Entomology Stridulations: Autumn 2024

Autumn 2024 Newsletter

Newsletter Editor: Erin Parker

Department Announcements

From the Chair, Jamie Strange, PhD, and the Associate Chair, Pete Piermarini, PhD
As we wrap up the Autumn Semester of 2024 the Department of Entomology continues to flourish with new faces and growing programs. Dr. Seun Oladipupo joined our faculty as a tenure track Assistant Professor of Urban Entomology this fall. We welcome him on board as he builds his research and extension program in Columbus and statewide. We also were able to convert Dr. Ben Philip’s lecturer position into an Assistant Professor of Professional Practice this year and I am thrilled to see Ben’s role expand in our department as he fully joins our team of exceptional instructors. The growth in our instructional programs has been fueled by growth in our undergraduate program. We now have 37 Entomology majors and 25 minors in our undergraduate degree programs. Our faculty are advising many graduate students as well, with 29 students in Entomology and another 6 in the interdisciplinary Environmental Sciences Graduate Program. Among the highlights of our graduate program, Michelle Pham received The Presidential Fellowship - the most prestigious award given by the Graduate School to recognize the outstanding scholarly accomplishments and potential of graduate students entering the final phase of their dissertation research or terminal degree project. Congrats Michelle!

At the same time, we celebrate the successes of our students and new faculty, we have had to say some goodbyes recently. Drs. Carol Anelli, Norm Johnson, and Bruce McPheron all retired this year. They all are remaining local to Columbus, and I am sure they look forward to continuing to engage with us regularly. Please join me in thanking them for serving our department and the university so well. Sadly, since last spring we have lost three former professors. Drs. Ron Hammond, Richard “Dick” Lindquist, Lowell “Skip” Nault all passed away and these passings have been difficult as they all left lasting legacies in our department and our science. They will be missed.

As we look forward to 2025, we are thinking about further growth and managing that change. We are poised to continue growth in our undergraduate major as applications to our degree are again up from last year. The department is thrilled to support these incoming students, with over $15,500 in undergraduate scholarship given out last year, but we recognize that with the current growth in the programs we need to continue to grow our endowments and the support we give our students every day. As we develop the next generation of entomologists, we look forward to partnering with our alumni, emeriti, and stakeholders to help us ensure these students have a bright future in our science.

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Awards and Honors

Graduate Student Honors and Awards 

Honors

Department of Entomology Research Presentation Awards

• Hannah Dehus, Advisor: Meuti, DeLong Award for Best Oral Presentation
• Erick Martinez Rodriguez, Advisor: Piermarini, Dwight DeLong Award for Best Poster
• Breh Ruger, Advisor: Leach, Root Award for Best Research Presentation in Agricultural Entomology
• Afsoon Sabet, Advisor: Ward, Root Award for Best Research Presentation in Urban Entomology
• Lucy Guarnieri, Advisor: Gardiner, Jones Award for Best Oral Presentation in Urban Entomology
• Caralee Shepard, Advisor: Gardiner, Jones Award for Best Poster in Urban Entomology
• Lily Johnson, Advisor: Johnson, Rothenbuhler Award for Best Presentation in Bee Research

Entomological Society of America Student Competition

• Graduate Poster
  • Arnol Gomez, Advisor: Leach, 1st place, P-IE and FIT: Biodiversity and Conservation
• Graduate 10-Minute Oral Presentation
  • Afsoon Sabet, Advisor: Ward, 1^st place, MUVE, Medical and Veterinary Entomology
  • Brandon Shannon, Advisor: Johnson, 1^st place in the Graduate PBT Apiculture
  • Angel Haller, Advisor: Michel, 2^nd place in the Graduate PBT, Genetics - Functional and Molecular
  • Breh Ruger, Advisor: Leach, 1^st place in the Graduate P-IE, IPM - Horticulture

Ohio Valley Entomological Association Student Competition

• Hannah Dehus, Advisor: Meuti, 1^st place, Master’s level
• Aaron Tayal, Advisor: Perry, 3^rd place, Master’s level

