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March 30, 2018

Posted by entomology.office | April 13, 2018

 

Department Announcements

Mark your calendars to attend the E. Paul Catts Lecture events on April 19 & 20, 2018.  This year’s speaker is, Dr. Rufus Isaacs. He is a faculty member in the Entomology Department at Michigan State University. The public lecture will be on Thursday, April 19, 2018, 5-6:30 PM at the 1912 Center (412 E. 3rd St. in Moscow, ID).  The dinner will be at 6:30 at the Hunga Dunga Brewing Company (333 N Jackson St, Moscow, ID 83843). Tickets for the dinner may be purchased by going here: https://store.entomology.cahnrs.wsu.edu/e-paul-catts-dinner-registration. Dr. Isaacs will be giving a scientific talk on Friday, April 20, 2018, at 11:00 AM in FSHN T101.  To learn more about Dr. Isaack go to:  http://www.canr.msu.edu/people/rufus_isaacs. We hope to see you there.

The Entomology, Food Science and Animal Science Spring Potluck BBQ will be on Friday April 20 beginning at 12:00 Noon following Dr. Isaacs in T-101.  We will be outside of T101 between Clark Hall and the FSHN Building.  Watch your email for more details and an RSVP with dish sign-up going out next week.

Megan Asche successfully defended her MS thesis “Comparison of pollination behavior and health of three Apis mellifoera strains” on 3/19/2018 to graduate this spring with her Masters in Entomology. She is continuing her education pursuing a PhD in Entomology at WSU with Dr. Zack. Megan is advised by Dr. Walter S. Sheppard, with Drs. Crowder and Jones serving on her committee.

Alix Whitener successfully defended her PhD dissertation “Behavior and integrated pest management of Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae) in Washington state sweet cherry.” on 3/26/2018 to graduate this spring semester with her PhD in Entomology. She already has a position lined up with industry in the Wenatchee area. Alix is advised by Dr. Elizabeth Beers, with Drs. Lavine, Crowder, and Felsot serving on her committee.

James Hepler successfully passed his PhD Preliminary Examination in Entomology on 3/27/2018. He is pursuing a dissertation on “Landscape ecology of brown marmorated stink bug in the arid PNW” under the advisement of Dr. Elizabeth Beers, with Drs. Crowder, Zamora (SOE), and Cooper (USDA) serving on his committee.

Abigail Cohen’s PhD Preliminary Exam is scheduled for April 18, 2018 at 12:00 PM.

Congratulations to Adekunle Adesanya for taking first place for the 2018 GPSA Research Expo in Agriculture & Natural Sciences.

The next Entomology Faculty Meeting will be on April 27, 2018 in FSHN 164.

The All Entomology Faculty Retreat is scheduled for August 16th and 17th in Pullman this year.

The 22nd Annual Insect Cinema Cult Classic will be on Friday, April 6th in Todd Hall Room 276, beginning at 5:30 PM.  Do your kids BUG you? Join the WSU Entomology Department for the 22nd Insect Cinema Cult Classic as we showcase insects on the big screen like you’ve never seen them before! This event is free and open to everyone.  Movies showing will be:

The Deadly Mantis” I1957) A giant prehistoric praying mantis, recently freed from the Arctic ice, voraciously preys on American military at the DEW Line and works its way south. 1 hr 19 min.

The Thaw” (2009) A research expedition to the Arctic discovers that a melting polar ice cap has released a deadly prehistoric parasite. 1 hr 30 min.

Palm Rot” (2015) A research expedition to the Arctic discovers that a melting polar ice cap has released a deadly prehistoric parasite. 8 min.

There will also be live arthropods to view and interact with, as well as popcorn, door prizes, and a raffle.

For Graduate Students

Free for graduate students and postdocs.  Washington State CAHNRS is hosting a Palouse Region Invasive Species and Exotic Pest Workshop on April 3, 2018 at 9:00 AM at the Ensminger Pavilion. At this workshop, we will be talking about priority pests significant to the region such as feral swine, northern pike, spotted wing drosophila, key weed species, exotic wheat pests and pathogens. The workshop is co-hosted by the Washington Invasive Species Council, and is funded by the US Department of Agriculture. Certified Pesticide Applicators and crop advisors may earn up to 5 Washington or Idaho re-certification credits (pending approval).

Registration: http://bit.ly/2EJBKiI or Registration: https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3341950

Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1877789158961069/

Flyer: https://invasivespecies.wa.gov/documents/palouse-and-panhandle-flyer.pdf.

Questions? Contact Todd Murray tmurray@wsu.edu  or Justin Bush.

University Announcements

Effective April 1, 2018, sales tax rates for several areas are changing. This may affect many departments of the University who sell items across the State. The rate table can be found at in the A – Z index of the WSU home page under Sales Tax-Charged or https://genreceivables.wsu.edu/salesTaxDest.html.  If you have any questions regarding Sales Tax changes please contact Karen Breese in General Accounting at 335-2056.

