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Bockoven Receives National Award for Excellence in Graduate Student Teaching

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Alison Bockoven, center, with Dr. David Reed, left, and Dr. Micky Eubanks, right. Photo by Rob Williams
Alison Bockoven, center, with Associate Dean for Graduate Programs and Faculty Development Dr. David Reed, left, and Dr. Micky Eubanks, right. Photo by Rob Williams.

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – For Ph.D. student Alison Bockoven, teaching is a part of life.

On Friday, May 9 she received the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture’s Graduate Student Teaching Award of Merit Award. The Department of Entomology congratulates her on this outstanding accomplishment.

The award recognizes all graduate students who excel as teachers in the agricultural disciplines. Bockoven received the award during a special reception held for graduation on May 9.

Bockoven is advised by Dr. Micky Eubanks and her research focuses on the extent, mechanisms and consequences of genetic variation in foraging traits in the red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta).

During her time as a grad student, Bockoven has been a teaching assistant in the General Entomology (ENTO 201) class for two semesters and is very involved in several activities in the Department, including serving as an officer in the Entomology Graduate Student Organization, helping with outreach activities at local schools, and manning booths at national meetings.

She also has created a blog called “6LEGS2MANY” that has become an amazing teaching tool. Her blog has been featured on numerous “professional” scientific and journalistic blogs and averages 15,000 views per month.

Bockoven has received numerous awards, including the Phil Gramm Doctoral Fellowship in 2012, first place in the department’s Graduate Student Forum, and the Departmental Outstanding Graduate Student Award for Ph.D.

She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Texas A&M University and her Master of Science in Zoology at the University of Southern Illinois. She is currently working on her Ph.D in Entomology.

Eubanks was very proud of Bockoven and said “Alison is incredibly dedicated and knowledgeable and has a special ability to connect with her students.”

Bockoven was surprised that she received the award.

“This is amazing and I am so honored,” she said. “I am really beyond words.”

Department Sees Record Number of Students Graduating in Spring 2014

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Entomology graduating class of 2014. From left to right are: Natasha Chambers, Sierra Padilla, Zeb Thomas, Corryn Cadena, Devin Beach, Audrey Mann, Andrew Ly, and Danielle Restuccia. Photo by Ann Pool.

What a great early Mother’s Day gift to see loved ones walk the stage at graduation!

That’s exactly what a total of 42 Entomology and Forensic and Investigative Sciences students did when they graced the stage at Reed Arena to celebrate their graduation along with thousands of other students in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences on Saturday, May 10.

In addition to Entomology and Forensic and Investigative Sciences, eight students also had the honor of completing the 15 credit hours required to earn the Public Health certification designation on their transcript.

Forensic and Investigative Sciences graduating class. Photo by Ann Pool
Forensic and Investigative Sciences graduating class. (from left to right) Front Row: Lauren Quirch, Sarah Norman, Cindy Rodriguez, Sunday Saenz, Courtney Weldon, Jacqueline Wenzlaff Back Row: Angela Perez, Caitlin Evers, Barrett Riddle, Neil Higgs, Tyler Smith, Nina Caserio, and Dana Zuber. Photo by Ann Pool

Before the ceremony, students and families began graduation weekend by attending the convocation Thursday night where they listened to encouraging words from The Honorable Todd Staples, Texas Commissioner of Agriculture.

On Friday afternoon, the Departmental graduates and their guests were honored at a reception on the fourth floor atrium in the Minnie Belle Heep Building.

Department Head Dr. David Ragsdale welcomed parents and wished all students good luck on their future endeavors.

“We have some incredible and talented students going out in the world,” he said. “We are so proud of everyone and their accomplishments.”

Corryn Cadena, right, with her mom, Cami Cadena, during the pre-graduation reception held on Friday May 9.
Corryn Cadena, right, with her mom, Cami Cadena, during the pre-graduation reception held on Friday May 9. Photo by Rob Williams.

Associate Dean for Graduate Programs and Faculty Development Dr. David Reed also was in attendance and presented Ms. Alison Bockoven with the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture’s Graduate Teaching Award of Merit.