Ohio State Engaged Scholarship Symposium

• Hannah Dehus, Advisor: Meuti, 1^st place, Graduate Student Poster Competition

10^th Symposium of Zamoranos in the USA

• Erick Martinez Rodriguez, Advisor: Piermarini, 2^nd place poster

Society of Vector Ecology

• Afsoon Sabet, Advisor: Ward, Dan Strickman Award, $500

Grant, Fellowship & Scholarship Awards

1. Chloe Chiu, $4,991. Uncovering reproductive consequences of seasonal differences in the mosquito ejaculate. Sigma Xi Graduate Grants in Aid of Research. Advisor: Meuti
2. Arnold Gomez, Ashley Leach, $19,987. Triple threat: combining multiple IPM tactics to improve thrips control in pepper. North Central Region-Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education. Advisor: Leach
3. Michelle Pham, $37,800, The Ohio State University Presidential Fellowship. Advisor: Gardiner
4. Michelle Pham, $5,000, Mary H. Osburn Memorial Gift Scholarship. Advisor: Gardiner
5. Michelle Pham, Mary Gardiner, $28,432 - Learning community science approaches to advance urban bee ecology and support wild bee health. National Science Foundation INTERN Supplemental Funding Opportunity. This grant supports a 6-month internship at the UK Center for Ecology and Hydrology with Dr. Helen Roy and Dr. Diana Bowler. Advisor: Gardiner
6. Breh Ruger, $2,000. GLEXPO Fruit Industry Scholarship, Michigan State Horticultural Society. Advisor: Leach

Undergraduate Honors and Awards

Honors

• Andrew Carter, $1,000, Faustini Scholarship
• Mila Collette, $2,500, Hambilton Scholarship
• Matt Daigle, $1,250, Kuder-Smith Scholarship
• Ashely Hamby, $1,250, Steiner Scholarship
• Rex Harvey-Thurston, $2,500, Osborn Scholarship
• Peyton McMillen, $1,500, Steiner Scholarship
• Harlem Staples, $1,000, Davidson Scholarship
• Bee Suchan, $1,500, Mesloh Scholarship
• Grace Whitmore, $2,500, Faustini Scholarship
• Pippin Wong-Bullock, $500, Kuder-Smith Scholarship

Entomological Society of America Student Competition, Undergraduate 10-Minute Oral Presentation

• David Narayanan, Advisor: Gardiner, 1^st place, MUVE and PBT, Behavior, Pollinators and Chemical Ecology
• Addison Ashe Copen, Advisor: Gardiner, 2^nd place, P-IE, Behavior, Biodiversity, Climate Change, & Conservation

Faculty Honors and Awards

Honors

• Mary M. Gardiner, 2024-2025 Distinguished Professor of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences
• Shaohui Wu, Ohio Turfgrass Foundation Environmental Stewardship Award

Grant Awards

1. Megan Meuti, Jacqueline Nolting (Vet Med), Laura Pomeroy (Public Health), $3,000,000: Modeling biotic and environmental drivers of seasonal West Nile virus transmission, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
2. Megan Meuti, $79,279: Supplemental Award to Collaborative Proposal: The Circadian Clock's Control of Seasonal Dormancy in Mosquitoes, National Science Foundation, Biological Directorate: Integrative and Organismal Systems
3. Kayla Perry, $9,999. Invasive species in the Eastern US: A video series, USDA APHIS PPA 7721
4. Kayla Perry, Sam Ward, $2,520. Non-target effects of dinotefuran for elongate hemlock scale management in northeast Ohio. Cleveland Metroparks Natural Resources Grant Program
5. Peter Piermarini, $652,785: Collaborative research: ORCC - Physiological evolution & demographic rescue to survive the climate crisis, National Science Foundation Division of Integrative Organismal Biology
6. Jamie Strange, $142,038: Native bee population dynamics across agricultural landscapes, Greenacres Foundation
7. Jamie Strange, $110,000: Establishment of captive rearing facilities for Bombus affinis, US Fish and Wildlife Service
8. Jamie Strange, $149,357: siRNA suppression of Vairimorpha (=Nosema) bombi in captively reared yellow banded bumble bees (Bombus terricola) for species recovery efforts in the Northeastern United States, One Hive Foundation
9. Sam Ward, $91,197: Optimizing trap deployment for the detection of non-native scolytines, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
10. Samuel Ward, $26,942: Slow the spread trapping & treatment program, Gypsy Moth Slow the Spread Foundation

