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Thousands of insect scientists worldwide are expected to attend the annual meeting of the Entomological Society of America (ESA), set Nov. 9-12 in Portland, Ore.

The theme: "Bridging Generations with Innovation, Legacy, and Passion."

ESA posted this on its website:

"Get ready for Entomology 2025! From November 9-12, 2025, Portland, Oregon will be buzzing with excitement as thousands of insect-science professionals gather for this unmissable event.  In 2025, we’re celebrating the theme of Bridging Generations—uniting the wisdom of the past with the innovations of the future, all fueled by our shared passion for entomology. We hope to see you in Portland! Register today."

Yes, ESA is fully aware that the President of the United States has declared Portland "war ravaged" and ordered tanks and troops.

ESA posted this on its website: 

"We remain committed to hosting a safe and successful meeting to facilitate the knowledge sharing, networking, and collaboration that are critical to moving our science forward."

"ESA and Travel Portland are dedicated to providing a safe, hospitable, and productive environment for all attendees. Local community leaders in Portland have confirmed that recent statements by the president about the city are inaccurate. Protests at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Portland remain small, and the facility is located far from tourism attractions, the convention center, and downtown infrastructure. ESA and Travel Portland are eager to welcome visitors to the city so they can explore all that it has to offer." (See more)

Chris Stelzig, ESA's executive director, recently emailed the nation's department chairs that "There is a vast difference between the rhetoric from the President and the reality on the ground in the city."

Stelzig's email, printed here with his permission, states in part: "Portland is a great city, it was a great host for ESA in 2014, and we're confident it will be again in 2025. Local community, business and elected leaders disagree with President Trump’s comments and characterization of Portland and have clearly stated federal intervention is unnecessary, unwarranted and unwelcomed. The Travel Portland and Portland Chamber of Commerce issued a joint statement encouraging the President to change course and abort this tactic. They are pursuing a legal strategy to prevent this deployment and we're hopeful that this will be successful."

We agree, and the focus should continue to be on SCIENCE, not POLITICS.

UC Davis has long been a powerhouse at the ESA meetings. UC Davis Distinguished Professor Emeritus Frank Zalom (now back at UC Davis as a recall professor) is a Honorary Member of the 7000-member ESA, the organization's highest award.. He is also a past president (2014) and recently completed a 4-1/2 year term as editor-in-chief of ESA's Journal of Economic Entomology. Zalom will be attending the Portland meeting as a Honorary Member, and as a member of the ESA Publications Council, which has scheduled several meetings. 

Honorary Members? Six UC Davis entomologists have received that honor. UC Davis Distinguished Professor Walter Leal of the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology and a former chair of the Department of Entomology (now the Department of Entomology and Nematology) achieved the honor in 2022; Zalom in 2021, and Professor W. Harry Lange (1912-2004) in 1990. Earlier, Professor Donald MacLean (1928-2014), the 1984 ESA president, won the award in 1993; Professor Bruce Eldridge (1933-2025) in 1996; and Professor John Edman in 2001.  

Joanna Chiu, New Fellow

And, at this Portland meeting,  UC Davis will share the spotlight. Molecular geneticist and physiologist Joanna Chiu, professor and chair of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, will be recognized as one of the nine newly elected ESA Fellows. It's a high honor singling out  "outstanding contributions to entomology via research, teaching, extension, administration, military service, or public engagement and science policy," according to the ESA Governing Board. (See ESA website). Professor Chiu will be joined by:

• Laura C. Harrington, Cornell University and Northeast Regional Center for Excellence in Vector-Borne Diseases
• John Heraty, University of California, Riverside
• Margaret M. Mayfield, University of Melbourne
• Robert K.D. Peterson, Montana State University
• Paula Shrewsbury, University of Maryland
• Andrew V. Suarez, University of Illinois
• Michael Ulyshen, USDA Forest Service
• Jessica Ware, American Museum of Natural History

Topics of concern to ESA--and to all of us--include the federal research cuts that put "pollinators, food security and ecosystems in jeopardy," as ESA points out. Attendees will learn how these decisions are "harming science--and why proteting entomology is protecting all of us."

Why does science matter? Artificial Intelligence (Ai) sums it: "Science matters because it drives technological innovation, solves real-world problems, and improves the quality of life by fostering an understanding of the natural world. It provides the evidence-based knowledge needed for informed decision-making, from individual health choices and energy consumption to global policy on climate change and disease prevention. Ultimately, science satisfies human curiosity and provides essential tools for understanding and interacting with the universe, leading to advancements in medicine, communication, and a better future for society."

The ESA theme of "Bridging Generations with Innovation, Legacy, and Passion" could not be more appropriate.

(Profile photo: Anthophora urbana heading for Ageratum houstonianum 'Blue Horizon,' Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)