Rob Williams

Meaghan Pimsler Receives Comstock Award from Southwestern Branch of ESA

March 2, 2015 by Rob Williams

Meaghan Pimsler with Bob Davis — Meaghan Pimsler, left. with Bob Davis. Photo by Tom Royer

TULSA—Ph.D. student Meaghan Pimsler’s hard work and determination has paid off again as she received the Entomological Society of America’s John Henry Comstock Award for 2015 at the Southwestern Branch of the Entomological Society’s annual meeting.

The award was announced during the meeting’s awards ceremony held at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Tulsa during the three-day event on February 23-26.

Pimsler is co-advised by Drs. Jeff Tomberlin and Aaron Tarone and her dissertation is titled “A Functional Genetic Study of the Behavioral Ecology of Chrysomya rufifacies (Diptera: Calliphoridae); Potential for Sexual Conflict in Immature Insects.”

She is actively involved in the Entomological Society of America and has organized two symposia, as well as representing Texas A&M in the regional and national Linnaean Games several times in her career. Pimsler also has organized and participated in the ESA’s student debate and submitted three manuscripts to the Journal of Medical Entomology.

Pimsler has received numerous awards, including the Monsanto Student Travel and Medical, Urban, and Veterinary Entomology Section Student Travel Grant for the ESA meeting in Portland in 2014, and placed first for her presentation during the 2013 Graduate Student Forum and at the 2013 North American Forensic Entomology Association meeting in Dayton, Ohio.

In addition to her research, Pimsler has been a graduate teaching assistant for several courses, including the FIVS 205, Introduction to Forensic and Investigative Sciences and the FIVS/ENTO 431/432, Theoretical and Applied Forensic Entomology.

“Meaghan is an exceptional student and researcher,” Tomberlin said. “She will serve as a wonderful representative of the spirit of the Comstock Award.”

Tarone was very proud of Pimsler and was excited to see her receive the award.

“Meaghan is a great student, a hard worker, and an avid entomologist,” Tarone said. “She definitely represents the type of person that the Comstock Award was intended to honor and I have every confidence that this is just one of what will become a long list of achievements that are in store for Meaghan’s career.”

The J. H. Comstock Award is given to one graduate student from each of the Entomological Society of America’s six 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 $500 cash prize, and a certificate that is presented during the ESA Annual Meeting.

Southwestern Branch Awards Committee Chair Dr. Charles Allen said that the vote for the award was close, but Pimsler’s achievements during her college career were outstanding and deserved recognition.

“The voting was pretty tight, but Meaghan was the clear winner,” Allen said. “The fact that she has maintained a 4.0 grade point average while being fully involved in all of her research, outreach, teaching and society activities was very impressive as well. Finally, her willingness to work with and collaborate with other students, and her ability to obtain grant/scholarship support did not go unappreciated by the committee. In short, across the breadth of our discipline (and beyond) she has a developed a very impressive body of work.”

Extension IPM Agents Honored at 2015 TPMA Annual Meeting

February 23, 2015 by Rob Williams

TPMA Chairman Mark Wright, left, and Award Winners Stephen Biles, center. and Rick Minzenmayer, right. Photo by Pat Porter — TPMA Board Chairman Mark Wright, left, and Award Winners Stephen Biles, center. and Rick Minzenmayer, right. Photo by Pat Porter

AUSTIN—Three Texas A&M AgriLife Extension personnel received honors at this year’s Texas Pest Management Association in Austin.

The awards were given to Extension Agent-IPM Stephen Biles, Extension Agent-IPM Danielle Sekula-Ortiz, and Extension Agent-IPM Rick Minzenmayer for their dedication and hard work throughout the year.

Biles received the 2014 Excellence in IPM Programming Award for seven or more years of service to the state’s integrated pest management program. According to the nomination letter, Biles serves as the Extension Agent-IPM for Calhoun and Refugio Counties. He has also served as the EA-IPM for Jones, Mitchell and Scurry Counties from 1994 to 2004.

Biles assumed his current responsibilities in the mid-Texas coastal region in 2004 and has worked to educate farmers about IPM technologies, and cooperated in numerous regional research and demonstration projects.