Staff Honors and Awards

Grant Awards

1. Chia-Hua Lin, Reed Johnson, $262,834: Estimating soybean pollination services from CRP and other conservation lands assessment project. USDA Cooperative Agreement
2. Teresa Popp, Piermarini Lab, $240,000: Evolution of ion transporter function during salinity decline. NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology

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Graduate Student Milestones

Doctor of Philosophy, Entomology

• Dominique Magistrado, Advisor: Short, Exploring mosquito-microbe interactions through a resistance-tolerance framework 
• James Radl, Advisor: Short, Microbial communities in mosquito larval habitats
• Matthew Wolkoff, Advisor: Meuti, Uncovering the molecular regulation of daily and seasonal responses in the northern house mosquito Culex pipiens

Transition from M.S. to Ph.D. program in Entomology

• Angel Haller, Advisor: Michel. Angel also passed her Ph.D. candidacy
• Erick Martinez Rodriguez, Advisor: Piermarini

Master of Science, Environmental Sciences Graduate Program

• Yeaeun Park, Advisor: Peter Piermarini, Effects of ambient temperature on response of mosquito TRPA1: Implications for efficacy of mosquito repellents

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Outreach Highlights

Pollinator Education Programs 

Contributed by Denise Ellsworth, program director, Pollinator Education
The daylong Beneficial Insects 101 workshop was sponsored by OSU Entomology in October, offered in Wooster and Columbus. This session was targeted to OSU Master Gardeners and Ohio Certified Volunteer Naturalists, with over 60 participants attending at each location. Participants learned natural history, identification characteristics and habitat/conservation needs of common beneficial insects. Topics included Ohio butterflies and moths, beneficial predatory insects, and Ohio bees. The workshop was taught by Denise Ellsworth (Entomology), Ashley Kulhanek (OSU Extension, Medina County) and Marne Titchenell (OSU School of Environment and Natural Resources).

United Titanium Bug Zoo 

Contributed by Carrie Elvey, community outreach specialist, United Titanium Bug Zoo
Celebrating curiosity—one cockroach at a time! As part of our revamped school offerings, the United Titanium Bug Zoo created Cockroach Conundrums for grades 3-12. This class introduces students to the scientific method through engaging, student-led experiments centered on food preferences. Designed with simplicity and adaptability in mind, the class allows budding scientists to observe live cockroaches, form hypotheses, conduct experiments, and refine their investigations.

One of the class’s core principles is iteration. After running their initial experiments, students analyze their results and consider improvements or new directions. They may realize, for instance, that food placement affects outcomes or that adults and nymphs have different behaviors.

Why Cockroaches? Cave cockroaches are ideal for classroom experiments. They are:

• Easy to care for: Hardy and low-maintenance, cockroaches thrive in simple enclosures.
• Non-aggressive: Unlike their pest counterparts, these cockroaches are clean and docile, making them perfect for handling and close observation.
• Behaviorally fascinating: Their curiosity and social interactions provide plenty of observable phenomena for student inquiry.
• Always hungry: Unlike our other cockroach species which can be ambivalent about food, the cave roaches are curious, bold and always ready to eat a wide variety of foods.

Working with the cockroaches creates empathy and connection with an insect that, on first encounter, if often met with fear or disgust.

Classes like Cockroach Conundrums demonstrate how entomology can inspire the next generation of scientists. By blending observation, curiosity, and hands-on experimentation, it brings science to life in a way that’s approachable, engaging, and sometimes surprising. These principles are at the core of the United Titanium Bug Zoo programming. For teachers interested in bringing Cockroach Conundrums to their classrooms, contact the United Titanium Bug Zoo at utbz@osu.edu. Together, let’s celebrate curiosity—one cockroach at a time!

