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Welcome
New Distance Masters Students:
Spring 2006: Amanda Catena, Ozark, AL; Leigh Christensen, Des Moines, IA; Tyler Dugan, Landstuhl, AE; Amy Hughes, Burwell, NE; Theresa Redding, Ames, IA; Peter Taylor, Kingsland, GA.
Dr. Haichuan ‘John’ Wang started as a post doc in November for Dr. Blair Siegfried and will be working in his lab for the next year. John received his Ph.D. degree in 1999 from Fujian Agricultural University in China and his M.S. degree in 1996 from Shaanxi Normal University in China. He was a visiting scholar at the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology at Auburn University from August 2003 through October 2005.
Congratulations
The following students graduated in December 2005:
Pete L. Clark, Ph.D. (Advisor: Dr. John Foster)
Richard W. Harper, M.S. Distance (Advisor: Dr. Tiffany Heng-Moss)
Peter J. Jentsch, M.S. Distance (Advisor: Dr. David Keith)
Jeffrey T. Krumm, Ph.D. (Advisors: Drs. John Foster and Thomas Hunt)
Paul D. Nabity, M.S. Resident (Advisors: Drs. Tiffany Heng-Moss and Leon Higley)
Steven B. Robertson, M.S. Distance (Advisor: Dr. Leon Higley)
Bamphitlhi Tiroesele, M.S. Resident (Advisor: Dr. John Foster)
Dr. David Keith received the 2005 Gamma Sigma Delta Award of Merit. Dr. Keith was recognized with this honor at the Gamma Sigma Delta Initiation and Awards Banquet held on October 30, 2005.
Lisa Silberman, Research Technologist II, will receive IANR’s Managerial/ Professional Outstanding Employee Award for January/February 2006. A framed certificate, pin, and monetary award of $250 goes along with the recognition. A reception will be held in January to honor Lisa.
The Urban Pest Management Conference Team received an award for “Excellence in Team Programming” from the University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension Division. Team members are Dennis Ferraro, Dr. Scott Hygnstrom, James Kalisch, Dr. Shripat Kamble, Dr. David Keith, Dr. Wayne Kramer, Dr. Shirley Niemeyer, Dr. Barbara Ogg, and Clyde Ogg.
Thomas Eickhoff received the 2005 Entomological Society of America (ESA) Student Activity Award, sponsored by the Monsanto Company. Tom was presented with an inscribed plaque and $500 at the ESA Annual Meeting in December. Tom was also awarded the 2005 Entomological Foundation’s Kenneth & Barbara Starks Plant Resistance to Insects Graduate Student Research Award, which included a plaque and monetary award of $500.
Neil Spomer was the first recipient of the Certification Student Award, sponsored by the Springer Pest Solutions. Neil was presented with an inscribed plaque and $500 at the ESA Annual Meeting in December.
Eliseu Pereira received 1st Place for his 10-minute oral presentation in Section B of the Ph.D. student competition at the ESA annual meeting in December. The title of his presentation was "Studies on the mechanism of Cry1F resistance in laboratory selected European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis."
Publications
Brust, M.L., W.W. Hoback, and C.B. Knisley. 2005. Biology, Habitat Preference, and Larval Description of Cincindela cursitans LeConte (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Cincindelinae). Coleopterist’s Bulletin 59(3): 379-390.
Brust, M.L., and W.W. Hoback. 2005. Nebraska’s Tiger Beetle, Cicindela nebraskana Casey. Great Plains Research 15: 213-226.
Brust, M.L., W.W. Hoback, K.F. Skinner, and C.B. Knisley. 2005. Differential Immersion Survival by Populations of Cicindela hirticollis Say (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae). Annals of the American Entomological Society 98(6): 973-979.
Kamble, Shripat T. and Robert W. Davis. 2005. Innovation in perimeter treatment against subterranean termites (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae), pp. 197-203. In Chow-Yang Lees and William H. Robinson (eds). Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Urban Pests, Perniagaan Printing, Malaysia.
Paulsen, M.J. 2005. A revision of the southern South American stag beetles of the genus Sclerostomus Burmeister (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea: Lucanidae). Zootaxa. 1060: 1-26.
Ratcliffe, B.C. 2005. VI Reunión Latinoamericana de Scarabaeoidologia. Scarabs 16: 16-24.
Siegfried, Blair D., Ty T. Vaughn, and Terence Spencer. 2005. Baseline Susceptibility of Western Corn Rootworm (Coleoptera: Crysomelidae) to Cry3Bb1 Bacillus thuringiensis Toxin. J. Econ. Entomol. 98(4): 1320-1324.
Meet A Distance Student
Hello, my name is Blake Murnan, and I am on the last six legs (a little entomology humor) of my distance M.S. in Entomology program. I started in the summer of 2003 and finished my class work last spring.I have my Master’s Degree Project and comprehensive final to finish.