Danielle Sekula-Ortiz. Photo by Rod Santa Ana, Texas AgriLife Communications

Sekula-Ortiz received the 2014 TPMA Excellence in IPM Programming Award for 0-7 years. She began working as an Extension Agent – IPM for the Lower Rio Grande Valley region, which covers Cameron, Willacy and Hidalgo counties, in 2013. Before then, she worked as a Field Entomologist for Rio Queen Citrus.

“Danielle has worked hard to re-establish a viable IPM Program in the agricultural-rich Rio Grande Valley,” the nomination said. “Danielle has faced a host of pest challenges in Deep South Texas and has worked diligently with farmers to address pest problems”

Minzenmayer received the Outstanding Extension Agent –IPM Award for 2014 for his outstanding work serving the Runnels and Tom Green County areas for more than 30 years. During that time, he has spent countless hours working to educate farmers about the benefits of IPM.

“Rick has always been an outspoken advocate for Texas Pest Management Association, and the organization continues to appreciate his candid advice and dedication,” the nomination said. “His commitment to the Texas IPM Program continued during 2014 as he conducted and/or participated in numerous demonstration and research projects to advance the region’s agricultural industry.”

Grad Students Honored at Special Recognition Seminar

February 20, 2015 by Rob Williams

Paula Castillo with Dr. David Ragsdale holding an award — Paula Castillo, left, with Entomology Department Head Dr. David Ragsdale. Castillo received the Outstanding Graduate Student Award for Masters Student at a special presentation. Photo by Rob Williams

The Department of Entomology recently named its Outstanding Graduate Students of 2015 during a special seminar on Thursday, February 19.

Paula Castillo and Meaghan Pimsler were honored during the Grad Student Recognition Seminar. Castillo received the Outstanding Grad Student – Masters Student while Pimsler received the Outstanding Ph.D. Student Award.

Castillo is currently being mentored by Dr. Patricia Pietrantonio. She is author of an article published in PLoS One in 2013 on the immunolocalization of the sNPF receptor in all three subcastes of red imported fire ant workers. The research was also presented at a Society for Neurobiology poster competition, where she received third place in the Junior Graduate Student category.

Castillo is also actively involved in the Entomology Graduate Student Organization where she is currently serving as the Seminar Chair for the Entomology Graduate Student Organization. She received her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Santiago in Santiago, Chile.

“Paula is undoubtedly an outstanding graduate student,” said Professor and AgriLife Research Fellow, Dr. Patricia Pietrantonio.

Paula also works with undergraduate students conducting research in the laboratory and she is extremely helpful and dedicated,” Dr. Cecilia Tamborindeguy said. “She has a wealth of knowledge that she shares with her fellow students.”

She is actively involved in the Entomological Society of America and has organized two symposia, as well as represented Texas A&M in the regional and national Linnaean Games several times in her career. Pimsler also has organized and participated in the ESA’s student debate and submitted three manuscripts to the Journal of Medical Entomology.

In addition to her research, Pimsler has been a graduate teaching assistant for several courses, including the FIVS 205 Introduction to Forensic and Investigative Sciences and the FIVS/ENTO 431/432 Theoretical and Applied Forensic Entomology.

“Her attention to details as related to experimental design is tremendous, as well as, her ability to envision potential hurdles and associated solutions is on par with those at the conclusion of their Ph.D. studies,” said Dr. Jeff Tomberlin. “I also appreciate her ability to collaborate with other students in the laboratory. I have noticed that she is always willing to help those in need, has a passion for outreach, interacts wonderfully with non-scientists, and just has a drive to be the best entomologist/scientist/ citizen that is tough to match. I sincerely appreciate Meaghan as a person and fellow researcher.”

Pimsler received her Bachelor of Science in Entomology from Cornell University where she graduated Magna Cum Laude in May 2007.

Department Names Dr. Hojun Song as Assistant Professor of Systematics and Biodiversity

February 12, 2015 by Rob Williams

Hojun Song - inside page — Dr. Hojun Song. Photo by Rob Williams

COLLEGE STATION, Texas—The Department of Entomology at Texas A&M would like to welcome Dr. Hojun Song as Assistant Professor of Entomology in Arthropod Systematics and Biodiversity.