Columbus BUGmobile and Insectary 

Contributed by Jeni Ruisch, program director, Insectary and Outreach
The BUGmobile had a wildly busy and successful summer, traveling to Michigan State for the inaugural Excellence in Insect Science Symposium. Outreach Director Jeni Ruisch road tripped northward with the BUGmobile and shared our one-of-a-kind trailer with Entomology educators, researchers, and innovators from across the country; and spoke on a panel regarding women in science education.

Outreach Specialist Gina Hill had a busy summer filling the requests of Ohioans wishing to see the BUGmobile from Southern Ohio near the West Virginia border, all the way north to Cleveland. At a pollinator and native plant festival in Conneaut, near her hometown, Gina was finally able to show off the BUGmobile to her family and former teachers!

The increased outreach activities over the last few years has necessitated commensurate growth at the Insectary. There are now four entomology undergraduate students employed at the Insectary, learning the ins and outs of the animal care and community outreach. The Insectary also hosted two entomology undergraduate majors in internships, and a high school student intern who wishes to enter our academic program upon their graduation!

The BUGmobile will be getting a bit of a facelift and be back on the road in late winter. The calendar is already filling for next year’s busy season!

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Publications and Extension Materials

Bold indicates current dept member or student. *Indicates student, post-doc, or visiting scholar formerly advised by CFAES Entomology faculty.

Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles, Books & Book Chapters

1. Bianco OE*, Abdi A*, Klein MS, Wei X, Sim C, Meuti ME. Consuming royal jelly alters several phenotypes associated with overwintering dormancy in mosquitoes. Frontiers in Insect Science. 2024; 4. https://doi.org/10.3389/finsc.2024.1358619

2. Christman ME*, Spears LR, Burchfield EK, Pearse WD, Strange JP, Ramirez RA. Bumble bee responses to climate and landscapes: Investigating habitat associations and species assemblages across geographic regions in the United States of America. Global Change Biology. 2024; 30(6): e173802024.

3. Dhungana P, Wei X, Meut ME, Sim C. Genome-wide identification of PAR domain protein 1 (PDP1) targets through ChIP-seq reveals the regulation of diapause-specific characteristics in Culex pipiens. Insect Molecular Biology. 2024; 33(6): 777.  https://doi.org/10.1111/imb.12943

4. Glinski DA, Purucker ST, Minucci JM, Richardson RT*, Lin C-H, Johnson RJ, Henderson WM. Analysis of contaminant residues in honey bee hive matrices. Science of The Total Environment. 2024; 954. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.176329

5. Goddard J, Caprio M, Bittner J, Willeford K, Ward S. Laboratory studies of movement and microenvironment choices of engorged adult female Amblyomma maculatum (Acari: Ixodidae). Journal of Medical Entomology. 2024; 61(5):1149. https://doi.org/10.1093/jme/tjae082

6. Josefson CC, Fitzwater BM, Beltran RS, Costa DP, Fornara JH, Garland T, Harris BN, Hinde K, Hood WR, Hunt E, Kenagy GJ, Liebl AL, Litmer AR, Lopes PC, Misra D, Meuti M, Place NJ, Powers LE, Saltzman W, Orr TJ. Balancing Act: An Interdisciplinary Exploration of Trade-offs in Reproducing Females. Integrative and Comparative Biology. 2024; icae092. https://doi.org/10.1093/icb/icae092

7. Lake LM, Scott SB*, Hood DB, Kellis M, Gardiner MM, Basta NT. Risk management approach using ash-based amendment blends for remediation of lead-contaminated urban soils and protection of public health. Soil & Environmental Health. 2024; 2(4). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seh.2024.100102

8. Lee‐Rodriguez J, Ranger CM, Leach A, Michel A, Reding ME, Canas L. Using Environmental DNA to Detect and Identify Sweetpotato Whitefly Bemisia argentifolii and Twospotted Spider Mite Tetranychus urticae in Greenhouse-Grown Tomato Plants. Environmental DNA, 2024; 6: e70026. https://doi.org/10.1002/edn3.70026

9. Lindsay TTT, Hagen MM, Knoblett JN, Rinehart JP, Kapheim KM, Strange JP. Assessing the effects of cold storage regimes of North American Bombus Gynes. Journal of Applied Entomology. 2024; 148: 712.

