2020
Faculty:
Dr. Julie Peterson was promoted to associate professor of Entomology. Congratulations Julie!Dr. Justin McMechan was named the 2020 recipient of the Epsilon Sigma Phi Early Career Leadership Award by the Alpha Upsilon chapter at the University of Nebraska. Epsilon Sigma Phi is a national organization for extension professionals. Congratulations, Justin!
Dr. Susan Weller, director of the University of Nebraska State Museum and professor of Entomology, has been elected a fellow of the Entomological Society of America (ESA). The society noted Weller's internationally-known research on arctiine moths and other Noctuoidea, and her administrative leadership in promoting entomology and science education. See the article at UNL News for more about Weller's recognition.
Best wishes to Steve Spomer who has retired December 2020 after 40 years in the Entomology Department. Spomer has identified nearly 700 insect species, including the Salt Creek Tiger Beetle, and taught countless University of Nebraska-Lincoln students.
Dr. Jeff Bradshaw was named the Interim Director of the Panhandle Research & Extension Center in Scottsbluff.
Dr. John Ruberson was elected as the North Central Branch representative to the Governing Board of the Entomological Society of America. Dr. Gary Brewer is the outgoing representative and served two effective terms on the governing board.
Dr. Kyle Koch was appointed to the University of Nebraska Graduate Faculty - the first Extension Educator to be so appointed.
Dr. Troy Anderson was elected Vice President Elect for the Physiology, Biochemistry, and Toxicology Section of the Entomological Society of America.
Dr. Gary Brewer is the 2020 recipient of the Award of Merit from the NCB-ESA.
Dr. Joe Louis received the Early Career Innovation award from the Entomological Society of America.
Dr. Louise Lynch-O'Brien was named a UNL Sustainability Fellow.
Dr. Justin McMechan was selected as recipient of FMC's New Investigator Award for 2020.
Dr. Scott O'Neal (NIFA Postdoctoral Fellow with Troy Anderson) was recognized as the 2019 New Investigator of the Year by the American Chemical Society AGRO Division.
Dr. Bob Wright is the 2020 recipient of the C.V. Riley Award from the NCB-ESA.
Staff:
Marilyn Weidner has been named winner of the 2020 IANR Exemplary Service Award! Weidner has roles in administrative support, personnel management, data documentation and archiving, review preparation, promotion and evaluation tracking, payroll for 15 departments, and much more. Well deserved Marilyn!Graduate Students:
Congratulations to Rogan Tokach (Master's student co-mentored by Dr. Autumn Smart and Dr. Judy Wu-Smart) on being awarded a $10,000 national Christi Heintz Memorial Scholarship by Project Apis m. Well done, Rogan!Sajjan Grover received the Lillian and Alex Feir Graduate Student Travel Award in Insect Physiology, Biochemistry, or Molecular Biology.
Two Entomology graduate students placed in the student poster competition (session 1) at the national ESA conference.
Jordan Reinders, Ph.D. student took 1st place in the P-IE IPM Session 1 and Samantha Daniel, M.S. student, took 2nd place it the P-IE IPM Session 1.
Bruner Entomology Club: Outstanding Graduate Student Organization in CASNR.
Déia Montezano is the 2020 John Henry Comstock Outstanding PhD Student Award winner from the North Central Branch ESA.
Undergraduate Students:
Rachel Abbott took 2nd Place, P-IE General Undergraduate 10-minute paper contest at the 2020 ESA national competition.Earl Agpawa won the CASNR Outstanding Undergraduate Student Leadership Award.
