When members of the Entomological Society of America gather Nov. 9-12 in Portland, Ore. for their annual meeting, the presenters will include postdoctoral scholars, doctoral candidates and graduate students from the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology.
The theme: "Entomology 2025, Bridging Generations with Innovation, Legacy, and Passion." The theme, ESA says, showcases the bridging generations—"uniting the wisdom of the past with the innovations of the future, all fueled by our shared passion for entomology,"
Doctoral candidate Lexie Martin of the Rachel Vannette lab and president of the UC Davis Entomology Graduate Student Association and doctoral candidate Abigail Lehner of the Neal Williams lab are organizing and leading a session, "A Multi-Faceted Exploration of Bee Symbioses in the Wake of Global Change." Martin will deliver the opening and closing remarks and speak on "A Sequence- and Lab-Based Approach to Investigate Chalkbrood Disease Infection across the Western Range of Blue Orchard Bbees (Osmia lignaria)." Lehner will speak on "The Impact of an Invasive Parasite on Blue Orchard Bees (Osmia lignaria)." The session will bring together early-career bee-microbe, bee-plant, and bee-parasite scientists "to present exciting new research on how global change is impacting these symbioses." Following presentations, a panel will answer questions on field excursions and science communication, with the goal of fostering new collaborations.
Martin is also a panelist at the seminar, "Entomology Outreach on Parade! Bridging Institutions to Share Innovations in Student-Driven Outreach," at which attendees will explore how student entomology clubs form bridges between generations and local institutions to engage communities in outreach. The workshop will feature presentations highlighting club outreach activities, followed by hands-on activity demonstrations. Participants also wll receive take-home materials to enable them to incorporate fresh ideas into their outreach toolbox. Martin will chronicle the club's leadership in the annual campuswide UC Davis Picnic Day and speak on "Cockroach Races, Maggot Art, and Glowing Bugs, Oh My!: How Many Generations of UC Davis Graduate Students Have Made Entomology Accessible to the Public."
Postdoctoral researcher Olivia Winokur of the Christopher Barker lab will present "There's No i in Team, But Parts of Team Are in Me: The Role of Mentorship in My Career."
The list of graduate students or doctoral candidates delivering presentations include:
- Mia Lippey, doctoral candidate in the lab of Emily Meineke and the former lab of Jay Rosenheim (UC Davis Distinguished Professor Emeritus) “From the Laboratory to the Field: Warming Temperatures Do Not Consistently Exacerbate Pest Pressure Across 38 Agricultural Arthropod Species" (student presentation, oral competition)
- Lexie Martin, doctoral candidate in the lab of Rachel Vannette, "A Multi-Faceted Exploration of Bee Symbioses in the Wake of Global Change"; A Sequence- and Lab-Based Approach to Investigate Chalkbrood Disease Infection across the Western Range of Blue Orchard Bees (Osmia lignaria)."
- Grace Horne, doctoral student in the lab of Emily Meineke, "Herbarium Sheets as Ecological Data Caches (Historical Data and the Study of Biodiversity Session)."
- Carla-Cristina “CC” Edwards, doctoral candidate in the Geoffrey Attardo Lab: "Carlos Finlay, Carlos Chagas, and Carlos Orellana (My Dad): How Past Legacies Create Innovation in the Field of Medical Entomology" and "Seeing Resistance in a New Light: Using Raman Spectroscopy to Detect Insecticide Resistance in Aedes aegypti" (poster display competition). She is also a panelist on the symposium, "Entomology Outreach on Parade! Bridging Institutions to Share Innovations in Student-Driven Outreach" and a co-author of "Your New PI is ChatGPT? The Ethics of AI in Scientific Education," to be presented by doctoral candidate Malcolm Peavy of the University of Georgia.
- Abigail Lehner, doctoral candidate in the Neal Williams lab: "A Multi-Faceted Exploration of Bee Symbioses in the Wake of Global Change" and "The Impact of an Invasive Parasite on Blue Orchard Bees (Osmia lignaria)."
- Ziv Lieberman, doctoral candidate in the Phil Ward lab: "Phylogeny and Biogeography of the Ant Subfamily Dolichoderinae, with a Focus on the Genus Dolichoderus" (student competition, oral presentation)
- Briley Mullin, doctoral student in the Ian Grettenberger lab: "Too Much or Not Enough? Optimizing Intercropped Sweet Alyssum for Lettuce Pest Biological Control" (student competition, oral presentation).
- Marielle Hansel Friedman, doctoral candidate in the Emily Meineke lab: "Illuminating Complexity: How Artificial Light at Night Influences Insect Richness and Abundance Across a Vehicle Pollution Gradient (Insect Biodiversity in Urban Landscapes Session)" and "Light and Exhaust: Interactive Effects of Artificial Light at Night and Vehicle Pollution on Insect Richness and Abundance" (student poster competition). She is also a panelist on the symposium, "Entomology Outreach on Parade! Bridging Institutions to Share Innovations in Student-Driven Outreach."
- Haylie Wilcox, doctoral student in the Neal Williams lab, "Tongue Length Predicts Phenological Patterns in Coexisting Bombus Species" (student poster competition).
Postdoctoral researcher Christine Tabuloc of the lab of Joanna Chiu, professor and chair of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, will speak on "Genomic Analysis of Drosophila suzukii Insecticide Resistance." Co-authors are Chiu (who will be honored at the confeence as a newly elected ESA Fellow) and UC Davis Distinguished Professor Emeritus Frank Zalom, a past president of ESA and an Honorary Member, ESA's highest honor.
Also participating will be research assistant and UC Davis alumna Brittany Kohler, who is a co-organizer of "Diverg-Ent: Challenges, Successes, and Strategies of Neurodiverse Entomologists." She has worked in the Phil Ward lab and the lab of monarch butterfly researcher Elizabeth Crone, professor of evolution and ecology, College of Biological Sciences.
Cover image: UC Davis doctoral candidate Carla-Cristina “CC” Edwards at a scientific meeting. (Photo by Janella Loye)