Announcements
Spring 2016 Entomology Graduate Student Association Student’s Choice Speaker presentation will be on Wednesday, March 9, 2016, in FSHN 354 at 12:10-1:00. Our speaker will be Dr. Jared Ali, assistant professor of Entomology at Pennsylvania State University. His presentation is titled “Multi-trophic Interactions and the Chemical Ecology of Plant Defenses in Above and Below Ground Contexts.” For more information about our speaker go to: http://ento.psu.edu/directory/jga8 & http://sites.psu.edu/interactions/ The AMS dial # 5704020. There will be no seminar on March 16th.
Important notice to faculty: To address recent Lab Safety Concerns and Initiatives, FSHN Principal Investigators and their primary lab manager(s) are responsible for attending one of the following mandatory trainings offered by the Office of Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S). To fulfill this requirement were offering three opportunities for faculty with space in FSHN to attend at least one training session in room 354 of FSHN:
- Wednesday, March 23 @ 8:30 AM
- Thursday, March 24 @ 1:00 PM
- Friday, March 25 @ 1:30 PM
The training will consist of a half hour to an hour presentation by EH&S Assistant Director Jason Sampson addressing:
- Brief definition of Dangerous Waste (the State of Washington has the most stringent hazardous waste regulations in the U.S., if you are new to the state this will probably be useful)
- Dangerous Waste labeling requirements within the laboratory
- Dangerous Waste storage requirements
- WSU disposal procedures
- Chemical storage and labeling
- Emergency response to chemical spills and releases
- 5 focuses areas identified in the letter from the Co-Provosts, VP of Finance and Administration, and VP of Research
Followed by time for questions and discussion. EH&S will count your attendance towards completing the requirement. Please let us know if you have and questions.
GPSA Update:
The GPSA Spring 2016 Excellence Awards
Nomination Forms Are Open
The Graduate and Professional Student Association conducts the GPSA Excellence Awards each year. The GPSA Excellence awards are broken up into six different categories; Graduate Assistant, Teaching Assistant, Research Assistant, Graduate Student Instructor, Academic Advisor, and Registered Student Organization. Nominations are accepted from students, peers, and advisors in the fall, and spring with winners being recognized during our spring awards banquet. If you would like to nominate someone for one of these awards follow the link below.
The deadline for these nominations is March 18, at midnight. For more information and to access the nomination forms >> more here.
Bowling Night Tonight!
Tonight from 6:00pm to 8:00pm is the GPSA Bowling Night at Zeppoz. Friends and families are welcome and shoes/lane rentals will be covered by GPSA. Please bring a valid Cougar Card and see you there!
Starting Your Job Search From a Position of Strength
Learn how to build credibility in industry before you start your job search!
Date: Saturday, March 5th Time: 10am – 3pm
How to Register and for More Information: Follow this link
Facilities Operations Notice: There will be a shutdown of Emergency Feeder 13, on March 15th, which supplies emergency electrical power during power outages will affect the emergency lighting in stairways, the fire exit signs, and the fire alarm systems, with the exceptions to buildings without battery backed up fire alarm panels. They are: Avery, Dana, Eastlick, Experimental Animal Lab, IT, Stephenson Dining, Troy and Wilson. These buildings will be without emergency lighting and the fire alarm system during the shutdown. To replace defective feeder wires. Please monitor any critical equipment that may be plugged into this circuit during this event
The SARE Professional Development Program (PDP) is now accepting mini-grant applications for both attending a professional development event and hosting a sustainable agriculture professional development event. Grant amounts have been increased from prior years to better accommodate the needs of applicants, in response to a survey of eligible ag professionals. Also, as a result of the survey, priority will be given to program staff for “Attending” grants, and to “Hosting” grants that target a Conservation District audience. Please read the RFP carefully; it has changed. Please see the SARE PDP Program page for more information and for application instructions. Applications will be screened after March 24th, or until funds are exhausted.
The Washington State Office of Financial Management (OFM) asked the state HR offices to distribute the following nomination information: Seeking nominations for exceptional state employees and managers! “I’ve seen firsthand the dedication of front-line employees and supervisors,” said Gov. Jay Inslee. “They’re innovating in a time of tight resources. They’re finding ways to serve Washingtonians better. And they’re doing it with a spirit of service that makes me deeply proud.” Do you know a state employee or manager who goes above and beyond the call of duty? Public Service Recognition Week (PSRW), which will be held this year between May 1-7, 2016, is a national celebration recognizing the contribution of public employees. In the spirit of recognizing exemplary service, the state PSRW Awards Committee is asking the public and fellow employees to nominate state government and higher education staff for two state awards. Each year, the Extra Mile Award is given to individuals or groups of state employees who surpass expectations for exemplary public service by demonstrating:
- Innovative techniques and methods
- Outstanding leadership
- Visionary thinking
- Personal valor or bravery
- Outstanding customer service
A second award, the Leadership Award, is given to individuals at all levels of management who show exemplary leadership by demonstrating:
- Vision
- Commitment to service
- Significant contributions to the advancement of state government
- Personal Integrity
- Inspiration
- Outstanding Customer Service
Nominations should include a brief explanation (300 words or less) explaining why the person or group is being nominated. Nominations will be taken this year through a hosted awards site (OpenWater). To submit a nomination, please visit the PSRW Awards page at: http://www.sos.wa.gov/psrw/awards.aspx
Then click on either the Extra Mile or Leadership award to be redirected to the appropriate nomination page. If you have not previously submitted an award nomination through OpenWater, you will be prompted to set up a new account logon ID and password. Nominations are due by 5 p.m. on Friday, March 18, 2016.