I hope to graduate next spring. My project is the evaluation of several food-grade adjuvants to see if they improve the distribution and efficacy of a stored grain insecticide. The work is interesting, and hopefully, I will get some good results out of it.
I have worked for Agriliance, one of the largest agricultural distribution companies in the country, for almost thirteen years. I started with the company right out of college, when I graduated with a B.S. in Agronomy from Iowa State University. I have held many positions within the company, but the pursuit of my M.S. in Entomology degree has opened additional doors for me. Recently, I was the Commercial Account Manager for seed and grain treatments. I worked directly with many major seed companies and ag retailers throughout the country. Along the way, I became the stored grain management expert for the company. One of my favorite things to do for the company is to host stored grain management classes for our customers and their growers. The management classes are “hands on” with live insects and damaged grain samples being part of the program.
I reside in Minneapolis, MN area with my wife, Joan, two daughters, Ellie (5) and Katie (almost 2) and our golden retriever, Maxwell, who turned 14 this month. In addition to family, work, and school, I also have a farm in South-Central Minnesota. If time was not a limiting factor, I would golf more, farm more, and get in some pheasant hunting. Of course, more time with the family would be priority number one.
Finally, I would like to thank the UNL entomology professors and staff. Pursuing a Master’s degree is difficult and being a distance student is demanding. The professors and staff of UNL make the program interesting and challenging. Thank you.
Faculty News
Dr. Shripat Kamble presented the paper, “Temperature Enhanced Performance of Noviflumuron Bait Against Subterranean Termites” at the National Pest Management Conference in Nashville, TN, on October 17, 2005. The paper was authored by Neil Spomer and Dr. Kamble.
Dr. Shripat Kamble presented the paper, “Innovation in Perimeter Treatment Against Subterranean Termites” at the 5th International Conference on Urban Pests in Singapore on July 21, 2005. Dr. Kamble also organized and moderated the symposium, “Bait Avoidance in German Cockroaches” in Singapore on July 13, 2005.
Grants Dr. Marion Ellis has received a grant in the amount of $46,000 from the EPA PESP for "Techniques for using oxalic acid to reduce varroa mite populations."
The Entomology Department has received a 2005-2006 Graduate Recruitment Grant Award in the amount of $2,000. Dr. Phyllis Higley submitted the application.
The Entomology Department has been awarded an IANR Innovation Grant for $5,000. The project is “Enhancing Distance and Resident Education Delivery with Molting and Nerve Function Animations.” Dr. Phyllis Higley is the project leader.
Jameson, M.L. 2005. Entomological Society of America Program Enhancement Fund for sponsorship of Dr. Art Evans as speaker at the Coleopterists Society National Meetings, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, December 17. $269 plus registration.
Jameson, M.L. and F. Ocampo. 2005. National Science Foundation for Multi-User Equipment project entitled "Biodiversity Synthesis Laboratory: A Multi-User Resource Lab at the University of Nebraska State Museum." $106,125 ($61,988 [NSF] + $44,137 [University cost share]) (3 year grant).
Shapiro, C.A., J.R. Brandle, C.A. Francis, S.Z. Knezevic, D.D. Baltensperger, R.J. Wright, and R. J. Johnson, P.I.s. 2005-2009. Improving organic farming systems across Nebraska agroecoregions; USDA Integrated Organic Program; $762,949.
Industry funds:
| Shripat Kamble | BASF | $21,533 | Termite research |
| | Dupont | $25,000 | Termite research |
| | Syngenta | $4,000 | Termite research |
| | Bayer | $3,000 | Termite research |
| | FMC | $4,800 | Termite research |
| | Dow AgroSciences | $5,000 | Termite research |
Graduate Student News
Paul Nabity’s thesis defense was held on October 12, 2005. His title was “Temperature Dependent Development in Forensic Entomology: Variability and Bias.” Paul graduated in December.
Lisa Franzen’s thesis defense was held on October 21, 2005. Her title was “Physiological and Biochemical Responses of Wheat to Russian Wheat Aphid and Bird Cherry-Oat Aphid.” Lisa will be doing an dietetic internship through UNL this spring and graduate in May 2006.
Bamphitlhi ‘Banks’ Tiroesele’s thesis defense was held on November 21, 2005. His title was “The Population Dynamics of Soybean Aphid and Bean Leaf Beetle on Edamame Soybean Plants in Nebraska.” Banks will return to Botswana for four months and hopes to return to continue his studies in a Ph.D. program in the United States.
Tierney Brosius and Paul Nabity were initiated into Gamma Sigma Delta at their Initiation and Awards Banquet held October 30, 2005. Undergraduate students, Lanae Pierson (Insect Science major) and Mitchell Stamm (Insect Science minor) were also initiated into the honor society at the banquet.