Students expected to graduate this spring include the following:

 

 

Kerstin Alexander Environmental Studies and Entomology
Devin Beach Entomology
Corryn Cadena Entomology
Miguel Carpio Forensic and Investigative Sciences –Science emphasis, Psychology minor
Nina Marie Caserio Forensic and Investigative Sciences – Science Emphasis
Natasha Chambers Entomology
Allison Ditert Biomedical Science and Entomology
Caitlin Evers Forensic and Investigative Sciences and Entomology-Science emphasis
Christy Ginn Wildlife and Fisheries Science and Entomology
Max Goulas Biomedical Science and Entomology
Kevin Henson Entomology
David Higgs Forensic and Investigative Sciences – Science emphasis
Dylan Huff Biomedical Science and Entomology
Maryam Khan Biomedical Science and Entomology
Andrew Ly Forensic and Investigative Science and Entomology
Sarah Macomber Biomedical Science and Entomology
Audrey Mann Entomology
Jeffrey Ng Forensic and Investigative Science and Biomedical Science
Sarah Norman Forensic and Investigative Sciences-Science Emphasis
Sierra Padilla Entomology
Angela Perez Forensic and Investigative Sciences – Law Emphasis, Sociology Minor
Lauren Quirch Forensic and Investigative Sciences – Law Emphasis, Psychology Minor
Danielle Restuccia Entomology and Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences
Barrett Riddle Forensic and Investigative Sciences – Science Emphasis
Cindy Rodriguez Forensic and Investigative Sciences – Science Emphasis, Chemistry Minor
Sunday Saenz Forensic and Investigative Sciences – Science Emphasis, Chemistry Minor
Tyler Smith Forensic and Investigative Sciences – Science Emphasis
Zeb Thomas Entomology
Cynthia Valle Biomedical Science and Entomology
Courtney Weldon Forensic and Investigative Sciences – Science Emphasis
Jacqueline Wenzlaff Forensic and Investigative Sciences – Science Emphasis
Dana Zuber Forensic and Investigative Sciences – Science Emphasis
Erica Love Biomedical Science and Entomology

 

Public Health Certification

Frida Cano Entomology
Kelsey Carpenter Biomedical Science
Maryam Idrees Khan Biomedical Science and Entomology
Sarah Macomber Biomedical Science and Entomology
Erika Olsen Biomedical Science
Sierra Padilla Entomology
Zeb Thomas Entomology

 

Master of Science

Tae Kim Entomology
Brandon Lyons Entomology
Lauren Ward Entomology

 

PhD

Melissa Layton Entomology
Marion Le Gall Entomology
Paul Lenhart Entomology

Insect of the Month: Gall-Making Insects

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Yaupon psyllid gall, Gyropsylla ilicis Ashmead Homoptera Psyllidae Photo by Drees. - Closeup
Yaupon psyllid gall, Gyropsylla ilicis Ashmead (Homoptera Psyllidae) Photo by Drees. – Closeup

Editorial note: This is a series highlighting the most interesting facts about a featured insect each month.

Have you ever wondered what makes those small balls that you see underneath leaves and stems of plants, such as trees?

According to Professor and Extension Urban Entomologist Dr. Mike Merchant, the growths, called galls, are often the result of insects laying eggs inside or feeding on the branches or leaves of trees and other plants.

A wasp-caused gall on live oak leaves. Photo by Mike Merchant
A wasp-caused gall on live oak leaves. Photo by Mike Merchant

The galls, Merchant said, were tumor-like growths that are produced by the plant in response to chemicals injected into the plant by adult or larval gall-making insect. The shape and size of the gall is determined by the precise chemicals that are used by each species of gall-maker. The mechanisms of gall formation and how these chemicals are used to make the galls are still poorly understood.

Newly emerging leaves, twigs and flower parts are the most common sites for gall-maker egg laying and gall formation
Newly emerging leaves, twigs and flower parts are the most common sites for gall-maker egg laying and gall formation

Most gall-making insects are tiny wasps that are in the plant-gall-making family called Cynipidae. Other common galls are also called gall midges. Some, like the hackberry nipple gallmaker, are relatives of leafhoppers called psyllids. Merchant said the most interesting fact is that each insect makes a distinctive and unique gall. It is unique enough that it is possible to identify the gall-maker by the type of gall it makes.

vein pocket galls on red oak leaves. Photo by Mike Merchant
Vein pocket galls on the underside of southern red oak leaves, Quercus schumardii, are caused by a tiny midge fly. Numbers of these midges in some years can be severe enough to cause noticeable aesthetic damage to trees–unusual for most galls. Photo by Mike Merchant

Gall formation usually takes place in the spring, when leaves and flowers and stems are rapidly growing.  Only during this time of rapid cell division and growth can these insects bend plant cell division to do their bidding.  Once a leaf or stem has stopped growing, these hormone-like chemicals can no longer affect the plant.

