Texas A&M Entomology Research Network

Rob Williams

Former PhD Student Receives Top Award for Research in Malaysia

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Chong Chin Heo standing at a stage receiving a medal.
Chong Chin Heo, right, receiving the medal from Professor Emeritus Dr. C.P. Ramachandran, left. Submitted photo.

Congratulations to former Ph.D. student Chong Chin Heo as he received the research medal for his research at the 54th annual meeting of the Malaysian Society of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine.

Heo was honored with the Nadchatram Silver Medal during the opening ceremony held in Kuala Lumpur. The award was given every year to scientists under 45 years old that have done outstanding research in both parasitology and tropical medicine fields.

Heo received his Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences in 2006 and Master of Science in 2009 from the National University of Malaysia, and then his Ph.D. in Entomology from Texas A&M in 2016. He is currently a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Medicine at the Universiti Teknologi MARA in Malaysia, where he is teaching medical parasitology and entomology to pre-clinical medical students.

Before becoming a faculty member, Heo was a research officer at the Institute for Medical Research in Kuala Lumpur, and was a member of Dr. Jeff Tomberlin’s FLIES Facility when he was a grad student. Heo’s research interests are carrion decomposition ecology, biodiversity of necrophagous and coprophagous dipteran species, and forensic entomology/acarology.

Heo has given more than 70 platforms and poster presentations at conferences locally and internationally since 2017.

“Chin has always been a stellar researcher. So, I am not surprised by his receiving such a prestigious award,” Heo’s former mentor Dr. Jeffery Tomberlin said. “This recognition highlights his amazing contributions to the field of parasitology and entomology as well as his dedication to the students at his university.”

“I felt very honored to be selected by the committee as the recipient for Nadchatram Medal 2017. I am very grateful to the Malaysian Society of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine for their recognition to young scientists in the field of parasitology and entomology.,” Heo said.

Heo was also grateful for the time that he had spent at Texas A&M and for the faculty that have trained him.

“I sincerely thank my former professors and supervisors who taught me, particularly Dr. Jeffery Tomberlin, Dr. Pete Teel, Dr. Aaron Tarone, Dr. Jacqueline Peterson (Soil and Crop Sciences, TAMU) and Dr. Tawni Crippen (USDA-ARS) for their support and help during my PhD program here at the Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University,” he said. “Being a former PhD graduate from the Department, this unique experience definitely enhances my confident and quality as a researcher, and making me a proud Aggie who work hard to promote entomological sciences, and spread the Aggie spirit and culture to the local community.”

Texas A&M scientist is among team to prove royalty among termites

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Pictured, are the royals: a queen and king of Reticulitermes flavipes, the eastern subterranean termite. (photo by Dr. Benoit Guenard, assistant biology professor, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China)
Pictured, are the royals: a queen and king of Reticulitermes flavipes, the eastern subterranean termite. (photo by Dr. Benoit Guenard, assistant biology professor, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China)

by Steve Byrns, Texas A&M AgriLife Communications

COLLEGE STATION – Termites! Just the insects’ common name can strike fear in the hearts of most any homeowner, but a recently published work could go a long way in quelling some of those fears, said one of the authors.

Dr. Ed Vargo, Endowed Chair in Urban and Structural Entomology at Texas A&M University, College Station, is among a team of scientists who recently published “Identification of a Queen and King Recognition Pheromone in the Subterranean Termite Reticulitermes flavipes,” in the scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2018/03/15/1721419115

Co-authors with Vargo were Dr. Coby Schal, Blanton J. Whitmire Distinguished Professor of Entomology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina; Colin Funaro, doctoral student for Vargo and Schal, North Carolina State University; and Dr. Katalin Boroczky, research chemist, Penn State University, State College, Pennsylvania.

Termites are group of wood-eating insects that serve as important decomposers in nature, but some types are highly destructive pests to human-built structures, Vargo said.

“Regardless of type, all termites live in highly cooperative colonies consisting of different castes, such as the kings and queens, the reproductive caste and the worker or non-reproductive caste,” Vargo said. “It’s long been suspected that termites within a colony can distinguish caste members based on chemical cues, but until now no active chemical compounds had been identified. Our team of biologists and chemists set out to identify those chemical cues that mediate caste recognition.”

To find those chemical cues, called pheromones, the team selected Reticulitermes flavipes, the most widespread North American termite species, to study. They isolated a hydrocarbon, heneicosane, a substance unique to royals, applied it to glass “dummy queens” and were able to duplicate the same behavior in workers to the glass queens as they exhibit to real termite royals.

Vargo said the work represents an important breakthrough, especially when one considers social insects such as honeybees, fire ants and termites are remarkable creatures among which thousands of individuals work together to form a superorganism.

“How these superorganisms function and how they evolved have long been of intense interest to scientists,” he said. “This work helps us understand how termites and other social insect colonies function and offers a window into their evolution.

“Because termites rely heavily on chemical communication to function efficiently, by decoding their chemical language, in the future we may be able to disrupt their activity in a targeted and environmentally friendly way to protect our homes and property.”

