Awards

Advisor Receives Dean’s Outstanding Achievement Award for Advising and Student Relations

September 18, 2018 by Rob Williams

Ann Pool (right) receiving the Dean’s Award from Vice Chancellor and Dr. Patrick Stover, Vice Chancellor and Dean for Agriculture and Life Sciences, Texas A&M AgriLife (left). Photo by Rob Williams

The Department of Entomology would like to congratulate Senior Academic Advisor Ann Pool as she received the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences’ Dean’s Dean’s Outstanding Achievement Award for Advising and Student Relations during the Fall Awards Ceremony at the AgriLife Center in September.

Pool received the award for her outstanding efforts in advising undergraduates in both the Entomology and Forensic and Investigative Sciences programs and conducting various outreach programs within the Department.

Since joining the Department in 2013, Pool advises more than 300 undergraduates, and has been instrumental in helping reach out to prospective students by hosting informational sessions about the Forensic and Investigative Sciences program and participating in Aggieland Saturday and conducted New Student Conferences during the summer months.

During her career in the Department of Entomology, Pool also has helped with coordinating the annual 4-H and FFA contests and workshops that are held in the spring and summer and facilitated planning the program with the undergraduate students for the department’s annual Undergraduate Student Recognition Banquet, as well as overseeing the Certificate in Public Health Entomology program.

Dr. Anjel Helms, right with Dr. Patrick Stover, Vice Chancellor and Dean for Agriculture and Life Sciences, Texas A&M AgriLife — Dr. Anjel Helms, right, with Dr. Patrick Stover, Vice Chancellor and Dean for Agriculture and Life Sciences, Texas A&M AgriLife. Photo by Michael Kellett

Dr. Jeff Tomberlin, right, with Dr. Patrick Stover, Dr. Anjel Helms, right with Dr. Patrick Stover, Vice Chancellor and Dean for Agriculture and Life Sciences, Texas A&M AgriLife. Photo by Michael Kellett

Pool is a member of the University Advisors and Counselors and the National Academic Advising Association, where she served as president of the UAC in 2016 and served as the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences representative for the UAC Executive committee from 2014-2015.

During the summer of 2015, Pool’s subcommittee assessed and redesigned the New Advisor Orientation that was previously offered through the UAC. The group then implemented the new changes during the first of several day-long orientation programs for new advisors throughout the academic year. Since then, she and her subcommittee have facilitated these orientations for hundreds of advisors, including those new to the academic advising fields.

“I believe this speaks volumes not only of her dedication and service to the advising profession but also to the students attending and those who will attend Texas A&M University,” Senior Academic Advisor Rebecca Hapes said. “She has spent countless hours creating an orientation program for advisors who will interact with thousands upon thousands of students in an effort to ensure that accurate and consistent messaging is taking place across campus.”

Hapes also commended Pool’s dedication to academic advising and her willingness to help out wherever she can in the Department.

“Ann is incredibly knowledgeable and is always willing to help, regardless of the circumstance,” Senior Academic Advisor Rebecca Hapes said. “Ann gives freely of her time to students, faculty and colleagues across the campus. Ann is an engaging and enthusiastic advisor who strives to make those around her comfortable, while simultaneously stretching them to be the best version of themselves. I feel that she is greatly deserving of the 2018 Dean’s Outstanding Achievement Awards Committee – Advising and Student Relations.”

The College also recognized new faculty member Dr. Anjel Helms and Drs. Gabriel Hamer and Juliana Rangel received recognition for receiving promotion and tenure. Drs. Zach Adelman, Kevin Myles, and Jeff Tomberlin were recognized for being promoted to Professor.

Grad Students Research Presentations Receive Awards During Forum

August 24, 2018 by Rob Williams

The winners of the 21st Graduate Student Forum. From left to right: Ivy Wei Chen (second place), Erfan Vafaie (first place), and Liz Walsh (third place)

Three graduate students received top awards for their research during the 21^st annual Graduate Student Forum held in the Heep Center on August 23.

