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Welcome
New Distance Masters Students:
Fall 2005: Marc Gilkey, Alexandria, VA; Jess Hluch, Atwater, OH; Tracey Sunderland, Bordentown, NJ.
Gulzar Ahmad, a Fulbright Fellowship recipient, is a new Masters degree student from Pakistan, working under the supervision of Drs. John Foster and Bob Wright. Gulzar received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Agricultural Entomology from the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan.
Mathew Brust will be pursuing a Ph.D. degree under the supervision of Drs. W. Wyatt Hoback and Bob Wright. Mathew received his B.S. in Biology from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and his M.S. in Biology from the University of Nebraska at Kearney in 2004.
Andrea Gutsche is a new Masters degree student under the supervision of Drs. Tiffany Heng-Moss and Leon Higley. Andrea is from Lincoln, NE, and graduated from UN-L in August with a B.S. degree in Biological Sciences.
Michael Fisher will be pursing a Masters degree under the supervision of Drs. John Foster and Leon Higley. Michael is from Marshalltown, IA, and received a B.S. in Animal Ecology in 2001 and a B.S. in Entomology in 2003.
Luciana Toda is a new Masters degree student from Brazil, working under the supervision of Drs. Fred Baxendale and Tiffany Heng-Moss. Luciana received her B.S. degree in Agricultural Engineering from Universidade Estadual Paulista, Jaboticabal, Brazil.
Dr. Tom Weissling, Research Assistant Professor in the Plant Pathology Department, is teaching ENTO 303, Horticultural Insects, and the distance course, ENTO 407/807, Urban and Industrial Entomology, this fall semester. Tom received his Ph.D. in 1990 under the supervision of Drs. Lance Meinke and Z B Mayo.
Congratulations
The following students graduated in August 2005:
Shauna J. Hawkins, M.S. (Advisors: Drs. Mary Liz Jameson and Brett Ratcliffe)
Timothy E. Huntington, M.S. (Advisors: Drs. Fred Baxendale and Leon Higley)
Diana K. Londoño, Ph.D. (Advisor: Dr. Blair Siegfried)
Brian D. Olson, M.S. (Advisor: Dr. Leon Higley)
Tom Eickhoff is the recipient of the 2005 Entomological Society of America (ESA) Student Activity Award, sponsored by the Monsanto Company. Tom will be presented with an inscribed plaque and $500 at the ESA Annual Meeting in November. Tom is also the recipient of the 2005 Entomological Foundation’s Kenneth & Barbara Starks Plant Resistance to Insects Graduate Student Research Award, which includes a plaque and monetary award of $500.
Laura Campbell and Alex Cunningham have each been awarded a Farmers National Company Fellowship in the amount of $2,000 from the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources (CASNR) for the 2005-2006 academic year. Tierney Brosius is the recipient of the 2005-2006 Widaman Trust Distinguished Graduate Assistant Award in the amount of $2,000 from IANR’s Agricultural Research Division. Laura, Alex, and Tierney will be honored at a luncheon on September 30, which will recognize recipients of the Farmers National Company Fellowship and the Widaman Trust Distinguished Graduate Assistant Award, along with recipients of the Milton E. Mohr Fellowship, the Hardin Distinguished Fellowship, the John and Louise Skala Fellowship, and the Shear/Miles Fellowship.
Tim Husen and Neil Spomer are recipients of the Ward A. and Helen W. Combs Scholarship, established by the Presto-X Company. Tim and Neil each received a $1,000 scholarship for the 2005-2006 academic year.
Andrea Gutsche has received a Mary and Charles C. Cooper/Emma I. Sharpless Fellowship from the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources and the Agricultural Research Division in the amount of $3,000 for the 2005-2006 academic year.
Neil Spomer is the recipient of the 2005 ESA Student Certification Award, sponsored by Springer Pest Solutions. Neil will be presented with an inscribed plaque and $500 at the ESA Annual Meeting in November.
The following University employees were honored for years of service at the Service Awards ceremony, held September 9, 2005 at the Lied Center for Performing Arts: Jim Brown (30), Steve Spomer (25), Barb Andersen (15), John Foster (15), Blair Siegfried (15), and Marion Ellis (10).
