Dr. Peter Piermarini, Professor in the Department of Entomology from the College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, has been appointed as the Associate Chair of Entomology at the Wooster Campus. Previous Associate Chair of Entomology, Andy Michel, has been appointed as Associate Dean and Director of the CFAES Wooster Campus.
While maintaining his Professor of Entomology engagements, Dr. Piermarini will assume the Associate Chair duties and lead the Wooster Entomology group. Pete looks forward to serving the department in this new capacity.
Dr. Piermarini joined the Department of Entomology in 2011 and will continue working with academic programs and conducting instruction, research and outreach education of veterinary entomology. Dr. Piermarini earned his B.S. in Biology from James Madison University and a Ph.D. of Zoology from the University of Florida. Pete’s interests and expertise lie in insect physiology and molecular biology, as well as medical and veterinary entomology.
His research investigates the molecular mechanisms of fluid secretion by the renal (Malpighian) tubules of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which are the most important vectors of mosquito-borne arboviruses affecting humans, such as dengue fever and Zika virus. His research aims to identify key genes/proteins involved with urine production in mosquito Malpighian tubules, with the ultimate goals of disrupting renal functions in mosquitoes and making them less likely to spread disease.