Honors Medical Entomology Students Create Online Journal Highlighting Medical Entomology Topics

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Screenshot of the cover page to the online journal.
A screenshot of the cover page to the online journal “Bugs Decoded at Texas A&M”.

Students in Dr. Adrienne Brundage’s honors medical entomology class (ENTO 423) have been working to make medical entomology research and concepts easier for the public to read as the class recently released its inaugural online journal.

The journal, called “Bugs Decoded at Texas A&M,” was published as way for her students to provide an informational tool for the general public to learn about medical entomology topics and to help them learn more about the journal writing process.

Brundage started the project as a way to help her students learn how to translate the high-level research from scientific publications into something that can be easily understood by the general public.

Adrienne Brundage at computer
Dr. Adrienne Brundage with the electronic publication her students in ENTO 423 class submitted recently. Photo by Rob Williams.

“I wanted to give them a platform where they had to “translate”, so to speak, some newly published papers so that the general public could understand, regardless of if the reader is a Ph.D. in entomology or not. This website was the result of that idea,” Brundage said.

Brundage said that her students were in charge of selecting the articles and working the final peer reviews where they were graded on their accuracy and quality of their work.

“I want them to have ownership, so I don’t step in until the end of the semester,” Brundage said. “It’s up to the students to make sure everything is good to go. It’s really fun to watch what they come up with.”

The first edition covers topics such as dengue fever, house flies, and Leishmaniasis transmission via a vector called the sand fly.  There also were a few articles that were reviewed by some of the students featured as well, including a study on Lyme disease in Minnesota, a review of the potential distribution of mosquito vector species that vector malaria in a primary endemic region of Columbia, and in Sri Lanka, and an article on the Aedes Aegypti mosquito.

The journal also featured a special links section related to entomology and insects, and relevant videos on entomology and medical entomology.

Brundage sees the journal expanding in future issues to include what they have learned at the various professional entomology conferences held annually.

“Each semester I will have the honors students work on this project, and they will each have to add an article or two on current events in entomology,” Brundage said. “I may also have students attending various entomological conferences write up articles about the most interesting discoveries presented at those conferences.”

The journal can be found at https://www.instars.science/

Teel Receives TAMUS Regents Professor Award

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Teel with Chancellor Sharp and Board of Regents
Dr. Pete Teel was recognized for receiving the TAMUS Regents Professor Award during a recent ceremony in the MSC. Pictured with Teel are: (from left) Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp, Dr. Teel, Mr. Charles Schwartz, Board of Regents Chair, and Elaine Mendoza Board of Regents Vice Chair. Photo by Butch Ireland, Butch Ireland Photography

The Department of Entomology would like to congratulate Dr. Pete Teel as he received Regents Professor Award from the Texas A&M System during a special recognition ceremony in February.

Teel was one of 12 faculty members that were recognized during ceremonies held in the Bethancourt Ballroom by the TAMUS Board of Regents. The award is given to recognize those professors that have made exemplary contributions to the university and the people of Texas.

Teel is currently Professor and Associate Department Head for Academic Programs in the Department and is internationally recognized for his expertise and research discoveries on ticks and tick-borne diseases, which are a significant impediment to the health and well-being of humans, companion animals, livestock and wildlife.

Since his career at A&M, Teel has provided leadership in support of industry, regulatory, animal health and public health concerns, as well as in the strategic planning for research and regulatory efforts from state to national levels and generated over $4 million in research support through the US Department of Agriculture, United States Agency for International Development, the Department of Defense, US Department of Homeland Security, the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, animal health companies and state programs. These programs resulted in more than 230 scholarly publications in peer reviewed journals, book chapters, technical reports, extension and trade publications, as well as more than 300 invited and submitted presentations at scholarly conferences and stakeholder meetings.

Teel’s research findings have benefited livestock producers facing annual costs to ticks and tick-borne diseases exceeding $450M, by improving management tactics and strategies for tick control.  His work on cattle fever ticks alone contributes toward protection of more than 400K cattle producers in the southern U.S. that produce more than 1/3 of all fed cattle.  USDA estimates the cattle industry losses would exceed $1B annually in the southern US, if these ticks were permitted to re-establish in this region.

Teel is also leading a new collaboration between Texas A&M AgriLife Research and the USDA, ARS, through the AgriLife Genomics and Bioinformatics Center to search the genetic codes of the two cattle fever tick species in the U.S. Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program using comparative genomic and transcriptomic approaches.  New challenges to tick elimination have heightened the need to find innovative solutions.  This collaboration is expected to yield new discoveries for anti-tick vaccines and identification of new targets for pesticide development, with opportunities for commercialization.

Since 1994, Teel’s dedication in leading the Department’s recruiting, curriculum, and other teaching activities have resulted in making it the largest and nationally-recognized entomology teaching programs in the United States.

Teel has been instrumental in creating the Undergraduate Certificate in Public Health Entomology. Launched in 2012, the certificate’s goal is to prepare students for opportunities in public health services from local to international levels, military services, and relevant graduate and professional schools.

Teel also led the growth and development of the Forensic and Investigative Sciences program from a single course into a separate major and developed a capstone course for the undergraduate curricula called Case Studies in Problem Solving (ENTO 435), which he taught from 2006-2010.

