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Grad Students Receive Awards during 20th Annual Graduate Student Forum

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Chloë Hawkings with award with ornate background
Chloë Hawkings with her second place award. Photo by Rob Williams.

COLLEGE STATION, Texas—Three students received top recognition during the Department’s annual Graduate Student Forum on Thursday, August 24.

Ph.D. student Shavonn Whiten received first place for her presentation titled “Putting the pieces together: Insight into the perimeter of protection provided by the peritrophic matrix after adult mosquito blood feeding” while Ph.D. student Chloe Hawkings got second place for her talk titled “Expression analysis of vitellogenin in the worker caste of the red imported ant, Solenopsis invicta,”and Ph.D. student Alex Payne received third place for her presentation titled “Synergistic effects of in-hive miticides and agro-chemicals on honey bee (Apis mellifera) colony growth and survival”

Shavonn Whiten, left, and Alex Payne, right, in a classroom holding their award certificates. Photo by Rob Williams
Shavonn Whiten, left, and Alex Payne, right, with their certificates. Whiten received first place and Payne received third for their talks during the forum. Photo by Rob Williams

These students’ presentations were chosen from more than nine presentations that were spread over two sessions that covered several different presentation topics ranging from population genomics of cotton fleahoppers to monarch butterfly breeding in the south central United States.

The forum allows current graduate students a chance to present their latest research projects and to practice public speaking skills and to get ready for upcoming 10-minute paper presentation competitions at the upcoming national meeting of the Entomological Society of America that will be held in Denver on November 5-8.

 

Janowiecki Receives Shripat Kamble Urban Entomology Graduate Student Award for Innovative Research

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Mark Janowiecki. Photo by Rob Williams.

Congratulations to Ph.D. student Mark Janowiecki as he was named the 2017 recipient of the Shripat Kamble Urban Entomology Graduate Student Award for Innovative Research.

The award is given to a Ph.D. student that is currently conducting research which demonstrates innovative and realistic approaches to the field of Urban Entomology. Janowiecki received the award for his research in subterranean termite colony interactions.

Through lab and field studies, Janowiecki is currently researching subterranean termite biology and specifically how subterranean termite colonies interact with each other. He said he wants to have a better understanding on how the termites locate surrounding colonies and how they distinguish unique colonies and react to opposing colonies.

“Through my research, I hope to better understand the biology of subterranean termites,” Janowiecki said.  “Much of this basic biology is difficult to observe because termites have widespread, cryptic colonies.”

He said that the end result of his research could possibly be used to help control the termites.

“This research could be applied to termite control by manipulating cues that colonies use to avoid other colonies in an area,” Janowiecki said.  “If these cues are removed, competition may increase and eliminate colonies.”

Janowiecki will be presented with a cash award and a plaque during the Medical, Urban, and Veterinary Entomology (MUVE) networking business meeting held at the Entomological Society of America’s annual meeting this November in Denver, CO

He said the grant will be used to support the genetic analysis needed to complete his research.

“I am very honored to be recognized by this great award,” Janowiecki said.

“It’s a great honor for Mark to receive this prestigious research award from ESA. It shows the creativity and relevance of his cutting edge research. This, along with other awards he’s won, also recognizes his productivity and his potential to be rising star in urban entomology,” Janowiecki’s advisor Dr. Ed Vargo said. “We are very proud of Mark for being chosen as the recipient of the Shripat Kamble Urban Entomology Graduate Student Award for Innovative Research.”

TAMU Participates In Nation’s First NSF and NIJ Jointly-Supported Forensic Science Center

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Dr. Jeffery Tomberlin, left, and Dr. Aaron Tarone, right. Photo by Rob Williams

MIAMI, FLORIDA —Two faculty members from the Department of Entomology are taking the lead in Texas A&M’s participation in a newly formed Center for Advanced Research in Forensic Science (CARFS) funded in part by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) and its government and industrial partners.

Dr. Jeffery Tomberlin, Texas A&M AgriLife Research Fellow and director of the Texas A&M University Forensic and Investigative Sciences Program in College Station has been named the director for Texas A&M and his colleague, Associate Professor Dr. Aaron Tarone, has been named co-director.

The new center will have two focal points.  One based at Florida International University (FIU) draws heavily on faculty expertise at FIU and among its partner institutions, George Washington University and Northeastern University, in the areas of forensic chemistry, forensic microbiology, forensic molecular biology, and forensic psychology. The second foci is led by the University of South Alabama (USA) and Texas A&M who will focus on digital forensics and data analysis as well as microbial and decomposition forensics, respectively.