2019
Faculty:
The team of Drs. Doug Golick (lead), Troy Anderson, Gary Brewer, Jenny Dauer (School of Natural Resources), Joe Louis, Justin McMechan, Julie Peterson, Matt Smart, Ana Maria Vélez Arango, Tom Weissling, and Judy Wu-Smart have been awarded a $344,767 USDA-NIFA Research and Extension Experiential Learning for Undergraduate Fellowships (REEU) grant. Drs. Leslie Rault and Scott O'Neal, postdoctoral researchers working with Dr. Troy Anderson, have both been named recipients of USDA-NIFA Postdoctoral Fellowships, and are finalists for the New Investigator Award in the AGRO division of the 2109 American Chemical Society Meeting. Dr. Troy Anderson was elected Vice President Elect for the Physiology, Biochemistry, and Toxicology Section of the Entomological Society of America Dr. Joe Louis was promoted to Associate Professor and granted tenure at the UNL Promotion and Tenure celebration in April. Joe also received a five year, $1.5 million Faculty Early Career Development Program award from the National Science Foundation. He is investigating ways to help sorghum naturally resist sugar-cane aphids, the crop's most damaging pest in the United States. He also received the Early Career Innovation Award from the Entomological Society of America. Dr. Shripat Kamble was recognized as the Outstanding Advisor for the India Students Association, one of the 2019 Student Impact Awards from UNL. Scott O'Neal (NIFA Postdoctoral Fellow with Troy Anderson) was recognized as the 2019 New Investigator of the Year by the American Chemical Society AGRO Division. Dr. Ana Vélez was an invited guest expert for the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) meeting in Paris, France on April 10-12, addressing RNAi -based pesticides. Dr. Tom Weissling was honored for his support to students during the annual Parents' Recognition Awards held in March, sponsored by the UNL Parents Association. Dr. Susan Weller was recently recognized as a nominee for UNL Women of Character, Courage and Commitment.Staff
Lisa Silberman was honored for her support to students during the annual Parents' Recognition Awards held in March, sponsored by the UNL Parents Association.Graduate Students:
Congratulations to all of our student winners at the ESA National Meeting - Andrea Rilaković, 1st Place Undergrad Virtual Poster, Sajjan Grover, 2nd Place Grad Infographic, Jeffrey Cluever, 2nd Place Grad Infographic, Earl Agpawa, 2nd Place Undergrad Poster, Timothy Dang, 2nd Place Grad Poster, Annie Krueger, 1st Place Grad Poster and 1st Place 3-Minute Competition, Jordy Reinders, 1st Place Oral paper, Gabriela Carmona, 2nd Place Oral paper, Molly Darlington, 1st Place Oral paper, and Kelly Willemssens (SNR student), 2nd Place 3-Minute Competition. The group came in second in the number of awards won by one department.
Blessing Ademokoya , Kait Chapman , Lindsay Overmyer, and Mariana Sanchez each received a Warren and Edith Day Travel award to present at the North Central Branch (NCB) - Entomological Society of America (ESA) meeting in March 2019.
Jeff Cluever , Gabriela Inveninato Carmona , Lindsay Overmyer , Jordy Reinders , and Matt Welter were recipients of David H. & Anne E. Larrick Memorial Travel funds to attend the NCB - ESA meeting in March 2019.
Julia Nogueira Duarte Campos , Gabriela Inveninato Carmona , and Jordy Reinders were each awarded travel support from the Myron H. Swenk Memorial Fund to attend the NCB - ESA meeting in March 2019.
Mariana Sanchez (M.S. student) and Surabhi Gupta (Ph.D. student) were the inaugural winners of the Entomology Department's Graduate Student Mini Grant. Funding of $750 per grant (one each for a M.S. and Ph.D. student) is to be used to support the thesis or dissertation research projects.
Kait Chapman and Bridget Gross are the inaugural recipients of the Charles Glenn Murphy Memorial Fellowship.
The Lawrence Bruner Club received the CASNR Outstanding Graduate Student Organization Award at the CASNR Awards Luncheon held in March.
Gabi Inveninato Carmona received 1st Place in the poster competition at the Nebraska Plant Science Symposium held in March at the Nebraska Innovation Campus Conference Center.
- $5,000 Asia Rice Foundation USA Global Rice Leadership Award.
- Dean's Fellowship
Sajjan Grover was awarded a Milton E. Mohr Fellowship from the UNL Center for Biotechnology in the amount of $1,000 for the 2019 - 2020 academic year.
- Received a Wirth/McGowen Memorial Fellowship from the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources in the amount of $3,500 for the 2019 - 2020 academic year.
- Member of a team of graduate students that finished 1st in the "Best Use of External Data" category of the UNL Datapalooza (https://hcc.unl.edu/datapalooza - 2019).
- Wirth/McGowan Memorial Scholarship
- Dean's Fellowship
- Fred Clute Memorial Scholarship
Matthew Greiner was among the students whose 2018 - 19 Undergraduate Creative Activities and Research Experience (UCARE) poster was selected for the University of Nebraska - Lincoln Undergraduate Research at the Capitol breakfast and poster session April 16 at the Nebraska State Capitol Building. Matt's project was "Milkweed Characteristic in Nebraska Agricultural Land: A Focus on Monarch Butterflies Health". Dr. Ana Vélez was Matt's advisor for this project.
Bridget Gross was accepted by the USAID funded Farmer-to-Farmer program and was in Dajabon, Dominican Republic for two weeks early in August.
Ellis Johnson was awarded David H. & Anne E. Larrick Memorial Travel Funds from the Agricultural Research Division to attend the West Central Mosquito and Vector Control Association Annual Meeting in March 2019.
- travel award to the American Chemical Society meeting
- travel award to Society for Vector Ecology meeting
Annie Krueger received the inaugural Dr. Ron Johnson and Dr. Mary Beck Graduate Student Fellowship.