10. Martínez Rodríguez EJ, Phelan PL, Canas L, Acosta N, Rakotondraibe HL, Piermarini PM. Larvicidal Activity of Hemp Extracts and Cannabidiol against the Yellow Fever Mosquito Aedes aegypti. Insects. 2024; 15(7): 517. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects15070517

11. Meuti ME, Fyie LR*, Fiorta M*, Denlinger DL*. Trade-offs between Winter Survival and Reproduction in Female Insects. Integrative and Comparative Biology. 2024; icae027. https://doi.org/10.1093/icb/icae027

12. Pekarcik AJ*, Ranger CM, Long EY*, Tilmon KJ. Eliminating explanations for Maladera formosae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) preponderance in sandy soil. Journal of Economic Entomology. 2024; 117 (4): 1518. https://doi.org/10.1093/jee/toae138

13. Perry KI, Bahlai CA, Assal TJ, Riley CB*, Turo KJ*, Taylor L*, Radl J, Delgado de la flor YA*, Sivakoff FS, Gardiner MM. Landscape Change and Alien Invasions Drive Shifts in Native Lady Beetle Communities over a Century. Ecological Applications. 2024; 34(7): e3024. https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.3024

14. Radl J, Martínez Villegas L, Smith JS, Tirpak RA, Perry KI, Wetmore D, Tunis E*, Smithberger J*, Schuellerman H*, Magistrado D, Winston RJ, Short SM. Mosquito abundance and diversity in central Ohio, USA vary among stormwater wetlands, retention ponds, and detention ponds and their associated environmental parameters. PLoS ONE. 2024; 19(6): e0305399. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0305399

15. Runnion EN*, Strange JP, Sivakoff FS. Consumption of pollen contaminated with field-realistic concentrations of fungicide causes sublethal effects in Bombus impatiens (Hymenoptera: Apidae) microcolonies. Environmental Entomology. 2024; 53 (4): 706. https://doi.org/10.1093/ee/nvae049

16. Stroh E, Leach A, Mateos-Fierro Z, Kaplan I. Distinct pollinator communities persist among co-flowering specialty crops in Indiana. Journal of Pollination Ecology. 2024; 36: 269. https://doi.org/10.26786/1920-7603(2024)808

17. Šenfeldová S, Atkinson TH, Knížek M, Rabaglia RJ, Havill NP, Ward SF, Turčáni M, Liebhold AM. Determinants of host breadth in non-native bark and ambrosia beetles. Forest Ecology and Management. 2024; 562: 121908. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2024.121908

18. Severo Silva T, Mourtzinis S, McMechan AJ, Carmona G I, Potter BD, Tilmon KJ, Hesler LS, Seiter NJ, Wright R, Osborne SL, Hunt TE, Conley SP. Cereal rye cover crop termination at or before soybean planting has minimal effect on soybean yield across the midwestern US. Field Crops Research. 2024; 312. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fcr.2024.109393

19. Wright ER, Chase KD, Ward SF. Plant-level establishment can result from a single female Acanthococcus lagerstroemiae propagule. Journal of Pest Science. 2024; 1. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10340-024-01792-z

20. ER Wright, KD Chase, SF Ward. Quantifying the potential for wind and phoresy to drive off‐plant movement of crapemyrtle bark scale, Acanthococcus lagerstroemiae (Kuwana) (Hemiptera: Eriococcidae): Implications for spread in urban landscapes. Agricultural and Forest Entomology. 2024; 26 (2): 210. https://doi.org/10.1111/afe.12608

21. Yarcusko RS*, Hemmi Song M, Neuger GC, Romero MF, Piermarini PM, Gillen CM. Function and regulation of the insect NaCCC2 sodium transport proteins. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A: Molecular & Integrative Physiology. 2024; 296: 111685. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbpa.2024.111685