For Texas A&M University, the new center builds on a strong history of research related to decomposition ecology and applications in the forensic sciences in conjunction with the development of the undergraduate Forensic and Investigative Sciences Program in the Department of Entomology, Tomberlin said.  Through these initial efforts in entomology, research has diversified across colleges including, but not limited to the Colleges of Agriculture and Life Sciences,  Engineering,  Science, and Medicine.

“This opportunity is simply amazing,” Tomberlin said. “A lot of hard work over the last three years went into securing funding for this center. We are now in a position to really be a driving force in the development and validation of cutting edge techniques for applications in the forensic sciences.”

The Center will develop the next generation of forensic science tools for government agencies, non-profits and private industry. The Industry University Cooperative Research Center (IUCRC) partnership received NSF support to create the new Center along with funding from the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), the research, development and evaluation agency of the U.S. Department of Justice, dedicated to improving knowledge and understanding of crime and justice issues through science and about two dozen industrial partners.

“This is truly a historic moment for research in the forensic sciences. The aim of the new Center is to bring industry and government stakeholders in contact with academia to conduct research that is relevant to stakeholder needs,” said Chemistry and Biochemistry Professor José Almirall, the center’s director and the director of FIU’s International Forensic Research Institute. “For a very small investment, our partners benefit from research being conducted at five universities. Our faculty and students benefit from the collaborations amongst the universities as well as amongst the industry and government partners. This translates into innovation and job offers for our students.”

Lynne Chronister, Vice President for Research and Economic Development stated that “USA is extremely excited about the opportunities opened up through the establishment of this new Center and we are thrilled to be one of the two sites selected.  By marrying industry and universities and the digital, physical, social, and life sciences, we are confident that innovations in the field of forensic science will move forward exponentially. “

To date, the Center has recruited 21 government and industry members including the FBI, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, global companies that have relevant research interests or are major suppliers to forensic laboratories, and smaller firms that are looking to pioneer new technology for forensic applications. These members will meet twice a year to vote on which proposals researchers will ultimately pursue.

Rebecca Ferrell, NSF program officer for biological anthropology and co-lead of forensic science activities at NSF, sees great potential in CARFS. “During the last decade, the need to bolster fundamental research that will support and improve the forensic sciences has been highlighted at the national level. Colleagues at NSF and NIJ have identified the IUCRC as a unique mechanism for addressing this research need, and we are excited to pursue this shared interest.  CARFS is well-positioned to pursue innovative research within and across the digital, natural, physical, and social sciences that will align with stakeholder interests and help move forensic science forward.”

Grad Students Hosted Entomology Outreach Program for Local Youth Center

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Chloë Hawkings, right, showing a butterfly to Malik Wilson. Photo by Rob Williams
Chloë Hawkings, right, showing a butterfly to Malik Wilson. Photo by Rob Williams

COLLEGE STATION, Texas–The Department of Entomology’s graduate students hosted an interactive journey in insects and their world during a special outreach event for the youth during North Bryan Community Center’s Summer Camp on July 24, 2017 in the Heep Center.

The program called “Insects and Beyond! An Interactive Introduction to the Wonder-full World of Entomology” provided youths in the program a fun and interactive way to help them learn more about insects and the science of entomology and nature.

During the first section, several of the grad students introduced themselves and told the group their research interests, what labs they worked in, and the types of insects they worked with every day. After the short introductions,

volunteers led several smaller groups to different areas of the second and fourth floors for concurrent sessions focusing on different insect types.

Shavonn Whiten talking to the group
Shavonn Whiten introducing herself to the group. Photo by Rob Williams.

During each rotating session, the youths used stereo and compound microscopes to view insects and had a chance to listen to interactive presentations given by the graduate student volunteers. Some of the insects they viewed included local insects, general arthropods, beneficial and pests. They also saw numerous live insects, viewed the TAMU Insect Collection, and learned fun facts about insect biology.

Ph.D. student and event coordinator Shavonn Whiten said the idea came to her when she was asked to lead the Center’s Summer Camp for this year. While unable to accept the job, Whiten developed and coordinated a summer schedule of weekly interactive events for the kids.