School of the Environment Graduate Seminar on Monday April 2nd at 12:10 PM in the Spark Bldg 233Presenting will  be Dr. Cynthia Chang, University of Washington- Bothell.  Her presentation is titled: Patterns of plant succession across a disturbance gradient at Mt. St. Helens, Washington.

Play with your food and your words during Washington State University Libraries’ third annual Edible Book Festival on Friday, April 6, part of WSU Mom’s Weekend activities.  Registration for entries closes March 31. To register and for more information, visit the library guide at http://libguides.libraries.wsu.edu/ediblebooks. Participants can register individually or as a group. Entry rules are simple: Submissions must be made from edible materials and somehow relate to a book. Edible book festivals take place around the country and world to celebrate books, art, food and culture. They got their start with the first International Edible Book Festival on April 1, 2000. Since then, organizations and universities have served up their own versions of the popular event.  WSU’s festival begins with public viewing and judging at 2:30 p.m. in the Terrell Library atrium, with winners announced at 3:30 p.m. Awards will be given for people’s choice, best visual presentation and punniest/funniest. Light refreshments also will be available.

Women in STEM You are invited to WSU’s inaugural Week of Women in STEM April 2–6. It is a week to celebrate, acknowledge, and inspire women in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Events this week are aimed to encourage students as well as bring them together with professionals for networking, mentoring, and professional development.
Visit the WiSTEM web page »

TO REGISTER FOR:           Keynote              Panel/Dinner     Salary Negotiation Workshop

 

Each year the Administrative Professional Advisory Council (APAC) recognizes Administrative Professional employees for their contributions to WSU and their area or unit.  The award recognizes exceptional contributions, defined as beyond the expected or required performance; making a unique difference; or having a far reaching or compelling impact to the work area.  Please submit your nomination by April 1, 2018.  Winners will be announced on May 10 during APAC’s monthly meeting. To learn more and submit a nomination go to https://wsu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1GQNIX77iKqgiFf

Quarterly lobbying reports must be filed online by Friday, April 13, 2018, covering WSU employee activities between January 1, 2018, and March 31, 2018. For your convenience, you can report your lobbying activities through our online submission form. The reports will be reviewed and forwarded to the state Public Disclosure Commission and proper federal agencies. Note that you do not need to file a “no activity” report online if you did not lobby this quarter.  Not every meeting, event, and interaction you have with elected officials is considered lobbying. Visit our lobbying page for points of clarification on what you should and should not necessarily report. In the future, to help you facilitate interaction with elected officials, it is best that WSU employees consult with Government Relations staff in advance of any lobbying activity to ensure that we send a coordinated message from our institution. Meetings of this nature can be multilayered and touch many parts of the WSU community, therefore communicating with Government Relations can provide for a more organized legislative outcome. Additionally, Heather and Michele on our Government Relations staff are available to help you determine appropriate and legal ways to communicate with public officials and external stakeholders on political issues: Federal regulations   Michele McCarver: 509-335-5756 ,   State regulations  Heather Dykstra: 360-534-2330

Employment

  1. Faculty Research Assistants, Oregon State University, Pendleton, OR
  2. Research Scientist, BASF Corp., Research Triangle Park, NC
  3. Agricultural Pest Control Manager, St. of Hawaii
  4. Assistant Professor-Tenure System, Michigan St. Univ., East Lansing, MI
  5. Postdoc Research Associate, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
  6. Lab Assistant, S&S Professional Svc., Research Triangle Park, NC
  7. Entomologist, US Fed Gov., Arlington, VA
  8. Plant Pathogist, Dept of Ag., Missoula, MT

Cougs Rise is an initiative of the Office of the Provost funded by grants from the U.S. Department of Education. The program offers low-income and first-generation students from five Washington high schools college preparation programming and mentorship designed to boost their chances of earning a college degree. Our program is searching for students to serve as Peer Mentors for our 2018 Summer Bridge Program.  These students will then continue serving as mentors, working an average of 15hrs/wk. during the academic year for high school juniors and seniors. If any of your students is looking for a job this summer and continuing next year, please refer them to the application link below:  https://wsu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3OQLJqnjkwHB5PL.  Contact Ray Acuna-Luna at Ray ray.acuna@wsu.edu for more info.

If you know of any undergraduates that may be looking for a summer job working with honey bees and at a Farmer’s Market, please share this information with them:  I have a small honey and beekeeping business in Seattle, and am looking for an employee for the summer.  The main job would be running our farmer’s market booth in the University District, but I’d love to find someone who would also be interested in working with the bees.  The beekeeping side would vary significantly based on the person.  If you have anyone who’s going to be in the Seattle area this summer and is looking for 8-12 hrs/week of work, I’d love to talk to them.  You can find the job description here.  I can be flexible with the start and end dates, and potentially with some vacation time as well. Peter Nolte, Beekeeper/Owner,  Rainy Day Bees.