If you have any questions or need further information, please feel free to contact: Mark Sullivan at
(360) 407-4128 or psrw@ofm.wa.gov.
The first annual Edible Book Festival will take place on Friday, April 8. Public viewing and judging will be begin at 1:30 pm in the Terrell Library Atrium. Awards will be given in the following categories:
- People’s Choice
- Most Appetizing
- Best Visual Presentation
- Punniest/Funniest
Register to participate by going to: http://libraries.wsu.edu/news/registration-opens-april-8-edible-book-festival-entries, or plan to come and vote for (and eat!) your favorites. Registration began March 1. WSU’s festival begins with public viewing at 1:30 p.m. on April 8, in the Terrell Library atrium. Judging is at 2 p.m., with winners announced at 2:30. “Celebrity judges” for the event will be Christopher Bruce, director of the WSU Museum of Art; Jamie Kohler, executive pastry chef for WSU Dining Services’ central production unit; Joanna Bailey, director of Pullman’s Neill Public Library; and Sarah Frame English, a WSU alum, donor and librarian with the Libraries of Stevens County (Wash.). Awards will be given for people’s choice, most appetizing, best visual presentation and punniest/funniest. Then it’s all mouths on deck for the feeding frenzy. For questions about registration, entries, event schedule, or other inquiries, please contact Holly Luetkenhaus.
Presidential Search Committee update: Thanks to the diligent efforts of the Presidential Search Advisory Committee and our consultants from the executive search firm, Isaacson, Miller. As a result, we have started the planning process for the transition of leadership that will take place in the coming months. I ask for your help and input in carrying out a transition plan that ensures the continued momentum of the University’s key initiatives. First and foremost, please join me in expressing profound gratitude to Interim President Dan Bernardo. Dan accepted the presidential duties under extremely challenging circumstances last June, and he has demonstrated exceptional leadership, grace, and vision since then. As he prepares for a transition back to the role of provost, we anticipate his close collaboration with the University’s new leader. Plans to publicly honor Dan for his service will be announced in the coming weeks. I am also delighted to announce that Lura Powell, vice chair of the Board of Regents, and Bob Drewel, former chancellor of WSU North Puget Sound at Everett, will co-chair our presidential transition efforts. The co-chairs will work closely with Dan Bernardo to address the details of the transition, and they will call upon other members of the University community to help support the effort. As previously reported, our pool of about 200 candidates recently was narrowed to 8 outstanding individuals. They include current university presidents and provosts as well as an individual from the private sector. The interview process is ongoing. The identities of these individuals will remain confidential so as not to jeopardize their leadership of their current organizations. Finally, I want to reiterate the palpable excitement I feel about the University’s future. Based on the search committee’s progress, we are on track to name our next president in April, if not before. And we are certain our new leader will continue to guide the institution’s trajectory toward ever-greater excellence.
IMPORTANT DATES TO KNOW:
Entomology Dept. Faculty Meeting Schedule
3/24/2016 – 9:00 AM to 10:30 AM 5704472
4/22/2016 – 11:00 AM to 12:15 PM 5704472
5/20/2016 – 11:00 AM to 12:15 PM 5704472
6/24/2016 – 11:00 AM to 12:15 PM 5704472
7/22/2016 – 11:00 AM to 12:15 PM 5704472
May Berenbaum will be a guest speaker at Gonzaga University in Spokane on March 21st at 7:30 PM in the Hemmingson Center Ballroom on the Gonzaga Campus. She will also be giving a scientific lecture the next day. Her talk is titled Apis-Pocalypse Now: Can Science Save the Honey Bee? This presentation is part of the 30th Annual Timothy J. O’Leary Lecture event. She is the Swanlund Professor of Entomology and head of the Entomology Department at the Univ. of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Dr. Berenbaum was the 1999 E. Paul Catts Lecture speaker here in our Department. She is a recipient of the 2014 National Medal of Science in biological sciences and the editor of eight books. To learn more about Dr. Berenbaum go to: http://www.life.illinois.edu/entomology/faculty/berenbaum.html