Undergraduate Students:
Earl Agpawa, $2500 IANR ARD Undergraduate Research Project entitled, "Characterization of Tolerance Mechanism in Nested Association Mapping Population Against Sugarcane Aphids, Melanaphis sacchari" with Dr. Joe Louis.- 1st place in the undergraduate poster competition at the UNL Research Fair held in April for his project with Dr. Eileen Hebets - "How Does Wind Exposure Affect Web Geometries?" Undergraduate winners received a $250 award.
Whitney McDaniel 1st place - 2019 American Bee Research Conference Student Poster Competition, competing with MS and PhD students as an undergraduate.
2018
Faculty:
Dr. Shripat Kamble received the Award of Distinction at the Nebraska Urban Pest Management Conference. Dr. Justin McMechan received the Innovative New Employee Award from Nebraska Extension. Dr. Scott O'Neal received the Excellence in Early Career Award from the North Central Branch of the Entomological Society of America. Dr. Julie Peterson gave an invited presentation at the 9th International IPM Symposium. Dr. Leslie Rault and graduate student Kait Chapman received second place in the Judge's Choice Award at the Morrill Hall Science Festival. Dr. Tom Weissling received the Outstanding Teaching Award from Gamma Sigma Delta.Graduate Students:
Blessing Ademokoya, Milton E. Mohr Fellowship from the Center for Biotechnology, UNL. Kait Chapman, Graduate Student Scholarship Award, first place in the Ph.D. student ten minute paper competition, and a student travel scholarship from the NCB-Entomological Society of America. Samantha Daniel, honorable mention, student poster competition at the 9th International IPM Symposium. Elliot Knoell, first place in the M.S. student ten ten minute paper competition at the NCB-Entomological Society of America meeting. Debra Goulart Montezano, invited presentation at the 9th International IPM Symposium. Lindsay Overmyer, second place, student poster competition at the 9th International IPM Symposium. Jordy Reinders, first place Ph.D. student poster competition at the NCB-Entomological Society of America meeting. The Linnaean Team - Kait Chapman, Elliot Knoell, Jordy Reinders,Matt Welter, and alternate Suresh Varsani won the 2018 NCB Linnaean Games, coached by Dr. Bob Wright.Undergraduate Students:
Whitney McDaniel, UCARE Award - working with Dr. Judy Wu-Smart - "Exploring the effects of pesticide residues in brood comb on the behaviors and development of the honey bee, Apis mellifera."2017
Faculty:
Dr. Fred Baxendale, Jim Kalisch, Wayne Ohnesorg, North Central Branch ESA 2017 Entomology Educational Project Award, "Nebraska 4-H Entomology Manual" Dr. Doug Golick is the recipient of the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities' 2017 Innovative Teaching Award. Jim Kalisch, Dr. Shripat Kamble, Ronald C. Seymour, 2017 Entomology Educational Project Award, "Identification Guide to Common Spiders in Nebraska" Extension Bulletin Dr. Susan Weller will be the 2017 President of the Entomological Society of America. Dr. Bob Wright is the recipient of the Gamma Sigma Delta Excellence in Extension Award.Graduate Students:
Blessing Ademokoya, 1st Place Poster, Ph.D., National ESA meeting.
Sanjay Basnet, MUVE Travel Scholarship.Kait Chapman, Widaman Distinguished Graduate Assistantship.
Sajjan Grover, 2nd Place Poster, Ph.D., National ESA meeting.
Elliot Knoell, 2nd Place Paper, M.S., National ESA meeting.
Debora Goulart Montezano, Shear-Miles Fellowship, 1st Place poster, Ph.D., National ESA meetingLindsay Overmyer, 3rd place, North Central Branch ESA Undergraduate and MS Poster Session II,
Mary and Charles C. Cooper/Emma I. Sharpless Fellowship.
Jordy Reinders, 1st place, North Central Branch ESA Undergraduate and MS Oral Presentation, Session II, Travel Scholarship
Mariana Sanchez, 2nd place paper, M.S., National ESA meeting
Jennifer Shaughney, the Edwards Prize presented for the best published masters thesis on beetles at the Coleopterists Society Annual Meeting. Dariane Souza, 3rd place, North Central Branch ESA PhD Student Poster Session I, Travel Scholarship, 2nd Place paper, Ph.D., National ESA meetingSuresh Varsani, Travel Scholarship, 1st Place poster, M.S., National ESA meeting.
Carter Westerhold, 1st Place poster, M.S., National ESA meeting.
Undergraduate Students:
Ethan Hoffart, Earl and Bertha Ramsey undergraduate scholarship. Ellis Johnson, 4th place poster at the CASNR 2017 Spring Research Fair, "Arabidopsis-Cabbage Aphid Interaction: Role of Myzus persicae - induced Lipase 1 (MPL1) Gene", Entomological Society of America Plant-Insect Ecosystems (P-IE) Undergraduate Student Achievement in Entomology Award. Alex Lehmann, $2400 UCARE Award - "The Community of Carrion Beetles in Conventional and No-Till Agroecosystems of Western Nebraska", $2500 UNL Agricultural Division Undergraduate Student Research Project - "The Role of Carrion Beetles in Agroecosystems of Western Nebraska,Warren and Una Emerson undergraduate scholarshipEphraim and Veallon Hixson undergraduate scholarship.
