by Kathy Schindler | Entomology Department
Organized by the Lawrence Bruner Graduate Student Club, the Insect Science Club and the department, the theme for the reunion is “Growing and Glowing.” The dinner event offers an excellent opportunity to reconnect with old friends and build new ones for the future. This special event will also showcase the department's successes and future plans.
The lineup for the evening includes a social hour, dinner, and special speaker. The featured speaker and 2023 Distinguished Alumnus of the Year is Dr. Neil Spomer, Crop Protection Field Sciences Innovation & Modernization Leader with Corteva Agriscience, Indianapolis. His presentation is titled “My UNL Journey - From Business to Entomology and Beyond.”
Spomer received both his Ph.D. in Entomology (2005) and his M.S. degrees (2001) in Entomology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Under the mentorship of Dr. Shripat Kamble, Spomer's research focused on termite baiting and the environmental fate of liquid termiticides. He also earned his Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration (1994) from UNL.
In this current role at Corteva AgriScience, Spomer established the global team structure and strategy to enable digital technologies and tools to accelerate the Corteva product development pipeline. In early 2023, Spomer accepted an additional role of Technology Characterization Leader for an early-stage discovery insecticide. With these additions to his career responsibilities, Spomer coordinates budgets, strategy, and global deployment of field trials. In 2010, he became a Board Certified Entomologist. Spomer also has 20 refereed publications, one book chapter, 27 submitted Invention Disclosures, and five patents published to date.
Dr. John Ruberson, chair of the Entomology Department, observed that, "It is an honor to have the department represented by such an excellent graduate as Dr. Spomer. He exemplifies the value of committed effort and adaptive resilience in building a high-impact career. We're very proud of him and his accomplishments."
The Department of Entomology has been a part of UNL since 1895, and has trained many exceptional scientists since that time, Ruberson said. The department's Insect Science undergraduate major has grown to nearly 40 students, and the resident MS and Ph.D. programs are strong and vibrant. The online entomology MS program - the first of its kind in the nation - is also strong, Ruberson said, with students all over the world contributing in all walks of life.
Cost for the dinner & event is $15 each, and attendees should RSVP by April 21, 2023, at https://unlcorexmuw.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0rHO34TunWqXz1Q. If the link does not work, please copy and paste it into the web browser.
Everyone is encouraged to book their hotel rooms in advance of the event to assure housing for the evening or weekend. Here is a small list of hotels in Lincoln (pdf).
Please contact the Bruner Club with questions or concerns by emailing them at brunerclub@unl.edu, or contacting one of the Club officers at https://entomology.unl.edu/bruner.