Undergraduates who have been awarded scholarships are:
| Ward A. and Helen W. Combs Scholarship | Ashley Effken (Insect Science Major) | $400 |
| Ephriam and Veallon Hixson Memorial Scholarship | Sandra Schaffer (Insect Science Minor)
Dori Porter (Insect Science Major) | $500
$500 |
| Fred Clute Memorial Scholarship | Sarah Mack (Insect Science Minor)
Mitchell Stamm (Insect Science Minor) | $227
$500 |
| Earl and Bertha Ramsey Memorial Scholarship | Michelle Dipple (Insect Science Minor) | $500 |
| Teaching Recognition | Ashley Effken
Sarah Mack | $100
$273 |
Nick Aliano and Jessica Wieland were married on July 29, 2005, at Sacred Heart Church in Omaha, NE.
Connie Reimers-Hild, former Entomology Distance Education Coordinator, graduated with a Ph.D. degree in Human Sciences with a specialization in Leadership Studies, from UN-L on August 13, 2005. Connie received her Masters degree in Entomology in 2000 under the supervision of Dr. John Foster.
Tom Eickhoff and wife, Sara, are the proud parents of a baby girl, Avery Grace, born at 6:00 a.m., July 31, 2005. Avery was 6 lbs., 13 oz., and was 20 inches long.
Jenny Stebbing and husband, Andy, are the proud parents of a baby boy, Jesse Daniel, born at 7:45 a.m., September 8, 2005. Jesse was 7 lbs., 5 oz., and was 20 inches long.
Publications
Aliano, Nicholas P. and Marion D. Ellis. 2005. A strategy for using powdered sugar to reduce varroa populations in honey bee colonies. Journal of Apicultural Research 44(2): 54-57.
Stebbing, J.A., L.J. Meinke, S.E. Naranjo, B.D. Siegfried, R.J. Wright, and L.D. Chandler. 2005. Flight behavior of methyl-parathion resistant and susceptible western corn rootworm (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) populations from Nebraska. J. Econ. Entomol. 98(4): 1294-1304.
Spomer, Neil A. and Shripat T. Kamble. 2005. Effect of Temperature on Noviflumuron Performance Against the Eastern Subterranean Termite (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae). Sociobiology 46(2): 335-348.
Meet A Distance Student
My name is Kimberly Dickinson, and I've been in
the distance M.S. Entomology program since Spring 2004. I received my B.S. in
Biochemistry from the University of Texas at Arlington.
I consider myself a transplanted Texan, because I grew up in a military family, moving every two to three years. We lived in Germany and Iran and traveled extensively throughout Europe. I have a small family, one sister, who is currently serving in Iraq and is due to return home this month. My parents are retired to San Antonio, and continue to travel the world. I married a native Texan, twelve years ago, and we reside in North Richland Hills, a suburb of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. My "child" is my Chinese Pug, Bryndle.
I work for an industrial maintenance supply company, Mohawk Labs, a division of NCH Corporation in Irving, Texas. I have had the opportunity to move around within the company over the past seven years as a Tech Service Chemist, Product Development Manager, and my most recent endeavor is Senior Formulations Chemist in the Maintenance Chemical Group. NCH's product line is extensive (over 600
products) with focus product lines in water treatment, lubricants, and many
general maintenance supply products. The "general" area is where I
assist in developing and maintaining our product lines which include water-based
degreasers, industrial hand soaps, and grounds care products (herbicides,
insecticides, etc.).
Upon graduation (expected by Summer or Fall 2006), I hope to advance my career with my current company as well as expand my involvement in the pest management area.
If I had more time, I would travel. I enjoy reading, sewing, working in the garden and when the weather is not too hot here in Texas, I enjoy cruising the country roads in my 50th Anniversary Corvette.
Faculty News
Dr. Bob Wright presented information on soybean aphid biology and management at the South Central Ag Laboratory Field Day held on August 4, 2005. Also attending were IANR Vice Chancellor John Owens, ARD Interim Dean and Director Z B Mayo, Entomology Department Interim Head, Fred Baxendale,and Entomology graduate student, Abby Stilwell.
The Insect Science Major has been approved by the University of Nebraska Board of Regents and the Nebraska Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education! The major features four options, (Integrated Pest Management and Pest Science Option; Science Option; Public Health Option; and Forensic Science Option) from which students can select an area of focus which meets their own interests and career objectives.
We are very excited about the interest in our new program expressed by undergraduate and high school students. The Insect Science program has grown dramatically over the past three years. We currently have eight students enrolled in the Insect Science major, eleven students pursuing a minor in Insect Science, and over twenty members in the undergraduate Insect Science Club.