Song joined the Department on January 12 and replaced the position that Dr. Wharton left after he recently retired in August 2013. Before coming to A&M, Song was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Central Florida and was curator of the Stuart M. Fullerton Collection of Arthropods at UCF.

Song is broadly interested in systematics and evolution of the order Orthoptera, which includes grasshoppers, crickets and katydids. His current research program includes phylogenetics of Orthoptera, the evolution of density dependent phenotypic plasticity in grasshoppers and locusts, the evolution of insect male genitalia, the evolution of nuclear mitochondrial pseudogenes, and mitochondrial genomics.

In regards to teaching, Song has taught several undergraduate and graduate courses at Central Florida, including General Entomology, Integrative Biology, Phylogenetic Approaches in Biological Research, and Introductory Organismal Biology, as well as coordinated the graduate seminar courses.

Song currently serves as the President for the Systematics, Evolution, and Biodiversity Section of the Entomological Society of America, an Organizing Committee member for the 2016 International Congress of Entomology, the Program Committee member of the Entomological Society of America in 2014-15 and a Governing Board member of the Orthopterists’ Society. He is also the Editor-in-Chief of the journal Insect Systematics and Evolution, a subject editor for the journal Zootaxa, and the Editor of Metaleptea, a newsletter of the Orthopterists’ Society.

Some of the awards Song has received include the Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award from the National Science Foundation in 2013, the Dean’s Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida in 2014, the John Henry Comstock Graduate Student Award in 2006, and the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship during 2002-2005.

Song received his Bachelor of Science in Entomology at Cornell University in 2000, his Master of Science in Entomology from The Ohio State University in 2002 and his Ph.D. in Entomology at The Ohio State University in 2006. He was a postdoctoral research fellow at Brigham Young University during 2006-2010.

Department Announces Adkisson Distinguished Seminar Speaker Award

February 5, 2015 by Rob Williams

Sarjeet-inside page — Dr. Sarjeet Gill, left, standing with Entomology Department Head Dr. David Ragsdale, right.

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The Department of Entomology is pleased to announce that Dr. Sarjeet Gill of the University of California-Riverside was named as this year’s Perry Adkisson Distinguished Seminar Speaker during a special seminar on January 29^th.

Given annually, the Perry Adkisson Distinguished Seminar Speaker Award recognizes outstanding researchers in the field of entomology and gives graduate students and the community the opportunity to hear the latest research from leading scientists.

Gill is Professor and Entomologist in the Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience at the University of California-Riverside. Gill and his lab have three principal research areas that utilize a cellular and molecular approach to elucidate the mechanisms of toxicity and cell membrane transport.

The focus of the first area is to elucidate the mode of action of toxins derived from Bacillus thuringiensis and Clostridium bifermantans. The above research aims to gain a molecular understanding of the characteristics of these toxins and how they interact with cellular targets, which result in a disruption of ion regulation and lethality. Current research projects include the elucidation of structure and function relationships of these bacterial toxins; toxin receptor isolation and an attempt to define how these receptors modulate in vivo toxicity.

Gill and his lab also are focusing on insect cell membrane transport, and how toxins affect this function. Currently, the laboratory is characterizing ion and amino acid transporters and focusing in on the Na+/H+ exchangers that play a key role in transport of high salt load on mosquitoes following a blood meal. Studies include functional analysis and regulation of these exchangers in the mosquito Malpighian tubules. In conjunction with this effort the lab is also characterizing transport processes involved in nutrient uptake following a blood meal, and the regulation of such transport.

Gill and his lab have an ongoing interest in xenobiotic metabolism and characterization of the effects of environmental toxicants on mammalian systems. This molecular toxicology emphasis defines how toxicants regulate the expression of the soluble epoxide hydrolase and fatty acid metabolism.

Gill received his bachelor of science at McGill University and his Ph.D. from the University of California in Berkeley. He is a member of several professional societies including the American Chemical Society, American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Entomological Society of America.

The award is named for Dr. Perry Adkisson, former head of the Department and of the Texas A&M University Chancellor. During his career, Adkisson was an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences, and the first ever recipient of all three of the world’s major prizes in agriculture, the Alexander von Humboldt Award, the Wolf Prize, and the World Food Prize. Along with Dr. Ray Smith, he developed what is now known as IPM or Integrated Pest Management.