Bumpers Faculty and Graduate Students Earn Awards From Entomological Society

Photo Submitted

ESA-SEB 2017 award winners, from left, Joe Black, 1st place M.S. student oral (paper) presentation; John Hopkins, Urban Entomology Award; Dylan Cleary, 2nd place M.S. student oral (paper) presentation; Mary-Kate Williams, 1st place M.S. student poster presentation; Aaron Cato, 1st place Ph.D. student oral (paper) presentation; and Nick Seiter, Early Career Award.

Two faculty members and four graduate students in the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences at the University of Arkansas earned awards at the recently held Southeastern Branch meeting of the Entomological Society of America.

John Hopkins, associate professor and extension urban entomologist, was recognized with the Distinguished Achievement Award. During Hopkin's tenure with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, the urban entomology program has grown into an outstanding program that addresses the needs and concerns of diverse stakeholders such as homeowners, regulators, landscapers, master gardeners, extension personnel and pest management professionals as reported in the 2017 SEB Meeting Program Book.

Nick Seiter, assistant professor and extension entomologist, received the Early Career Award. It was noted in the SEB 2017 Meeting Program Book that Seiter has quickly shown an aptitude for balancing and excelling at extension, research, and teaching activities. Seiter's program is dedicated to providing science‐ based insect pest management recommendations to Arkansas growers with an emphasis on the crops and insects such as the kudzu bug and sugarcane aphid that are most relevant to the southeastern portion of the state.

Entomology graduate students achieved two first‐place and one second‐place finish in Oral (paper) Presentation, and one first‐place finish in Poster Presentation.

Aaron Cato, a doctoral student, won first place with his paper, "Evaluation of rice stink bug, Oebalus pugnax, damage to maturing rice kernels;" co‐authored by advisor, Gus Lorenz, and committee member, Jarrod Hardke.

Joseph Black, a master's degree student, won first place with his paper, "Horizontal transmission of Helicoverpa armigera nucleopolyhedrosis virus (HearNPV) in soybean fields infested with corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea." Black's advisor and co‐author is Lorenz.

Dylan Cleary, a master's degree student, placed second with her paper titled "Occurrence of select parasites and pathogens in Arkansas honey bee;" co‐authored by advisor, Allen Szalanski, and committee member, Donald C. Steinkraus.

Mary‐Kate Williams, also a master's degree student, won first place in the MS poster competition. Her poster was titled "Molecular survey for the honeybee Trypanosome parasites crithidia mellificae and Lotmaria passim." Williams' advisor and co‐author is Szalanski.

The Entomological Society of America is the largest organization in the world serving the professional and scientific needs of entomologists and individuals in related disciplines. The Southeastern Branch includes Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. The 2017 ESA‐SEB meeting took place in Memphis, Tennessee March 12‐15.