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June 6, 2016

Posted by entomology.office | September 27, 2016

Announcements

The next Entomology faculty meeting will be on June 24, 2016 at 11:00 AM.  The AMS dial # is:  5704472

Mark your calendars for the Annual Entomology Retreat in Pullman on August 4th & 5th.  More details to come. 

Congratulations to recent Entomology Department grant awardees:

  • John Stark and Tanyalee Erwin, who are the recipients of a $500,000 grant from Washington St. Dept. of Ecology. (6/6/2016)

For more info go to: http://informer.ogrd.wsu.edu/RecentFacultyAwards.aspx

Joseph Taylor is featured on the WSU home page for the month of May.  To read the complete article, go to:  https://wsu.edu/125/healthier-food-supply/

The Palouse Discovery Science Center invites you to sip your favorite brew, as you learn a thing … or two.  Science Pub is an opportunity to enjoy learning about science in an informal and social atmosphere.  No scientific background is necessary to attend.  The presenter will be Dr. James (Ding) Johnson speaking on “Recognition of Cryptic Species.”  The event is being held on June 21, 2016, from 6-8:00 PM, at the Paradise Creek Brewery at 245 SE Paradise Street, in Pullman.  Admission is free but a $5 donation would be appreciated.  All donations support the Palouse Discovery Science Center.  See the attachment for more details.

American Inst. Of Biological Sciences is launching their 6th Annual Faces of Biology Photo contest:  Enter the Faces of Biology Photo Contest for your chance to win $250 and to have your photo appear on the cover of the journal BioScience. The competition, sponsored by the American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS), recognizes scientists who use imagery to communicate aspects of biological research to the public and policymakers. “Over the past five years, this contest has been effective at showing the public and decision-makers what the scientific process looks like,” said Dr. Robert Gropp, Interim Co-Executive Director of AIBS. “Whether it is sharing photos of biological research or enabling visits by lawmakers to research facilities, AIBS is committed to disseminating information that will guide informed decisions about matters that require biological knowledge.”  The theme of the contest is “Faces of Biology.” Photographs entered into the competition must depict a person, such as a scientist, technician, or student, engaging in biological research. The research may occur outside, in a lab, at a natural history collection, at a field station, on a computer, in a classroom, or anywhere else research is done. The First Place Winner will have his/her winning photo featured on the cover of BioScience, and will receive $250 and a one year membership in AIBS, including a subscription to BioScience. The Second and Third Place Winners will have his/her winning photo printed inside the journal, and will receive a one year membership in AIBS, including a subscription to BioScience.
The winning photo from the 2015 contest is featured on the cover of the March 2016 issue of BioScience. Submissions must be received 30 September 2016.  For more information or to enter the contest, visit http://www.aibs.org/public-programs/photocontest.html.

Biological Sciences Congressional District Visits:  Meet with Your Lawmakers This Summer and Help Inform Science Policy.  Registration is now open for the Biological Sciences Congressional District Visits event. This national initiative, organized by the American Institute of Biological Sciences, is an opportunity for biologists across the country to meet with their federal or state elected officials to showcase the people, facilities, and equipment that are required to support and conduct scientific research.  Now in its eighth year, the event enables scientists, graduate students, representatives of research facilities, and people affiliated with scientific collections to meet with their federal or state elected officials without traveling to Washington, DC. Participants may either invite their elected officials to visit their research facility or can meet at the policymaker’s local office.  AIBS will schedule the meetings with lawmakers and will prepare participants through online training and one-on-one support.  The event is made possible by the American Institute of Biological Sciences, with the support of event sponsors Botanical Society of America, Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology, Natural Science Collections Alliance, Paleontological Society, Society for Freshwater Science, and Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections.  Participation is free, but registration will close on July 17, 2016. For more information and to register, visit www.aibs.org/public-policy/congressional_district_visits.html. Please share this announcement with your colleagues.  “The annual congressional district visits provided me a low-stress introduction to science-based advocacy at the state level. AIBS arranged my meeting and supplied materials that helped me guide conversation with my senator. What I appreciate most about the experience was the freedom to discuss biological topics that were particularly relevant to my region.”Jessica Welch, University of Tennessee, Participant in 2015 Biological Sciences Congressional District Visits. 