Her desire was to continue the interest she had ignited in the youth through outreach events hosted while serving as a tutor at the center.  Whiten kick-started the summer of events with an interactive entomology presentation and outdoor insect collecting event in late May.

kids looking at insects in collection at the Texas A&M Insect Collection
Masters student Ryan Selking, left, and Assistant Curator Karen Wright, center, visiting with North Bryan Community Center members about the various insects housed in the Texas A&M University Insect Collection

Whiten added that the July 24th program was part of an ongoing set of activities throughout the summer to expose the youth to arts and science fields not traditionally explored by minority youth. She also wanted to help the kids learn more about the field of entomology, as well as give them additional opportunities to continue their educational enrichment during the summer.

“Due to the great results seen from having myself and 14 other African American TAMU graduate students serve as tutors and positive role models for the kids during the 2016-2017 academic year, I didn’t want the learning and growth of the kids to stop when the afterschool tutoring program ended May 24, 2017,” she said.  “I daily saw the pure eagerness and thirst for more knowledge in their eyes, and personally had developed a bond with each of the kids.”

Whiten was very glad to see the youths engaged in what they learned and hopes they will develop a much deeper curiosity into entomology after coming to the program.

“The kids had become my family away from home, and daily remind me why I initially sought to pursue a doctorate degree.  I can easily name the extraordinary individuals who planted and watered the seeds, which prepared and molded me into the individual I am today. It is my duty to do the same for the next generation of leaders.”

Tyler Raszick showing members various insects. Photo by Shavonn Whiten.
Tyler Raszick showing members various insects. Photo by Shavonn Whiten.

“I enjoyed working with Shavonn on this event,” Ph.D. student Chloë Hawkings said. “It was very rewarding to captivate the students with entomology and share my passion.”

“They seemed to really get engaged with the insects and ask a lot of questions about what they were looking at and that made the event special for us,” Ph.D. student and volunteer Karen Poh said. “We love seeing kids, young adults, and adults interact with the insects, learn about entomology, and ask questions. This is a great group of kids who were really interested in insects and I hope they had as much fun learning about insects as we did teaching them.”

Center Co-director, Sandra Robertson, expressed sincere appreciation for the hard work Whiten and fellow grad students did in hosting this event for the kids.

“I think this program has been wonderful,” Robertson said. “It is very nice what the Department did in opening their doors to let the kids come and learn about insects. I am really thankful to Shavonn for taking her time to show and teach them about insects.”

Online Journal Features Best of Undergraduate Student Research

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A screenshot of the third volume of the Instars journal.
A screenshot of the third volume of the Instars electronic journal that was launched recently.

Students in the Department of Entomology at Texas A&M University now have another way to display their research as the third edition of the Instars student-edited online journal was just released this june.

Since its inception two years ago, the Instars open access online journal has grown from a handful of journal articles from various undergraduate student research projects into a place to where students could have a place to easily showcase their research to the public.

Articles in the third volume include a variety of undergraduate projects such as surveys of mosquitoes in several areas around Bryan/College Station and Snook, adult longevity studies on Chrysomya rufifacies flies, a survey on cockroach species infesting homes in the Houston area, a study on the effects of black pepper on killing ants, and the efficiency of common household products as suitable repellents for fire ants.

Students in the class serve as peer editors during the planning stages each semester. Brundage said the students were placed in small groups of two to three and tasked with reviewing each submission for proper content, format and grammar by using a standardized rubric for submitting papers professionally.

After the review session, each group then submitted a written article analysis on each of the submissions given to them, basing their critiques on grammar, style and content. The completed article analysis was then passed onto three different groups with a final publication decision after the third review. She said that at the end of the semester, the students voted on 15 to 20 papers that were submitted to the journal as their final project.

Brundage said the participation has grown to more than 170 submissions reviewed.

“The issues keep getting better and better,” she said “We were fortunate this year to have a record number of submissions and it was very difficult to narrow down to just a few.”

She also said that the editing process has become a little more streamlined with each issue published.

“It has gotten easier to format the papers with the students, and I’ve had the student assist me in clarifying the author guidelines,”  she said. “We refine things each issue, so it’s a work in progress.”

Brundage hopes to get even more exposure after she presents the journal to the National Forensic Entomological Association’s annual meeting later this summer.

“We’ve started to get some good traction, and students from all over the country are starting to submit their work,” she said.  “In a few weeks I’ll be presenting the journal at the North American Forensic Entomological Association meeting, so I anticipate even more high quality work in the future.”

The third volume can be viewed at: https://journals.tdl.org/instars/index.php/instars/issue/view/5/showToc while the journal’s past issues can be viewed at the main page located at: https://journals.tdl.org/instars/index.php/instars/index