In his tenure, Teel has graduated 16 PhD and 9 Master’s former students in his research program.  He presently supports and advises 2 PhD and 2 Master’s students with research projects on subjects pertaining to ticks.  His former students include teaching faculty at the University of Oklahoma,  the US Air Force Academy and University of Arkansas Monticello.

Nine of Teel’s former students have previously, or are currently, serving in the U.S. Armed Forces as medical entomologists, whose mission is to protect service men and women globally from vector-borne diseases.  Other students work in animal health companies, public health agencies, and veterinary medicine.   He has mentored 10 B.S. students in high impact research or internship experiences in the last 5 years, each resulting in publication of scholarly work.  Each of these students have successfully completed post-graduate programs or are presently in professional schools.

He has received numerous awards during his career including the Distinguished Achievement Award in Teaching in 2016 from the Entomological Society of America, the 2014 College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Dean’s Outstanding Achievement Award in Excellence in Educational Enrichment and Innovation, and the 2008 Vice Chancellor’s Award in Excellence, Entomology Recruitment Team, Diversity Efforts.

Raszick and Hawkings Receive Department’s Outstanding Graduate Student Awards

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Tyler Raszick, left, and Chloe Hawkings, right, stand with Dr. Raul Medina, center, with their Outstanding Ph.D. Student Awards. Photo by Rob Williams.
Tyler Raszick, left, and Chloe Hawkings, right, stand with Dr. Raul Medina, center, with their Outstanding Ph.D. Student Awards. Photo by Rob Williams.

Congratulations to Ph.D. students  Tyler Raszick and Chloë Hawkings as they received this year’s Department of Outstanding Graduate Student Award during the Graduate Student Recognition Seminar on Thursday, February 15.

Raszick is advised by Dr. Gregory Sword. His dissertation research utilizes high-throughput DNA sequencing technology and cutting edge bioinformatics to address critical issues in cotton entomology including boll weevil eradication efforts and risk assessment for the evolution of resistance by mirids to a new generation of Bt transgenic crops.

He is active in the Entomology Graduate Student Organization, where he has served as the Treasurer and the Vice President of External Affairs. Raszick volunteered his time to staff the merchandise booth at all of the Entomological Society of America annual meetings and helped come up with the idea of the Mentorship in Entomology Symposium, in which he co-chaired.

Raszick has also been an active volunteer for the EGSO at several outreach events in the community and as a volunteer and graduate student panel member for all of the graduate student visits hosted by the Department. He also is a member of the Texas A&M University’s Graduate and Professional Student Student Council, where he currently serves as the Vice President of University Affairs.

In addition to EGSO, Raszick contributed to several annual Entomological Society of America meetings where he co-organized and moderated symposia for the 2014 and 2017 meetings and served as a student volunteer working in the presentation preview and virtual presentation rooms. He also selflessly contributed to the recent Hurricane Harvey relief efforts by helping to deliver supplies to affected communities south of Houston.

“Tyler truly embodies the Aggie Core Values of Leadership and Selfless Service,” Sword said. “He has contributed his talents to an impressive array of service and leadership roles in the Entomology Department, University and broader entomology community.”

“It feels pretty good to be recognized for my service,” Raszick said. “I’m thrilled to share the award with another deserving student who is also very involved!”

Advised by Dr. Cecilia Tamborindeguy, Hawkings’ research is centered around gene expression profiles in the red imported fire ant workers. She utilizes RNA sequencing data to analyze differential gene expression of workers performing different tasks, in different social conditions; and also she investigates the expression of vitellogenins in the workers, and the interplay of this transcript expression with juvenile hormone. Her research aims to gain an overall understanding of the molecular mechanisms at play in eusocial insect colonies. As of 2018,  she has one paper accepted and another currently ‘in press’ in Ecology and Evolution.

Hawkings also was lead teaching assistant for 4 semesters and a laboratory instructor/TA for General Entomology. While serving as a TA, Hawkings was instrumental in updating and improving the syllabus content and created the first laboratory manual for the course.

In 2017, Hawkings was one of the founders of the Aggie Women in Entomology, an organization created to enhance the professional community of women in entomology. She currently serves as President of the organization, has hosted two seminar speakers for the Departmental seminar series. Also she founded the mentorship in entomology program where undergraduates could attend panels and workshops helpful for transitioning to graduate school.

Hawkings also has been the EGSO’s Events coordinator since 2016 and was the co-author of the COALS Council development grant that launched the Mentorship in Entomology Symposium, where she served as the committee chair.  Some of the outreach events she has coordinated and lead include the Expand Your Horizons, North Bryan Community Center, and the Monarch conservation initiative through the city of College Station.

In 2016, she began the Fire Ant Research group, which aims to facilitate the collaborative efforts in fire ant research. She has received numerous awards including the 2018 Ethel Ashworth-Tsutsui Memorial award for Mentoring, second place in the President’s prize in research at the 2017 ESA annual meeting, second place at the graduate student forum, and the Department of Entomology’s Teaching Assistant of the Year award in 2017.

“I feel honored to receive this prestigious award,” Hawkings said.