Warren and Una Emerson scholarship. Braden Wojahn, UCARE Award - "Discovery of Sorghum Resistance and Physiological Responses to Greenbugs (Schizaphis graminum).
Warren and Una Emerson undergraduate scholarship
Ephraim and Veallon Hixson undergraduate scholarship.
2016
Faculty:
Dr. Jeff Bradshawreceived the Innovative Extension Specialist Award at the Fall Extension Conference.Dr. Shripat Kamble is a member of the Crown Leadership Awards Class of 2016.
Dr. Joe Louis is the recipient of the Harold and Esther Edgerton Junior Faculty Award.
Dr. Julie Peterson received the Early Career Leadership Award at the Fall Extension Conference.
Dr. Tom Weissling is the recipient of the NCB-ESA Distinguished Teaching Award.
Dr. Ana Velez 2016 class of DuPont Young Professors.
Dr. Robert Wright received the 2016 Distinguished Achievement Award in Extension at the International Congress of Entomology Meeting in Orlando, FL.
Dr. Dave Taylor received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 60th Annual Livestock Insect Workers Conference.
Graduate Students:
Kaitlin Chapman has received the Hardin Distinguished Graduate Fellowship Award from the Agricultural Research Division, UNL, and a travel support award from the Myron H. Swenk Fund.Melina Florez-Cuadros has received a travel support award from the Myron H. Swenk Fund.
Louise Lynch has accepted an appointment as a Great Plains Graduate Fellow beginning in August, 2016.
Camila Oliveira Hofman has been awarded a Milton E. Mohr Fellowship for 2016-2017 from the Center for Bio-technology.
Justin McMechan has been selected as a recipient for the 2016 North Central Branch J. H. Comstock Award. This award is given to one graduate student from each of the Entomological Society of America's five Branches to promote interest in the science of entomology at the graduate level and to stimulate interest in attending the ESA Annual Meeting. The award includes an all-expense-paid trip to the national meeting, a $1,000 cash prize, and a certificate that is presented during the ESA Annual Meeting.
Leslie Rault received a Warren F. and Edith R. Day Dissertation Travel Award.
Jordan Reinders was awarded 2nd Place in the graduate student paper competition at the International Congress of Entomology
Suresh Varsani received the Skala Distinguished Graduate Fellowship Award from the Agricultural Research Division, UNL.
Dr. David Wangila received the Student Certification Award, sponsored by PestWest Environmental Science.
Undergraduate Students:
Hillary Fischer, Milton E. Mohr Scholarship, Arthur von Bergen Memorial Award.Laura Gatch, Insect Science Scholarship.
Ellis Johnson, UCARE Award - "Importance of Arabidopsis thaliana myzus persicae-induced lipase1 gene in defense against cabbage aphids (Hemiptera)", Ephraim and Veallon Hixson Memorial Scholarship, Earl and Bertha Ramsey Memorial Scholarship.
Alex Lehmann, Earl and Bertha Ramsey Memorial Scholarship.
2015
The Entomology Department, University-wide Departmental Teaching Award from the University of Nebraska.Faculty:
Dr. Joe Louis, 2015 Eric E. Conn Young Investigator AwardGraduate Students:
Justin McMechan, Swenk Travel Fund Award Adriano Pereira, Swenk Travel Fund Award Suresh Varsani, NCB-ESA Travel AwardUndergraduate Students:
Hillary Fischer, Milton E. Mohr Scholarship2014
Faculty:
Dr. Fred Baxendale, C. V. Riley Achievement Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Science of Entomology, NCB-ESA, Honorary Member Award, ESA Dr. Ashley Hall, Junior Faculty Holling Family Award for Teaching Excellence Dr. Gary Hein, North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture (NACTA) Teaching Award of Merit Certificate Dr. Tiffany Heng-Moss, UNL Teaching Council/Parents Association Outstanding Service Award Dr. Shripat Kamble, Nebraska Chapter of Gamma Sigma Delta Award for Excellence in Extension Dr. Joe Louis, Associate Editor, Journal of Arthropod-Plant Interactions and the Journal of Economic EntomologyThe Linnaean Team won 1st place in the competition at the NCB-ESA meeting and qualified to compete at the ESA annual meeting this November in Portland, OR. They also received a $2500 travel grant for the meeting. Team members were Alister Bryson, Kyle Koch, Wayne Ohnesorg, and Johan Pretorius. Coaches were Drs. Bob Wright and Ken Pruess