Books, Book Chapters & Other Publications

1. Piermarini PM, Teets NM. Editorial: Rising stars in insect physiology. Front. Insect Sci. 2024; 4: 1483760. https://doi.org/10.3389/finsc.2024.1483760

Extension Materials

Licensure or Certificate Curriculum

1. Shetlar D. 2024. General Pest Control: A Course for New Commercial Pesticide Applicators (Category 10a). Online course containing 17 chapters, and 64 lectures created for the Pesticide Education program and Ohio Department of Agriculture. https://cfaesosu.catalog.instructure.com/browse/psep/courses/general-pest-control-a-course-for-commercial-applicators-category-10a | https://scarlet.instructure.com/courses/1505

Fact Sheets, ohioline.osu.edu, and more

1. Ivey M, Rotondo F, Leach A. X-Disease of Peach, Nectarine, and Cherry. 2024. https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/plpath-fru-0013#

2. Shetlar D, Wu S. Fall Armyworm Alert! Fall/winter 2024. https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.ohiolca.org/resource/resmgr/newsletter/olca_newsletter_-_fall_24-co.pdf

3. Short SM, Pesapane R. Ixodes scapularis (Blacklegged tick). Trends in Parasitology. 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pt.2024.04.002

4. Stroh E, Mateos Z, Ingwell L, Kaplan I, Leach A. Identifying Indiana’s Specialty Crop Pollinators. 2024. Purdue University Extension. https://extension.entm.purdue.edu/publications/POL-12/POL-12.html

5. Wu S. Best Management Practices for White Grub Management in Ohio. Fall/winter 2024. https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.ohiolca.org/resource/resmgr/newsletter/olca_newsletter_-_fall_24-co.pdf

6. Wu S. Third-generation ABW damage appearing in Ohio. 2024. https://www.greencastonline.com/weeviltrak/blogs/postdetails.aspx?id=228430

Posts on Buckeye Yard & Garden Online and Buckeye Turf

1. Basnagala S, Johnson R, Perry K.  Myths and facts - Africanized honey bees. Oct. 8, 2024

2. Basnagala S, Perry K, Filbrun J, Snyder P.  Acrobat ant, Crematogaster cerasi (Fitch, 1855). Sept. 5, 2024

3. Basnagala S, Perry K. Allegheny mound ants, Formica exsectoides Forel, 1886. Sept. 4, 2024

4. Basnagala S, Perry K. Spined oak borer, Elaphidion mucronatum (Say 1823) and Pteromalid parasitoid. Aug. 16, 2024

5. Basnagala S, Perry K. Asiatic garden beetle, Maladera formosae (Brenske 1898). Aug. 13, 2024

6. Basnagala S, Perry K. Brown Prionid - Orthosoma brunneum (Förster 1771) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae). July 25, 2024

7. Basnagala S, Perry K. Immigrant Pavement Ant, Tetramorium immigrans Santschi, 1927. July 17, 2024

8. Basnagala S, Perry K. Wharf Borer Beetle (Nacerdes melanura L., Coleoptera: Oedemeridae). May 24, 2024

9. Basnagala S, Lee T-Y*, Perry K. Eastern Subterranean Termite, Reticulitermes flavipes (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae). May 13, 2024

10. Basnagala S, Perry K. Larder Beetle, Dermestes lardarius L. (Coleoptera: Dermestidae). May 8, 2024

11. Boggs J, Perry K. Wheel Bugs are on the Hunt: Look but Don’t Touch! Aug. 27, 2024

12. Shetlar D, Wu S. Fall Armyworm Alert! https://buckeyeturf.osu.edu/news/fall-armyworm-alert. Sept. 4, 2024

13. Wu S. “Giant Mosquitos” on Your Lawn. https://buckeyeturf.osu.edu/news/giant-mosquitos-your-lawn. Nov. 8, 2024

14. Wu, S. Current Scenario of Crown and Root-feeding Pests. https://buckeyeturf.osu.edu/news/current-scenario-crown-and-root-feeding-pests. Oct. 2, 2024

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Entomology Student Groups 

Chrysalis Undergraduate Entomology Student Association 

Contributed by Elliott Ross, Chrysalis President

• Chrysalis brought on over 40 new interested members
• Attended the Club Fair

• Maintained a regular meeting schedule of one meeting every 2 weeks
• Joined ENT 4001’s Deepwoods class trip collecting insects again!
• Hosted: an identification seminar, a movie night, a PowerPoint night, and a trivia night!
• Shout out to our new officers Rex Harvey-Thurston and Hunter Parks for an AMAZING job this semester!

