, extension, or administration. Read more at the official ESA website:
http://www.entsoc.org/resources/press_releases/2007_hm_fellows.htm
UK "Water Pioneers" Present at NAAEE National Meeting
Along with members of the University of Kentucky's Extension Entomology and Forestry programs, four Kentucky high school sophomores, all enrolled in the UK's Robinson Scholars "Water Pioneers " Program, recently traveled to Virginia Beach to present at the North American Association of Environmental Educators (NAAEE) annual meeting. These students (who were the only non-adults that attended the conference) presented the results of water-stewardship projects that they designed in each of their home counties. Read more about their community projects and their visit to Virginia Beach in this article from Carol Spence and the College of Agriculture News and Information Service:
http://www.ca.uky.edu/agc/news/2007/Dec/waterpioneers.htm
October 07 News Article: Harwood Lab Studies Predators of the Soybean Aphid
The Harwood laboratory at the University of Kentucky Department of Entomology is studying ways to combat the soybean aphid, a new threat to Kentucky agriculture. Read more in the online article at:http://www.ca.uky.edu/agc/news/2007/oct/ifbresearch.htm
UK Entomology: a Top 10 Graduate Program
In 2007, the University of Kentucky Department of Entomology was ranked as a top-ten graduate program on the National Faculty Scholarly Activity Index. This prestigious ranking is based on faculty productivity. Read the complete article on the University of Kentucky news page: http://news.uky.edu/news/display_article.php?artid=1871
June 07 News Article: Kentucky Forest & Entomology Leadership Program
Each summer, UK's Forestry and Entomology departments join forces for the Kentucky Forest and Entomology Leadership Program. This week-long, overnight program gives high-school students an intensive (and fun!) introduction to Forestry, Entomology, and other natural resource study-areas, with an emphasis on the interaction between these disciplines. Read more about the program in a June 2007 article by Carol Spence from UK's College of Agriculture Communications: http://www.ca.uky.edu/agc/news/2007/jun/forestleadership.htm
Stephen Dobson's Program Featured in Fall '06 UK Odyssey Magazine
Dr. Stephen Dobson's mosquito research program is featured in the Fall '06 issue of UK Odyssey magazine. Read the full article online at: www.research.uky.edu/odyssey/exclusive/fall06/dobson.html
Announcing 51st Annual Livestock Insect Workers' Conference and 9th International Symposium on Ectoparasites of Pets
The University of Kentucky Department of Entomology will be co-hosting this year's Livestock Insect Workers' Conference and International Symposium on Ectoparasites of Pets. The event will be will be held June 10-14, 2007, at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Lexington, KY. Visit the official conference website for more details: http://www.pestmanagement.info/isep_liwc/index.htm
Entomology Youth Programs Featured in Spring '07 College of Ag Magazine
The Department of Entomology Youth Program was mentioned in the Spring 2007 edition of the UK College of Agriculture Magazine. The article, "Turning the Classroom Inside Out," by Martha Jackson (Agriculture Communications), focuses on 4-H/K-12 Extension programs that take place in the outdoors. Featured were two Entomology projects: the Community-Based Science program, a collaboration with the Tracy Farmer Center for the Environment, and the Kentucky Forest and Entomology Leadership Program, a collaboration with the UK Forestry Department. Read the article online here.
Entomology Graduate Student Alvaro Romero Finalist in Bayer Environmental Science "Young Scientist of the Year"
Graduate Student Alvaro Romero was named a finalist in the Bayer Environmental Science "Young Scientist of the Year" contest. A panel of university and industry professionals determined the final awards. Alvaro received a $1,500 scholarship in recognition of his bed bug research. One thousand dollars was also donated to the general scholarship funds at the University of Kentucky. The Bayer Environmental Science "Young Scientist of the Year" contest is a scholarship and grant program for graduate students to acknowledge and financially support exceptional research that advances the pest management industry.
Entomologist Daniel Potter awarded Distinguished Achievement Award in Horticultural Entomology by the Entomological Society of America
The 2006 ESA Awardees were recently announced in the November issue of the ESA Newsletter (vol. 29, no. 11) and Dr. Daniel Potter has received The Distinguished Achievement Award in Horticultural Entomology. This award, sponsored by the American Nursery and Landscape Association, honors any entomologist who has contributed to the American horticulture industry. Congratulations, Dr. Potter!
Urban Extension Entomologist Mike Potter Quoted in New York Times
The October 15, 2006 issue of the New York Times newspaper featured an extensive article on the emerging problem of bed bug infestations in apartments. Dr. Michael Potter was was quoted in the article as saying that "[bed bugs] will be the pest of the 21st century".
Entomologist Lynne Rieske-Kinney Leads Field Course in Australia in 2007
Join Dr. Lynne Rieske-Kinney on a field trip to Australia in 2007! Focus will be on the biological, ecological, and economic effects of invasive species. (Flyer is in Adobe PDF format.)