Merchant said the purpose for insect-induced galls seems to be to provide a sheltered feeding site for the gall-maker.  Because galls provide benefit for the insect at little expense to the plant (only a very few galls seem to affect plant growth or overall appearance significantly), this is sometimes referred to as a form of commensal relationship.  The good news for the gardener or tree owner is that galls rarely cause much harm to plants.

Once a gall has formed on a plant, there is no need to kill the insect inside, as whatever energy loss will be suffered by the plant has already occurred.  In addition, short of ripping the galls off of the plant, there is no way to kill gall making insects inside their protective homes.

If there was a need to control galls on a tree, now would be the only time to do it. Sprays applied early in the spring could theoretically kill adult gall-making wasps or midges before they can inject their disfiguring drugs.  But little research has gone into this practice it is not advised, he said.

Instead, as you gaze on the swelling buds and rapidly greening trees in your backyard, just take a minute to consider the gall-making insect. In addition to all the other rituals of spring, these tiny creatures are working like crazy out there to provide little bug caves, or retreats, for their offspring.

For more information and additional photos of gall-making insects, see the Extension publication at: http://www.agrilifebookstore.org/product-p/e-397.htm or http://texasinsects.tamu.edu/

Heinz Receives Kunze Award from TAMU Graduate Student Council

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Dr. Kevin Heinz, center, stands with Graduate Student Council Executive Vice President Amanda Rutherford (left) and GSC President Brittany Bounds (right). Photo by Charlotte Garroway.
Dr. Kevin Heinz, center, stands with Graduate Student Council Executive Vice President Amanda Rutherford (left) and GSC President Brittany Bounds (right). Photo by Charlotte Garroway.

COLLEGE STATION, Texas — The Department of Entomology would like to extend its congratulations to Dr. Kevin Heinz as he received the Kunze Award for his hard work and accomplishments with the Office of Graduate Studies and the Department of Entomology during a special ceremony on Monday, April 28.

Heinz is currently the Assistant Provost of Graduate and Professional Studies and also serves as the Director of the Texas A&M Forensic and Investigative Sciences program and is a Professor in the Department of Entomology.

The Kunze Award was established to recognize a staff member or office for outstanding contributions to the success and prosperity of the Graduate Student Council. Heinz is currently the Assistant Provost of Graduate and Professional Studies and the Director of the Texas A&M Forensic and Investigative Sciences program and a Professor in the Department.

As the Assistant Provost in the Office of Graduate Studies, Heinz has served as the unofficial mentor to the 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 Graduate Student Council presidents and the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies liaison to the GSC. As the liaison, Heinz has attended meetings and served as an informational source for the council and has participated in various council functions and events.

Heinz has also contributed greatly to Texas A&M grad students both at the University and Departmental levels through the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies by serving as the lead for the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies’ Recruitment team to attract diverse, high-quality graduate student prospects to TAMU by helping to administer the graduate merit and diversity fellowships that is the major University Fellowship program for graduate students.

Heinz also assists OGAPS in conducting informational sessions that hopefully improve graduate student life. For example, he emcees the New Student Orientation student panel and holds a Professional Development Session on picking a major professor and advisory committee. He also serves as the lead for the OGAPS Ombudsteam to assist students in resolving difficult interpersonal issues, organizational policy or procedural matters, and other assorted difficulties encountered by graduate students, thereby often assisting them to complete their degree objectives in a timely manner.

Heinz is the signature authority for OGAPS for membership to the graduate faculty, which is a prerequisite for faculty to teach graduate courses and to serve members of a graduate student dissertation/thesis committee.

In addition to his main service to OGAPS, he is also chaired numerous graduate student committees, and in almost every case the student received multiple department, university, or professional society recognitions for excellence in teaching, research and service.  The most recent was Mr. Milo Lewis, who received the 2014 Department of Entomology Outstanding Student award – Master’s category.

Heinz has led the development of the several endowments that provide financial support to graduate students.  Currently, he is co-leading an effort to form a joint endowment between the Departments of Horticultural Sciences and Entomology to provide scholarships to graduate and undergraduate students. Heinz also has been awarded the Texas AgriLife and College of Agriculture and Live Sciences Vice Chancellor’s Award in Excellence in Diversity in 2012 and in Excellence in Administration in 2008.

“Dr. Heinz was more of a friend than a superior,” said Graduate Student Council president Brittany Bounds. “He was quick to find our commonalities and never forgot the details of our conversations, reminding me that I was a valuable individual and that I was making a positive impact on the university.”

