awards

Bockoven Receives National Award for Excellence in Graduate Student Teaching

May 19, 2014 by

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.”

Heinz Receives Kunze Award from TAMU Graduate Student Council

April 29, 2014 by

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.”

Graduate Students Receive Awards at Campuswide Research Events

April 9, 2014 by

Milo with plant — Milo Lewis checking one of his potato plants for psyllids. Photo by Rob Williams

COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Three graduate students from the Department of Entomology recently received honors for their research during two student research events.

Master’s student Milo Lewis and Ph.D. student James Tracy placed in the University’s annual Student Research Week competition for oral papers and posters at the competition in the MSC while Ph. D. student Warren Sconiers received an award during the Ecological Integration Symposium in late March.

Lewis received second place in the graduate section in the Plant subject at Student Research Week for his oral presentation titled “Degree day requirements for the development of Bactericera cockerelli (Hemiptera: Triozidae) from South Texas”.

James-Tracy-poster — James Tracy standing beside his poster he displayed at Student Research Week. Photo by Rob Williams.

In his research, Lewis is developing a degree-day model for the tomato/potato psyllid based on constant temperature studies, a linear model, and a non-linear model in order to create a tool which will allow growers to predict within field peaks of the psyllid. This tool will help producers reduce and better time insecticide applications around the predicted peaks of the pest. Lewis is pursuing a Master of Science in Entomology and is co-advised by Dr. Kevin Heinz and Dr. Jerry Michels.

In addition to Lewis’ award, Tracy received second place in the graduate student poster session in the Biology category for his poster titled “Projecting dispersal of subtropical tamarisk beetles into habitat of the endangered Southwestern Willow Flycatcher.”

His research looks at how the tamarisk beetles’ defoliating tamarisk trees in the Trans Pecos are spreading towards Arizona where they can reduce nesting habits of the Southwestern Willow Flycatcher, a federally endangered species of bird.

Tracy is pursuing a Ph.D. in Entomology and is currently being co-advised by Dr. Robert Coulson and Dr. Allen Knutson.

In addition to Student Research Week, Sconiers received first place at EIS for his presentation titled “Stressed plants and herbivores: Exploring the mechanisms of drought’s impact on plant – insect interactions.”

Sconiers’ research examines the effects of water stress on plant and insect herbivore communities in both natural and agricultural systems.

He is testing the pulsed stress hypothesis which predicts that insects perform better on plants that undergo pulsed stress. Sconiers’ work also included conducting a meta-analysis of the studies that have examined the effects of water stress on plant resistance.

Sconiers is currently being mentored by Dr. Micky Eubanks.

Department Recognizes Faculty, Staff with Awards During Monthly Meeting

February 19, 2014 by

COLLEGE STATION, Texas—The Department recognized the outstanding accomplishments of a few staff and faculty members during its annual awards meeting held on February 14, 2014.

The first award given out was the Lifetime Achievement recognition, which was given to Professor Emeritus Dr. Larry Keeley. Keeley jo ined the Department of Entomology as Assistant Professor in 1966, became Professor in 1976 and Professor Emeritus 2004 following retirement in 2003. Keeley taught Insect Physiology to undergraduate and graduate students, and received the Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award.

Keeley’s computer animations of complex physiological and biochemical processes and a tutorial on insecticide actions have been widely sought and applied to university and public education programs in the United States and abroad. He also was major advisor to 9 Master of Science and 12 Doctoral students.

Keeley’s research focus was insect neuroendocrinology. In his research, he investigated the role of the corpora cardiaca in regulating insect blood sugar and basal metabolism and organized the Laboratories for Invertebrate Neuroendocrine Research. This led to isolation, identification and mode of action of the hypertrehalosemic hormone, isolation and sequencing of insect neurohormone genes, and approaches to hormone-mediated insect control.

His work was extended to neurohormone regulation of reproduction in both insects and crustaceans. He contributed nearly 100 peer-reviewed technical articles, invited reviews and book chapters.

Keeley also served on the editorial board for Insect Biochemistry, provided peer review for 21 journals, and 10 different grant programs. His leadership and service was recognized by several organizations, including the Entomological Society of America, American Society of Zoology, National Science Foundation, and International Conferences on Insect Neurochemistry and Neurophysiology.

The Department also awarded Pete Krauter the Department of Entomology Staff Meritorious Service Award. Since his more than 31 years as a research support staff member, he has been widely recognized for his expertise in biological control programs of greenhouse plants. Krauter’s talents include expertise in experimental design, statistical analyses, statistical analyses, crop production and biological control of agricultural pests.

Krauter has been an ambassador to the University, the Texas A&M AgriLife program, Texas Department of Agriculture, and various other state, national, and international researchers in allowing them to continue their research programs. He has also been instrumental in providing valuable advice and expertise on areas ranging from IPM to statistics to systematics and host plant interactions to graduate students.

Pete handles several high-priority duties including the main security officer, handling the Department’s keyless lock systems and serves as a liaison to the Department Head and Committee on Utilization and Assignment of Physical Space, keeping the Department Head informed on critical space matters. He also serves as the point person in providing necessary information and/or recommendations in assessing renovations, repairs, and space assignments.

“Pete Krauter is an important resource person, he is generous with his time and expertise, he unselfishly contributes to student projects and is an excellent role model to them, and he is a real pleasure to have as a colleague,” a nominator said.

Three IPM agents also were recognized for receiving awards during the annual meeting of the Texas Pest Management Association in early February.

Blayne Reed received the Excellence in IPM Programming for agents with 6 or less years of service, the award for Excellence in IPM Programming for agents with 7 or more years of service was presented to Kerry Siders. Scott Russell also received the Outstanding IPM Agent Award for 2013.

“Congratulations to these hard-working agents for their strong, innovative IPM programs which have been recognized by growers as having made a difference,” Dr. David Ragsdale said.

The Department also recognized Dr. Pete Teel for his 35 years of service and announced the winners of the Image Salon. There were many excellent and entertaining entries for the 2014 Arthropods Image Salon, and judges had a hard time naming only one entry as the overall best. Participants submitted more than 24 entries into four categories, with the best overall winner going to Paul Lenhart for his photo titled “Camo Hopper” The category winners are:

Artistic: ” Le Maitre du sous-bois” by Paul Lenhart
Arthropods In Action: “Cannibalism” by Shawn Hanrahan
Traditional Macro: “Camo hopper” by Paul Lenhart
Photo Microscopy: “What the parasitoid larva does inside” by Erfan Vafaie

To see all the images, visit http://arthropodimagesalon.tamu.edu.