The forum gives graduate students the experience of presenting their research to peers in a format similar to what they would see during a research paper competition at conferences. Students were given a set amount of time to present their research and answer questions from the audience.

Erfan Vafaie received first place for his presentation titled “Use of multiple natural enemies for inoculative biological control of Bemisia tabaci in greenhouse Poinsettia production,” Ivy Wei Chen received second place for her talk “Insect sterol requirements: a novel target for controlling insect herbivore pests.”

Liz Walsh then received third place for her talk titled “Effects of pesticide exposure during development on the mating frequency of honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) queens.”

Vafaie is a Ph.D. student advised by Dr. Kevin Heinz, Chen is advised by Dr. Keyan Zhu-Salzman, and Walsh is advised by Dr. Juliana Rangel.

The forum also featured a question and answer session with Drs. Micky Eubanks, Ed Vargo, Zach Adelman, and Jeffery Tomberlin. During the discussion, members of the audience asked questions about their experience, how each handled stress and speaking in public, and career options for graduate students when they graduate.

All winners received a certificate and a cash prize during a special awards ceremony following the main session.

Mike Merchant Receives Specialist of the Year Award During County Agents Annual Meeting

August 2, 2018 by Rob Williams

Dr. Mike Merchant, left, received the Texas County Agricultural Agents Association's Specialist of the Year award during the organization's annual meeting. Pictured with Merchant is Tommy Yeater, TCAAA President. Photo by Todd Williams. — Dr. Mike Merchant, left, received the Texas County Agricultural Agents Association’s Specialist of the Year award during the organization’s annual meeting. Pictured with Merchant is Tommy Yeater, TCAAA President. Photo by Todd Williams.

The awards keep coming for Dr. Mike Merchant as he received the District 4 Texas County Agricultural Agents Association’s Specialist of the Year Award during its annual meeting.

Merchant is a professor and Extension entomologist currently working at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Dallas. He began his career as an entomologist in 1989 in District 4, which includes the Dallas area, where he started many outreach projects and programs in urban entomology.

Merchant was the original author of “Texas Two-Step” method of controlling fire ants that was developed in the early 1990s by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. Since then, the publication has been the most frequently requested publication and is currently recognized as the most effective control program available in the nation.

In 1993, Merchant was chair of the statewide School IPM Advisory committee and was the principal drafter of the regulations that established the Texas School IPM program. Since then, he has created video training tapes and a handbook for school IPM coordinators.

Merchant and Dr. Don Renchie were awarded in 2001 with a multi-state grant to develop the Southwestern Technical Resource Center for IPM in Schools and Daycare Facilities. This grant helped to develop training materials and courses in integrated pest management for schools.

Merchant also led a team of entomologists to identify a new insect pest that was attacking crape myrtles in the southern United States in the past decade. He showed that neonicitinoid soil drenches controlled the scale and research has focused on the safe, effective, and economically feasible control solution that wouldn’t harm pollinators that use the plants as a source of pollen.

In addition to crape myrtle scale, Merchant has created an interactive website called Mosquito Safari to teach homeowners and businesses about proper mosquito control and has worked with Dr. Sonja Swiger to develop a statewide outreach program on controlling mosquitoes and prevention of the Zika virus in Texas.

Their efforts in control educational programming resulted in 339 educational events, training more than 140,000 people and making more than 2 million media contacts. More than 76,000 people received the Zika informational newsletters and 11,000 printed copies distributed throughout the state.

In 2003, Merchant along with colleagues Drs. John Jackman and Carlos Bogran developed the Master Volunteer Specialist in Entomology program. This training consists of a course which offers in-depth training in entomology to Master Gardeners and Master Naturalists and created an online outreach tool for professionals and general public called Insects in the City. He also oversaw the renovation project in 2016 that eventually became the Texas IPM House, which is a hands-on training facility for pest management professionals to learn about IPM and pests that invade homes or used structures as a source of food and shelter.

