Entomology Stridulations
A Newsletter of The Ohio State University Department of Entomology
Autumn 2020 Department Announcements
From the Chair, Dr. Jamie Strange
To say that autumn 2020 was an unusual semester would be an understatement, yet we have made it halfway through the academic calendar. We are still mostly working from home, but our labs and classrooms still remain active. The department started the fall semester with most of our classes online, but a few still had in-person lectures and labs. It is amazing to me, but our faculty managed to keep teaching in person as long as Ohio State allowed it, right up to Thanksgiving break. The effort to continue offering our courses both online and in person will continue this spring, and our faculty and graduate associates continue to work hard to modify courses so that we can deliver content safely and effectively. Our Seminar Series will remain online for the spring semester. Please be sure to check our speaker lineup.
While research and extension have required extra effort this year, the department has remained productive, evidenced by the selected publications and events highlighted in this edition of our departmental newsletter. Our faculty, staff, and students have modified their work to deliver valuable outreach and extension to our stakeholders. It wasn’t without some bumps along the way, but we managed to move our Wooster-based operations from Thorne Hall and Annex into the new Wooster Science Building in December. This was a herculean effort led by Andy Michel and Jim Hacker. The official ribbon cutting occurred on January 14, even though we continue to move items from Thorne Hall and unpack the labs and offices. Once we can meet safely, we will hold an open house so everyone can come see our new home, which includes modern open labs and office space, a cafe, and the United Titanium Bug Zoo located in the lobby. Watch highlights from the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
As we start 2021, we are hopeful that we can return to a more normal way of operating in the coming months. We will be interviewing candidates for a new specialty crop entomologist position in March and hope to welcome a new faculty member this year. Our graduate student recruitment will be virtual this spring, but as always, we have a strong slate of applicants. We continue to look for ways to grow and improve in the current, challenging environment, and we wish you all a fruitful 2021.
