Dr. Zsofia Szendrei is offering a new course, Tritrophic Interactions: Theory and Practice (ENT890) in fall 2012. This 3-credit, two-hour lecture and two-hour lab per week course will examine the rapidly expanding field of tritrophic interactions between plants, herbivores and natural enemies. Through a combination of lecture, discussion and hands-on activities, you will learn both the theory of tritrophic interactions and chemical ecology, as well as gain practice in experimental methods in this field. The laboratory sessions will include getting experience with techniques such as headspace sample collecting and analysis on GC/MS, Y-tube choice tests, and molecular gut content analyses. Familiarity with these methods will add new dimensions to your research capabilities and may help you in your future career. Tentatively, the class will be held Wednesday and Friday, 8:10-10 a.m. For more information on this course, contact Dr. Szendrei at szendrei@msu.edu.

Insect World Science Camp and Bug Camp For Kids are set to take place this summer on the campus of Michigan State University. Insect World Science Camp is for youth ages 9-12 years old and will take place July 15-18. View a brochure and application form. Bug Camp For Kids is for youth ages 6-11 years old who want to have fun, explore and begin to understand the insect world. Dates and times for these half-day camps are June 23 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and August 11 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Cost is $30 and includes t-shirt, materials and snacks. View a program announcement and application form.

Cheers for Dr. Rich Merritt, new MSU University Distinguished Professor. President Simon presented the award to Rich in the presence of family and friends including many from the Department. The award is among the highest honors bestowed on a faculty member by the university. Those selected for the title have been recognized nationally and internationally for the importance of their teaching, research and outreach achievements. Learn more about Merritt’s work at his Aquatic and Forensic Entomology lab website.

Congratulations to Entomology senior Eric Reum.He has been accepted into the University of Detroit Mercy School of  Dentistry, one of the top-ranked dental schools in the United States. An undergrad major in entomology can lead to a wide range of careers. Contact our undergrad advisors Dr. Chris DiFonzo or Dr. Walt Pett to learn options.

Three from the Department are new recipients of the 2011 MSU College of Natural Science Awards. Congratulations to Dr. Gabe Ording (Lorena V. Blinn Endowed Teaching Award); Dr. Suzanne Thiem (Ronald W. Wilson Endowed Teaching Award); and graduate student Rachel Olson (CISGS TA Excellence in Teaching Award).

Suzanne Thiem accepts her award from College of Natural Sciences Dean Kirkpatrick.	Entomology Chair Delfosse accepts the award for Gabe Ording in his absence.
Rachael Olson is congratulated by Dean Kirkpatrick.

Assistant Professor Matthew Grieshop will use $2.5 million from a USDA Specialty Crop Research Initiative grant to develop a novel delivery system for pesticide, nutrient, and frost protection inputs to apples and cherries. The three-state project will be conducted with horticulturists, entomologists, plant pathologists, economists, and engineers from Michigan State University, Washington State University, and Cornell University. The major expected output of the project will be a specialized "irrigation" system that can deliver aqueous inputs throughout the tree canopy. The system is expected to greatly increase spray timing efficiency and efficacy and reduce: the need for tractors in orchards, input wastage, spray drift, and worker exposure to pesticides. Read more.

Eleven new graduate students were welcomed into the Department of Entomology at a pizza lunch on August 23. Students, staff and faculty mingled with the new students who bring our current graduate student count up to 43. View more images from the mixer.

 

 

Deb McCullough was interviewed by Time magazine Science on-line regarding the impact of emerald ash borers on America’s landscape.  "It is now the most destructive forest insect ever to invade North America," McCullough reports. “We literally cannot keep up with it." The spreading infestation has killed some 60 million ash trees in 15 states stretching east to New York and south to Tennessee and by the end of this year, the death toll will likely surpass that of Dutch elm disease. Read the article on-line at Time Magazine Science.

MSU post-doc Ben Werling and Professor Doug Landis are co-authors on a paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences entitled Landscape Change Leads to Increased Insecticide Use in U.S. Midwest. Their work found agricultural landscapes of the Midwest have increasing amounts of cropland and decreasing amounts of non-crop habitat. This “landscape simplification” is associated with increased pest abundance and increased insecticide use.  Each year, landscape simplification results in application of insecticides to an extra 3.5 million acres, with direct costs between $34 and $104 million. The authors note, "If we can create agricultural landscapes with increased crop diversity, then perhaps we can increase beneficial insects, reduce pest pressure and reduce the need for chemical inputs into the environment." Read more.