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It was a joy to see UC Davis alumna Hannah Joy Burrack, professor and chair of the Michigan State University Department of Entomology, return to the UC Davis campus to receive the 2025 Thomas and Nina Leigh Distinguished Alumni Award and present the Leigh seminar.

It was like ol' home week, indeed.

A native of Wisconsin, Burrack received both her master's degree and doctorate in entomology at UC Davis, her master's degree in 2006, and her doctorate in 2007. Her major professor? UC Davis Distinguished Professor (on recall) Frank Zalom of the Department of Entomology and Nematology. A giant in the field of entomology, Zalom is a former director of the UC Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program, and went on to serve as president of the 7000-member Entomological Society of America (ESA) and to be elected an Honorary Member of ESA, the organization's highest honor.

At UC Davis, Burrack studied introduced pests of olives. She completed her dissertation research on “The Seasonal Biology of the Olive Fruit Fly (Bactrocera oleae), an Invasive Pest in California.” Her research addressed the olive fruit fly phenology, reproductive biology, cultivar preference and adult fungal associations.

After receiving her doctorate, she accepted a position on the entomology faculty at North Carolina State University (NCSU), serving as an Extension specialist for small fruits and tobacco pest management for 14 years. She advanced from assistant professor to professor. Then on Jan. 1, 2022, she joined Michigan State University as professor and chair of the entomology department.

In her own words:

At UC Davis, "I developed a passion for invasive species biology and management and Extension engagemen. I learned to lead teams, deliver results, and drive a stick shift.”

At NCSU, "I built connections with stakeholders, engaged in diversified crop experiences, mentored students,and identified leadership goal."

At Michigan State University,  leadership roles involving recruiting and supporting faculty, being an advocate for entomology, and making a leadership impact,

Burrack chronicled her career in entomology, thanking all the collaborators she has worked with, and discussing her work with the tobacco growers and fruit growers in North Carolina where she led entomology research and extension efforts for blueberries, caneberries, grapes, tobacco and industrial hemp. She generated $10.8 million in funding, authored 71 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, and delivered more than 500 extension presentations to more than 28,000 stakeholders. Internationally recognized for her work on invasive agricultural pests—particularly Drosophila suzukii (spotted-wing drosophila)—she also prioritized mentorship, advising or serving on committees for postdoctoral scholars, visiting scholars, and more than 30 graduate students.

Her IPM work with tobacco growers led to more efficient and effective operations. 

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Burrack's work at NCSU gained national attention. Known for her “boundless energy and fresh ideas,” she served as the principal investigator and manager of several USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture grants and panels related to research on spotted-wing drosophila management, crop protection, pest management and methyl bromide transitions. In 2018, she received the University Faculty Scholar Award and the Extension Service Award from NC State University. She was named the 2011 recipient of the “Future Leader” award from the Southern Region Integrated Pest Management  (IPM) Center. She received the Friends of IPM award at the annual meeting of the Southeastern Branch of ESA, held in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

"Hannah is recognized as a national leader among IPM entomologists," Zalom related. "She has been project director of major multi-institutional program grants involving specialty grants, and that have produced innovative solutions for important economic pest problems. She has a superior record of mentoring grad students and postdocs who have gone on to productive careers. Hannah became a full professor at North Carolina State before into the department chair position at MIchigan State University. By all accounts, she is providing excellent leadership to their faculty and the institution. It’s incredible that Hannah has achieved so much in such a relatively short period of time, and she certainly deserves this, our department’s recognition as an outstanding alumnus."

One of Burrack's greatest achievements:  her monitoring network for spotted-wing drosophila (SWD), an invasive pest that has devastated fruit and vegetable crops on the U.S. west coast. The network led to the first discoveries of the pest in South Carolina in early July 2010, and in North Carolina a few weeks later. She is among the authors of 14 articles in The Journal of Economic Entomology's Special Collection: Research Advances in Spotted-Wing Drosophila suzukii Management, published in the August 2022 edition. 

The Leigh seminar memorializes cotton entomologist Thomas Frances Leigh (1923-1993), an international authority on the biology, ecology and management of arthropod pests affecting cotton production. During his 37-year UC Davis career, Leigh was based at the Shafter Research and Extension Center, also known as the U.S. Cotton Research Station. 

(See more on the UC Davis Entomology and Nematology website.)