UC Davis in Major Roles at ESA Conference in Portland, Ore.

Molecular geneticist and physiologist Joanna Chiu, professor and chair of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology--and internationally recognized for her research on the molecular and cellular mechanisms that regulate circadian and seasonal biology and on invasive species genomics--will be celebrated as a newly selected Fellow at the Entomological Society of America (ESA) plenary session on Sunday, Nov. 9.

Nov. 9 is the first day of ESA's four-day meeting in the Hyatt Regency, Portland, Ore. 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,"

Chiu is one of ESA's nine Fellows to be honored at the plenary session. She is also organizing the University of California mixer on Monday, Nov. 10 from 7 to 10 p.m. in the Regency Ballroom C  and will present a talk on "Fostering Successful Mentor-Mentee Relationships by Aligning Expectations" on Nov. 11. In addition, she is the co-author of a presentation, "Genomic Analysis of Drosophila suzukii Insecticide Resistance," that postdoctoral researcher Christine Tabuloc of the Chiu lab will deliver on Tuesday. UC Davis Distinguished Professor Emeritus (on recall) Frank Zalom is a co-author of the project. Zalom,  former director of the UC Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program,  is a past president of ESA and an Honorary Member, ESA's highest honor.

Faculty to deliver presentations include:

• Lisa Baik, assistant professor of insect biology and a mosquito specialist, "Understanding and Targeting the Taste System of Mosquitoes"
• Christopher Barker, professor and medical entomologist, "Bruce Eldridge: A Career of Science and Service to Public-Health Entomology,"  Barker, a member of the faculty of the School of Veterinary Medicine's Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology," is an entomology advisor.  He studied with UC Davis Professor  Emeritus Bruce Eldridge, an internationally recognized medical entomologist whose exemplary military,  academic and administrative career spanned more than six decades. Eldridge, a member of the Department of Entomology and Nematology, died Feb. 5, 2025 at age 91.
• Geoffrey Attardo, associate professor and medical entomologist,  "Seeing Resistance in a New Light: Using Raman Spectroscopy to Detect Insecticide Resistance in Aedes aegypti." He also will be a panelist for a symposium on "Diverg-Ent: Challenges, Successes, and Strategies of Neurodiverse Entomologists."
• Ian Grettenberger, associate professor of Cooperative Extension and an IPM specialist, "What Is the Future?: Management of Diamondback Moth in California's Cole Crops and the Challenges and Opportunities." He is the co-author of several other research presentations, including "Developing a Biological Control Program for Bagrada Bug in California" to be presented by graduate student Dylan Rogers, based in Oakland. Rogers is currently a biological science technician at U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service.
• Elina Lastro Niño, professor of UC Cooperative Extension, Apiculture, "From Controlled Environments to Real-World Applications: Advancing Honey Bee Health  and Probiotics as a Possible EFB Management Tool."
• Neal Williams, professor and pollination ecologist is a co-organizer of the symposium, "Hot Bees: Bridging Approaches and Innovative Tools to Understand Heat Wave Impacts on Wild Bees" and he will present a talk at the symposium on "Heatwave Impacts on Immature Stages of the Solitary Bee, Osmia lignaria."

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."

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."

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).

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.

Co-organizers of the symposium are  doctoral candidate Codey Mathis of Pennsylvania State University and graduate student Rae Olsson of Washington State University. Panelists, in addition to UC Davis medical entomologist Geoffrey Attardo are Skye Austin, UC Davis undergraduate student;  graduate student Nomada Scud Semler of The Ohio State University;  and graduate student Abigail Hayes of the University of Virginia. 

The abstract: "Neurodiversity defines that individuals experience and interact with the world differently. By better understanding these differences, we can be more compassionate and accommodating in our professional and personal lives. In this workshop, attendees can learn more and discuss this topic with neurodivergent colleagues in a safe and accepting environment."