Please visit our departmental website to learn more about undergraduate programs in entomology and feel free to contact Tiffany Heng-Moss (thengmoss2@unl.edu) if you have questions about our new major.
Insect Science Major: Ashley Effken, Jeffrey Hays, Julianne Matczyszyn, Sarah Miller, Matthew Moore, Lanae Pierson, Dori Porter, Katie Rookstool (Double major - Biochemistry and Insect Science), Brandon White
Insect Science Minor: Nicolette Brenton, Heather Bittinger, Staci Bohling, Michelle Dipple, Todd Jarecke, Sarah Kuiken, Sarah Mack, Sandra Schaeffer, Mitchell Stamm, Willa Toren, Jeremy Wagnitz |
Dr. Ken Pruess presented the paper, "Do black flies play golf?" at the Rocky Mountain Conference of Entomologists held in Woodland Park, CO, on July 31-August 4, 2005.
Grants
| Tiffany Heng-Moss | USGA | $5,000 | Chinch Bug Resistant Turfgrasses |
| Tiffany Heng-Moss | International Turfgrass Producers Foundation | $3,700 | Resistant Turfgrasses for Improved Chinch Bug Management |
Drs. Mary Liz Jameson and Federico Ocampo are the recipients of the National Science Foundation Multi-User Equipment grant entitled "Biodiversity Synthesis Laboratory: A Multi-User Resource at the University of Nebraska State Museum." The lab will provide equipment for digital imaging (Auto-montage), molecular systematics, and on-line databases. Some of the projects (and their collaborators) include:
- Digital guides to scarabaeoids of the New World
Collaborators: Ron Cave (University of Florida), Federico Ocampo (UN-L State Museum), Brett Ratcliffe (Department of Entomology, UN-L), Andrew Smith (Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa, Canada)
- Conservation biology of South American endemic dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae)
Collaborator: Federico Ocampo (UN-L State Museum)
- Distance education and insect identification
Collaborator: Leon Higley (Department of Entomology, UN-L)
- Virtual type specimens: imaging types at the University of Nebraska State Museum
Collaborators: Mary Liz Jameson and Federico Ocampo (UN-L State Museum), Brett Ratcliffe (Department of Entomology, UN-L)
- On-line vouchering and higher-level phylogeny of the Scarabaeoidea (Coleoptera)
Collaborators: Dave Hawks (University of California-Riverside), Mary Liz Jameson and Federico Ocampo (UN-L State Museum), Estefan’a Mico (University of Alicante, Spain), Matt Paulsen (graduate student, Department of Entomology, UN-L), Brett Ratcliffe (Department of Entomology, UN-L), Andrew Smith (Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa, Canada)
Graduate Student News
Diana Londoño’s dissertation defense was held on July 14, 2005. Her title was “Biochemical and molecular effects of atrazine exposure in Chironomus tentans and Pimephales promelas.” Diana graduated in August and accepted a post doc position with the USDA Forest Service at Michigan State University.
Shauna Hawkins’ thesis defense was held on July 29, 2005. Her title was “A Revision of the Chilean Tribe Chapin, 1938 (Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae).” Shauna graduated in August and married Mahdi Regayeg in Sfax, Tunisia on August 27, 2005. She will pursue a Ph.D. degree with a field topic in Tunisia while enrolled at the University of Waterloo in Canada.
Pete Clark’s dissertation defense was held on August 29, 2005. His title was “Population Variation of Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) in the Western Hemisphere.” Pete will officially graduate in December and is now employed as a research entomologist with the Monsanto Company in St. Louis, MO.
Jeff Krumm’s dissertation defense was held on August 30, 2005. His title was “Assessment of the genetic structure, variability, and gene flow of the European corn borer Ostrinia nubilalis (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae).” Jeff will officially graduate in December and is now employed with the Syngenta Company in Hudson, NY, as a research and development scientist.
From the Office
Department Forms. Be sure to check out the Entomology Department website http://entomology.unl.edu/forms/ for all your departmental form needs. Just a few of the forms you can find there include the Employee Expense Voucher, Faculty/Staff Leave Request, and Purchasing Card Transaction Voucher. Effective September 1, 2005 the mileage reimbursement rate for the remaining 4 months of the 2005 year will be 48.5 cents per mile. A second Employee Expense Voucher has been added to reflect this increase. Reimbursement for any trips taken in the first eight months of the year will be reimbursed at a rate of 40.5 cents per mile.