To join Chrysalis, contact CFAES Entomology undergraduate advisor Joe Raczkowski.2@osu.edu.

Entomology Graduate Student Association (EGSA)

Contributed by Caralee Shepard, EGSA President

Welcoming 2024-2025 EGSA Officers & Committee Representatives 

EGSA is pleased to introduce our 2024-2025 academic year officers & committee representatives

EGSA Officers

• President: Carlee Shepard
• Vice-President: Erika Wright
• Treasurer: Adam Foster

EGSA Committee representatives

• Curriculum Committee Representative: Chloe Chiu
• Scholarships and Awards Committee Representative: Danna Vera
• Graduate Studies Committee Representative: Arnol Gomez
• Digital Media Officer: Yamikani Ng’ona
• Outreach Coordinators Columbus: Brooke Donzelli | Wooster: Breh Ruger
• Social Events Coordination Chair: Columbus: Chloe Chiu | Wooster: Angel Haller
• Seminar Committee Representative: Columbus: Dante Centuori | Wooster: Brandon Shannon
• Office Coordinator: Columbus: Nicki Joseph | Wooster: Yamikani Ng’ona

EGSA & ESGP representation on CFAES Graduate Student Advisory Committee

• Columbus Afsoon Sabet (EGSA), Erika Wright (ESGP) & Hannah Dehus (ESGP)
• Wooster: Erick Martinez Rodriguez (EGSA)

EGSA Leadership Retreat

This year EGSA members had opportunities to establish our representation within the department and the college. In May EGSA members met for a retreat at Malabar Farms, located between Columbus and Wooster. While we made time to go on an insect surveying hike and to make resin art, the main item on our agenda was reviewing our organization’s constitution to propose amendments to vote on in our first full meeting in September.

As part of this review, we are excited to announce the official inclusion of post docs, visiting scholars, and research staff within our constitution as EGSA members if they wish to participate in our meetings and events. We also formally recognized the EGSA representatives on the college’s Graduate Student Advisory Committee (GSAC).

As part of GSAC, EGSA members also made a significant contribution towards the betterment of students within the whole college this year by assisting in the creation of the CFAES Graduate Students’ Rights and Responsibilities document. EGSA members Afsoon Sabet, Dom Magistrado, Erick J. Martinez Rodriguez, Erika Wright, and Hannah Dehus particularly contributed to its creation. This document was written to ensure a fair, safe, and respectful experience for all our graduate students in the college and is anticipated to be legally recognized by the college.

EGSA Engagement & Events

Community Engagement

EGSA continued its tradition of hosting and participating in annual community-oriented events this year, including the Insect Night Walk- held for the first time in Columbus, a table at the Lithopolis Honey Fest, cohosting the second annual Pumpkins & Pillbugs Halloween Bug Zoo Bash with the GSAC and Wooster Campus Staff Council, and our second annual Insect Film Festival held with Studio 35.

Social Events

This year EGSA members found different ways to connect outside of classes. In addition to cohosting a tailgate with other CFAES organizations for the homecoming game, EGSA is planning a winter potluck to close out the year. Some members also found a way to meet virtually every month through playing a role-playing game led by social committee rep Angel Haller - as arthropods. Thus far the group has faced antagonists such as terrible termites and malicious mosquitoes. Who knows what IPM strategies they may be forced to use in future games!

EGSA at ESA

This year EGSA had over 20 students representing Ohio State with presentations and posters given at the Annual Entomological Society of America (ESA) Conference in Phoenix, AZ. Five EGSA members and two undergraduate students mentored by EGSA students, were awarded prizes for their research presentations!