Bounds also said he was a great mentor and was very helpful to graduate students and was very deserving of this award.

“He has always been a strong advocate for graduate students, and it was normal to turn to him for advice about personal relationships, mentorship, and the future,” she said.  “We were honored to recognize Dr. Heinz tonight for his support of grad students.”

Students Recognized for Senior Merit, ANRP Internship Announced

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Entomology Department Head Dr. David Ragsdale, far left, stands with Courtney Weldon, Barrett Riddle, center, and Jeffrey Ng, right, during the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences annual convocation. Photo by Rebecca Hapes.

COLLEGE STATION, Texas –Four students were recently recognized at the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences’ annual Spring Awards Convocation on April 12.

Seniors Courtney Weldon, Barrett Riddle, and Jeffrey Ng received Senior Merit Awards for their leadership, scholarship and service at the department, college and university level.  The Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Senior Merit Award is the highest award given to undergraduates by the College. Senior Merit Awards have been given by our college at this convocation for more than 50 years.  Junior Emily Buckley is an Entomology student who was selected for an internship with the Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy program and Erin will work as an ANRP intern in Washington, D.C. this summer.

Weldon is a senior Forensic and Investigative Sciences major and is from College Station. She has served of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, the National Society of Leadership and Success, and Sigma Alpha Lambda. She has served as the vice president for 2 years and director of public relations for the American Medical Student Association from 2011-2012.

In 2012, she participated in the Summer Program for Undergraduate Research program, or SPUR, an undergraduate research program that provides students experience in research in the field of forensic and investigative sciences. She has been involved in other service opportunities, such as the Courtney Grimshaw Fowler Equine Therapeutic Program at Freeman Arena and writing letters to Marines deployed in Afghanistan.

“Receiving this award reminded me of everyone I am thankful for during my undergraduate degree at Texas A&M,” Weldon said. “I would not be where I am today without the support and guidance of the department, my friends and family.”

Riddle is a senior Forensic and Investigative Sciences major from Port Neches. He has been involved with many student organizations, including the Entomology Scholars Society, the Community Assessment of Community Annotations with Ontologies (CACAO), and the Aggie Forensic and Investigative Sciences Organization.

For community service, Riddle has participated in the 2012 Big Event, and served as a mentor at the Brazos Valley Juvenile Services, as well as volunteering at Christus St. Mary Hospital. He has received numerous awards including the Gamma Sigma Delta Award and the Deans Honor Roll in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

“Receiving the senior merit award really meant a lot to me. I feel that it really shows how outstanding the department of entomology is that three of our graduating seniors received this award,” Riddle said. “Receiving an award of this magnitude is not something that can be attributed to only the recipient. We received our awards with the help of our amazing professors and advisors.”

Ng is a senior forensic and investigative sciences major from Missouri City, Texas. He is currently a prayer team leader for the Asian American InterVarsity and plays the E-flat clarinet for the Texas A&M Wind Symphony. He also was a member of the Company V-1, Squadron 20 of the Texas A&M Corp of Cadets, where he served as platoon officer and scholastic officer and squad leader. He also has served as president of the Texas A&M Hong Kong Students Association, as well as a Counselor at the 2010 Fish Camp.

Ng also has been very active in the community and volunteers at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Bryan in the Medical Staff Services Department and served as a volunteer at the Big Event and participated in the March to the Brazos fundraiser for the March of Dimes.

Emily Buckley will be participating in the Agricultural and Natural Resources Policy Internship Program this summer.

Buckley is from Killeen, Texas and is a junior pursuing a Bachelor of Science in entomology accompanied with a minor in business administration and a certificate in public health. During her time at Texas A&M, Emily has been involved in several student organizations including Student Government Association’s Aggie Recruitment Committee and the Texas A&M Pre-Law Society. She is also an active member of Pi Beta Phi fraternity for women, which was named Texas A&M’s Chapter of the Year for the year 2013.

She has held several leadership positions and has served on numerous committees within Pi Beta Phi.  Emily has also worked for American Dance/Drill Team School since 2011. She enjoys teaching young dancers all over the state, choreographing routines for dance teams, and announcing and judging regional and national competitions.

Emily comes from a family of Aggies and looks forward to becoming the fifth member of her family to graduate from Texas A&M in December 2014. Emily is excited to work in the office of Congressman John Carter of Texas’ 31st Congressional District. She is truly honored to intern in the office of the district of which her hometown is a member.