“Mike is the very best Extension writer I’ve ever read. He provides the scientific information that is essential for credibility in an incredibly readable format. When he attends a conference and provides a recap, I feel like I was there taking notes,” said Laura Miller, County Extension Agent in Commerical Horticulture for Tarrant County. “His patience with questions is one of the best qualities an Extension Specialist could cultivate, and even though he is very busy, he takes time to address emerging insect issues from mosquito transmitted diseases to hackberry caterpillars.”

Department Celebrates Undergraduates’ Achievements During Banquet

April 25, 2018 by Rob Williams

The 2018-2019 Entomology Scholars Society. From left to right are Cory McDougal, Fatimah Bouderdaben, Kejaun Tate, Franchesca Rodriguez, Isaac Esparza, and Tammy Star. Photo by Rob Williams — The 2018-2019 Entomology Scholars Society. From left to right are Cory McDougal, Fatimah Bouderdaben, Kejaun Tate, Franchesca Rodriguez, Isaac Esparza, and Tammy Starr. Photo by Rob Williams

The Department of Entomology celebrated the achievements of its undergraduate students during the annual Undergraduate Recognition Banquet on Thursday, April 12 at the Thomas G. Hildebrand Equine Complex.

Tammy Starr and Isaac Luna began the banquet by welcoming guests while former students Dikla Medina and Elaine Chu shared their experiences when they were students in the Department and also gave graduating seniors advice after they graduate.

Members of the Undergraduate Entomology Student Organization and the Aggie Forensic and Investigative Sciences Organization then presented the group with a record of their activities that each organization has done throughout the academic year.

The 2018-2019 Department of Entomology’s Entomology Scholars Society were then announced These students will serve as liaisons between faculty, staff and prospective students. Throughout the year, scholars represent the Department and its program by serving as hosts to prospective students, parents and other campus visitors.

Dr. Adrienne Brundage, right, with Isaac Luna.

The cohorts for 2018-2019 are:

Cori McDougal
Fatimah Bouderdaben
Kejaun Tate
Franchesca Rodriguez
Isaac Esparza
Tammy Starr

Drs. Adrienne Brundage and Pete Teel also recognized the newest cohorts of students that will be studying abroad in both the Trinidad and Costa Rica study abroad programs this year, and recognized Forensics major Michelle Jonika for receiving the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences’ Senior Merit Award.

Brundage also was honored with the Department of Entomology’s Outstanding Professor of the Year Award while Scott Kovar won the Outstanding Professor of the Year for the Forensic and Investigative Sciences program.

Grad student Ryan Selking received the Outstanding Teaching Assistant from the UESO while Zanthé Kotzé received the award from members of AFIS. The officers for the 2018-2019 were also announced after the graduating seniors were recognized at the end.

The 2018-2019 officers for the Undergraduate Entomology Student Organization are:

Isaac Luna – President
Katie Rowe – Vice President
Myrah Rogers – Treasurer

The 2018-2019 officers for AFIS are:

Fatimah Bouderdaben – President
Melissa Paul – Vice President
Kaleigh Aaron – Treasurer
Brittany Gerich – Secretary
Andrew Chapman – Historian
Rachel McNeal – Activities Coordinator
Claire Risher – Sophomore Class Representative

Students, Faculty Receive Awards and Nominations During Southwestern Branch Meeting

April 20, 2018 by Rob Williams

The graduate and undergraduate Linnaean Teams. Submitted photo.

The Department of Entomology’s faculty and students received very high honors during this year’s Southwestern Branch of the Entomological Society of America’s 66th annual meeting during the week of March 25-29 in Albuquerque.

