UC Davis distinguished professor Walter Soares Leal soared from a self-described “rough childhood” in his native Brazil to become an internationally recognized scientist celebrated for his research on chemical communication and olfaction in insects.

But in his early childhood, he disliked insects, especially the cockroaches that crawled into his mouth while he was sleeping, and mosquitoes that bit him when he was and wasn’t.

UC Davis scientists established a major presence at the 27th International Congress of Entomology (ICE2024), a weeklong conference in Kyoto, Japan that drew more than 4000 researchers from 82 countries. 

ICE2024, themed “New Discoveries Through Consilience,” included plenary lectures, symposia and posters, with science shared, science learned and friendships made.  ICE meets every four years in a different country.

The Bohart Museum of Entomology will host an open house, "Museum ABCs: Arthropods, Bohart and Collecting," from 1 to 4 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 28, in Room 1124 of the Academic Surge Building, 455 Crocker Lane.

The event, open to the public, is free and family friendly. Parking is also free.

Entomology shared the spotlight in a newly released UC Davis video tribute to emeriti, an annual public service project by UC Davis distinguished professor Walter Leal.

Leal creates an annual video tribute to UC Davis faculty transitioning to emeriti, "as a way of celebrating their accomplishments as they enter a new chapter in their lives." It is a zero-budget, one-person production.

“Just like in a honey bee colony, it takes a team to win an award.”

So commented UC Davis distinguished professor Walter Leal, recipient of the UC Davis Academic Senate’s 2024 Faculty Distinguished Research Award, when he delivered his seminar at the Academic Senate’s recent research award lecture luncheon in the UC Davis Conference Center.

It was a gathering of scientific giants.

Five UC Davis distinguished professors, all members of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS),  recently gathered at the home of UC Davis distinguished professor Walter Leal, newly elected member of NAS, to congratulate him, to orient him to NAS, to recommend committee memberships and to detail how the NAS election works.

Picture perfect!

Ceremonies recently took place to celebrate faculty who received the highly competitive UC Davis Academic Senate awards, and staff who received the inaugural Chancellor's Outstanding Staff Awards. Among the recipients:

UC Davis distinguished professor Walter Leal of the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology and former professor and chair of the Department of Entomology, is a newly elected member of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), becoming the second UC Davis entomologist selected for “one of the highest honosr a scientist can achieve.”

The saying, “Good things come in threes,” or “Omne trium perfectum,” rings true.

The UC Davis Academic Senate today announced that UC Davis distinguished professor Walter Leal of the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology and former professor and chair of the Department of Entomology, is the recipient of the Faculty Distinguished Research Award.