Tom Eickhoff and Neil Spomer each received $250 from the Elvis Dickason Memorial Fund to attend the National ESA Meetings in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, which were held December 15-18, 2005.
Tierney Brosius, Laura Campbell, André Crespo, Alex Cunningham, Leonardo Magalhaes, and Paul Nabity each received $250 from the Myron H. Swenk Memorial Fund to attend the National ESA Meeting in Ft. Lauderdale, FL.
Analiza Alves received $250 from the Myron H. Swenk Memorial Fund to attend the “Discovery on Target - RNAi” Workshop in Boston, MA, on October 18-20, 2005.
From the Office
Starting immediately, the Office of Sponsored Programs will begin sending grant award notification messages to P.I.s via e-mail. A copy will also be sent to the relevant dean and department business office. If you have questions, please contact Allen Specht.
Federal per diem rates for meals and incidental expenses have been updated as of October 1, 2005. The new rates may be found at http://bf.unl.edu/travelpolicy/meals.shtml
Effective January 1, 2006 the standard mileage rate will be reduced to 44.5 cents from the current rate of 48.5 cents. The current rate of 48.5 cents is effective for the period September 1, 2005 - December 31, 2005 only. When completing Employee Expense Vouchers for miles driven ON OR AFTER January 1, 2006, Employee Expense Vouchers should be completed using the NEW rate of 44.5 cents per mile. A third Employee Expense Voucher has been added to the Entomology web page http://entomology.unl.edu/forms/ to reflect the $.445 per mile rate.
From the UNL Office of Research and Graduate Studies
2006 NSF CAREER and NIH K Award Roundtables - http://www.unl.edu/research/kaward/
The Office of Research and Graduate Studies will host two roundtable discussions featuring faculty who recently won NSF CAREER and NIH K awards. The roundtables are designed to help UN-L applicants develop competitive proposals to these prestigious career development programs. All pre-tenure faculty and post-doctoral research fellows are invited to attend the CAREER Roundtable on January 18, 2006, and the K Award Roundtable on February 7, 2006, in the Nebraska Union. For more information or to register, visit the roundtable website.
Funding Opportunities
USDA - Special Research Grants Program: Pest Management Alternatives Program
http://www.fedgrants.gov/Applicants/USDA/CSREES/OEP/USDA-GRANTS-120605-001/Grant.html
Application Deadline: 2/01/06
USDA - Integrated Research, Education, and Extension Competitive Grants-Integrated Pest Management
http://www.fedgrants.gov/Applicants/USDA/CSREES/OEP/USDA-GRANTS-120605-002/Grant.html
Application Deadline: 2/13/06
More information: Nathan Meier (2-1808/ nmeier2@unl.edu)
Travel
Drs. Brett Ratcliffe and Mary Liz Jameson traveled to the Instituto de Ecologia in Xalapa, Mexico in September to conduct research and plan with collaborators a new proposal to NSF.
Dr. Mary Liz Jameson traveled to the University of California, Riverside in November, where she presented an invited seminar, "Evolution of pollination and pollen feeding in scarab beetles.”
Dr. Federico Ocampo traveled to Archibold Biological Station in Florida in November for the annual meeting of ScarabNet to present a paper and coordinate research activities on dung beetles.
Matt Paulsen traveled to Gainesville, FL in November to conduct research with colleagues at the Florida State Collection of Arthropods.
Dr. Brett Ratcliffe traveled to the Santa Barbara (CA) Museum of Natural History last March and presented a paper at the annual meeting of the Natural Science Collections Alliance. Dr. Ratcliffe is the University of Nebraska institutional representative to the NSCA.
| Calendar of Events
December 24-January 2, 2006
• Holiday Closedown
January 9, 2006
• Second Semester begins
January 13, 2006
• Entomology Department Holiday Party - 6:30 p.m. at the WSI Hall
January 16, 2006
• Martin Luther King Day (Student and Staff Holiday)
January 17, 2006
• Entomology Faculty Meeting, 9:30am, 214 PI
January 26-27, 2006
• 14th Annual Nebraska UPM Conference, The Cornhusker-Marriott Hotel, Lincoln, NE
February 14, 2006
• Entomology Faculty Meeting, 9:30am, 214 PI
February 27-March 1, 2006
• Southwestern Branch of the ESA Meeting, Austin, TX
March 5-8, 2006
• Southeastern Branch of the ESA Meeting, Wilmington, NC
March 5-8, 2006
• Pacific Branch of the ESA Meeting, Maui, Hawaii
March 12-14, 2006
• Eastern Branch of the ESA Meeting, Charlottesville, VA
March 12-19, 2006
• Spring Vacation (UN-L office are open Monday through Friday)
March 21, 2006
• Entomology Faculty Meeting, 9:30am, 214 PI
March 26-29, 2006
• North Central Branch of the ESA Meeting, Minneapolis, MN
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