Members of the Texas A&M Graduate Linnaean Team won first place after defeating the undergraduate team during the final round of the Linnaean Games. Graduate members Fabian List, Mackenzie Tietjen, Joanie King, and Mark Janowiecki, won against the undergraduate team, which consisted of Dayvion Adams, Jeffrey Barbosa, Betty Hernandez, and Aria Deluna. The teams faced off against each other after several rounds with other universities within the Branch during the competitions.

Alex Payne, center, with her award. Also pictured is Dr. Manuel Campos-Figueroa, left, and Dr. Justin Talley. Photo by Edmond Bonjour.

Both the graduate and graduate teams will be heading to the national Linnaean Games at the Annual Meeting in Vancouver in November. “I couldn’t be more proud of being able to bring our two teams, not just one, to the national games this year,” Linnaean Team coach Dr. Juliana Rangel said.

Three graduate students placed in their talks during the meeting’s ten-minute oral presentation student competitions. These included Alex Payne, which took first place for her presentation titled “Synergistic effects of in-hive miticides and agro-chemicals on honey bee (Apis mellifera) colony growth” while Mackenzie Tietjen received second place for her talk titled “A comparative evaluation of questing height between populations of Ixodes scapularis in the northern and southern United States.”

Mackenzie Tietjen, center, with her award. Also pictured is Dr. Manuel Campos-Figueroa, left, and Dr. Justin Talley. Photo by Edmond Bonjour.

“This award shows Alex’s dedication and her attention to detail when it comes to preparing presentations and preparing content, as well as her demeanor during the presentations itself,” Rangel said. “She has become one of the best student speakers that I have seen in our department in a long time”

Jocelyn Holt, center, with her award. Also pictured with Holt is Dr. Manuel Campos-Figueroa, left, and Dr. Justin Talley. Photo by Edmond Bonjour.

Jocelyn Holt received third place for her talk titled “Characterization of the sugarcane aphid microbiome in the continental US.” Payne is a Ph.D. student in Dr. Juliana Rangel’s lab while Tietjen and Holt are Ph.D. students in Dr. Raul Medina’s lab.

“I think Jocelyn’s work on the sugarcane aphid is providing timely information that is increasing our understanding of this emerging sorghum pest,” Medina said. “Jocelyn is a gifted PhD student when it comes to communicating her findings to the public. Not only she is objective and clear but she also succeeds in conveying excitement about her research questions.”

“Mackenzie’s work is increasing our understanding of the ecology, behavior and population genetics of the black-legged tick in the Southern US. Her results are providing information that will help us understand the reasons that may explain the wide variation in Lyme disease cases within the US. Mackenzie is an excellent speaker,” he said. “She is precise and clear and has the ability to present complex information in an understandable fashion. It is no surprise she got an award for her talk!”

Dr. Craig Coates, center, with Dr. Manuel Campos-Figueroa, left, and Dr. Justin Talley. Photo by Edmond Bonjour.

Senior Makaylee Crone also received the Undergraduate Student Achievement in Entomology Award and former Ph.D. student Freddy Ibanez received the John Henry Comstock Award. Crone is a biomedical sciences major that is working in Dr. Juliana Rangel’s lab as an undergraduate researcher.

“I was very excited that Makaylee got the student award,” Crone’s mentor Dr. Juliana Rangel said. “It was really a great example of how someone can come into the lab without any previous experience and research and then flourishing in just one or two years. That is really rewarding for me a mentor and I am incredibly proud of her.”

Dr. Greg Sword, center, with Dr. Manuel Campos-Figueroa, left, and Dr. Justin Talley. Photo by Edmond Bonjour.

Dr. Greg Sword was nominated by the branch for the Entomological Society of America’s Award for Excellence in Integrated Pest Management while Dr. Craig Coates was nominated for the ESA Distinguished Achievement Award in Teaching. These awards will be announced during the 2018 ESA, Entomological Society of Canada, and Entomological Society of British Columbia joint annual meeting that will be held in Vancouver on November 11-14.