In wake of UCLA shooting, WSU Police suggest adopting a survival mindset:  The recent tragic deaths on the UCLA campus, serve as a reminder that dangerous incidents can happen anywhere, and WSU Police are suggesting that what they call a “What if?” mindset can be the first step in building a foundation for personal survival regardless of your setting. In the context of an active shooter incident, having a “What if?” mindset means you’ve considered how you might quickly escape from an area, where you might hide or barricade yourself if you can’t escape, and how you might fight to survive as a last resort. In active shooter trainings, WSU Police refer to these three options as “Run, Hide, or Fight.”  Shooting incidents, in particular, occur very quickly and without warning. Statistically, they are likely to be over by the time emergency messaging reaches the public. Safety messaging is often necessarily general in its admonitions because every person faces a different set of factors that determine their best individual response. If you notice that something isn’t right, or if you witness something that looks like an active shooter incident, work through the Run, Hide, or Fight options and take decisive action. Help others if you can and report to 911 if you have specific information about an active event. Follow instructions from emergency responders as they take control of the incident. In the event that you learn about an incident through emergency messaging, follow the instructions provided in the message and look for additional information on the alert.wsu.edu website. Group training for active shooter civilian response is available through the WSU Police Department at 509-335-8548 or at police.wsu.edu. Visit MyWSU portal to update your emergency contact information on the WSU Emergency Alert System.

The WSU Apiculture Program will be offering two workshops this coming June:

The Starting right With Bees short course will be on June 17th and 18th. This 2 day course will cover bee biology, pest/disease identification, colony management, honey bee IPM, and gloveless beekeeping. The format is a combination of instruction and hands on demonstration. Bring a bee veil, whatever protective clothing you are comfortable in, and lots of questions.  The cost is $125.00.   There will be 2 Rearing High Quality Queens one day workshops in different locations that will present what it takes to rear high quality queens. Basic biology and various methods of queen rearing will be presented. The workshops emphasize hands on instruction in queen rearing methods, with lecture and demonstrations. Students will be involved in various steps including: setting up cell builders, grafting, and establishing mating nuclei. Both queen right and queen-less systems will be demonstrated. Bring a bee veil and whatever protective clothing you are comfortable in.  The cost for this workshop is $175.00.  Instructors for the workshops are Steve Sheppard, Susan Cobey & WSU Bee Lab. graduate students.  The registration form can be found at: http://entomology.wsu.edu/apis/files/2016/03/7PwjNZ-Registration-Form-beekeeping-workshops-2016.pdf

New Process for Curricular Changes Coming Soon:  The Registrar’s Office is moving away from a paper based process for Major Curricular Change requests and moving toward an electronic process.  We will be unveiling electronic submission forms very soon. In the meantime, please note that current paper submissions require only two sets of document hard copies (original and one copy), instead of the 11 previously required.  An electronic copy of the submission should also be sent to wsu.curriculum@wsu.edu.  If you would like additional information or are interested in helping field test the electronic forms, please contact Suzanne Lambeth, Assistant Registrar (slambeth@wsu.edu).

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Employment

See attachment for details on these positions.

  1. Agricultural Integrated Pest Management, Co. of Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA
  2. Criminalist, Level 1B, Police Department, Queens, New York, NY
  3. Geneticist, Dept of Interior-USGS, San Diego, CA
  4. Assistant Professor, Vegetable Entomologist, Clemson Univ., Clemson, SC
  5. Monarch Ag Specialist, Dept of Entomology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA
  6. Forest Health Program Mgr., Idaho Dept of Lands, Coeur d’Alene, ID
  7. Extension Educator, College of Ag Sci., Penn State Univ., Lehigh/Northampton County, PA
  8. Postdoc Researcher, Virginia Museum of Natural history, Martinsville, VA
  9. Medical Entomologist II, State of North Carolina, Wake Co., NC
  10. Research Assist Prof., Kansas State Univ., Manhattan, KS
  11. Assistant Prof of Forest Health, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, CA
  12. Stress Biology, Univ. of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE
  13. Entomologist (Identifier), Dept of Agriculture, South San Francisco, CA

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Entomology Dept. Faculty Meeting Schedule

7/22/2016 – 11:00 AM to 12:15 PM 5704472

The Northwest Coalition of Professional Staff (NCPS) is holding their conference in Pullman on July 21-22, 2016.

Meeting Theme: L.E.A.D. for the Future – Leadership     Education            Advocacy             Development

Mark your calendars for the Annual Entomology Retreat in Pullman on August 4th & 5th.  More details to come. 

First day of classes for Fall 2016 is Monday, August 22, 2016.

2016 International Congress of Entomology, Sept. 25-30, 2016, Orlando, FL. Website: http://ice2016orlando.org/

AIBS Launches 6th Annual Faces of Biology Photo Contest. Submissions must be received by 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern Time on 30 September 2016.  For more information or to enter the contest, visit http://www.aibs.org/public-programs/photocontest.html.