Federal Grants. All expenditures on grants must have a description and specific purpose stated. It is advised that expenditures for office supplies not be put on federal grants. If an item is written into the grant budget, i.e., computer, computer/office supplies, it is acceptable. Please remember: a) all forms are available on the Entomology website, b) forms must be typed, not handwritten, c) use your personnel number, not social security number on forms, and d) supply the actual account number, do not use industry, revolving, etc.
Condolences
Dr. Steve Skoda’s father, Richard J. Skoda, Sr., of Bee, NE, died June 18, 2005. Our sincere sympathy to Steve and his family.
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“Explore Evolution”, an exciting interactive gallery at Morrill Hall, opened September 10th. The exhibit investigates evolutionary principles in organisms ranging from the very smallest (like the HIV virus) to the largest (like ancient whales that walked). The new exhibit gives visitors an opportunity to experience how scientists conduct research on evolution. The exhibit highlights insect evolutionary research: the diversification of Hawaiian Drosophila (the research of Ken Kaneshiro, University of Hawaii) and the co-evolution of leaf-cutter ants and fungus (the research of Cameron Currie, University of Wisconsin). Museum admission is free for University students, faculty, and staff (just show your UNL identification). The project was made possible by a $2.8 million grant from the National Science Foundation. Find out more about the exhibit and evolution at the following web site: http://explore-evolution.unl.edu/index.html. Listen to a NET radio segment about the exhibit at http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/nprn/news.newsmain? |
| Calendar of Events
October 2-7, 2005
• 4th International Conference of the Society for Vector Ecology, Reno, NV
October 17-18, 2005
• Fall Semester Break - No Classes, offices open
October 26, 2005
• Entomology Faculty Meeting, 214 PI, 10:00 a.m.
November 6-9, 2005
• Annual Meeting of the Entomological Society of America, Fort Lauderdale, FL
November 23, 2005
• Entomology Faculty Meeting, 10:00 a.m., 214 PI
November 23, 2005
• Student Holiday, offices open
November 24-27,2005
• Thanksgiving Vacation
December 12-16, 2005
• First Semester Final Exams
December 14, 2005
• Entomology Faculty Meeting, 10:00 a.m., 214 PI
December 17, 2005
• Commencement - 9:30 a.m., Bob Devaney Sports Center
December 24-January 2, 2006
• Holiday Closedown
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Entomology Seminar Schedule - Fall 2005
Mondays 4:00 - 5:00pm unless otherwise noted
East Campus Union
| October 3 | Mathematical Models in Entomology
Dr. Brigitte Tenhumberg, Research Assistant Professor,
School of Natural Resources - University of Nebraska-Lincoln |
| October 10 | The relationship between insect vectors and viruses
Benjawan Siriwetwiwat, Graduate Student, Department of Entomology
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October 12
Wednesday
Beadle Center | Mosquito genetics, genomics, and implications for disease control
Dr. David W. Severson, Professor, Department of Biological Sciences Notre Dame University, Notre Dame, IN
Center for Biotechnology Seminar Series
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| October 17 | Regulation of genetically engineered crops – an overview of regulatory agencies, requirements, and the scientific studies that support commercialization of GE crops in the United States
Laura S. Higgins, Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Johnston, IA
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| October 24 | Application of insect genomics in the identification of resistance mechanisms and novel target sites - Ph.D. Proposal
Analiza P. Alves, Graduate Student, Department of Entomology
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| October 31 | Characterization of Cry1Ab resistance in a field population of European corn borer, Ostrina nubilalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) - Ph.D. Proposal
André Crespo, Graduate Student, Department of Entomology
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| November 14 | Diagnostic approaches to the study of myiasis-causing larvae
Sajeewani Samarakoon, Graduate Student, Department of Entomology
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| November 21 | Ecological Impacts of Red Imported Fire Ants
Craig R. Allen, Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, School of Natural Resources - University of Nebraska-Lincoln
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| November 28 | Beetle inquilines from rodent burrows in Nebraska
Matthew J. Paulsen, Graduate Student, Department of Entomology
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| December 5 | Is classical biological control an obsolete science?
Alex P. Cunningham, Graduate Student, Department of Entomology
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