image: Michael E. Adams (top) is a professor of entomology and neuroscience at UC Riverside. Jeremy D. Allison (below) is a graduate student in the UCR Department of Entomology. view more
Credit: Entomological Society of America
RIVERSIDE, Calif. -- Two UC Riverside entomologists have won awards from the Entomological Society of America (ESA), the ESA has announced. Michael E. Adams, a professor of entomology and neuroscience, won the Recognition Award in Insect Physiology, Biochemistry, & Toxicology. Jeremy D. Allison, a graduate student in the Department of Entomology working toward his Ph.D., received the John Henry Comstock Graduate Student Award from the ESA's Pacific Branch.
In his research, Adams focuses on ecdysis, a vital step involved in the development process of insects in which they shed their old cuticle. Adams studies ecdysis-triggering hormones (ETH), which regulate sequential behaviors involved in the shedding of the cuticle at each moult. He also studies paralytic venoms from spiders and scorpions. He has combined his research in insect physiology with studies in toxicology and neurobiology, and has published papers in Nature, Science, Neuron, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and other high-profile journals. He received his Ph.D. from UCR.
The award Allison has received recognizes outstanding graduate students in entomology. In the fall of 2001, he began studying for a Ph.D. in entomology with Ring T. Carde, distinguished professor of entomology. Allison's research focuses on the genetic basis of variation in sex pheromones. The results will document how directional selection can modify sex pheromones.
Both awards will be presented at the ESA's 2006 Annual Meeting in Indianapolis on December 10-13 at the Indianapolis Convention Center.
For a full list of awardees and their biographies, click here.
Founded in 1889, ESA is a non-profit organization committed to serving the scientific and professional needs of more than 5,700 entomologists and individuals in related disciplines. ESA's membership includes representatives from educational institutions, government, health agencies, and private industry.
For more information, please contact Richard Levine, ESA Society Relations Officer at (301) 731-4535, ext. 3009 or sro@entsoc.org.
The University of California, Riverside is a doctoral research university, a living laboratory for groundbreaking exploration of issues critical to Inland Southern California, the state and communities around the world. Reflecting California's diverse culture, UCR's enrollment of about 17,000 is projected to grow to 21,000 students by 2010. The campus is proposing a medical school and already has reached the heart of the Coachella Valley by way of the UCR Palm Desert Graduate Center. With an annual statewide economic impact of nearly $1 billion, UCR is actively shaping the region's future. To learn more, visit www.ucr.edu or call (951) UCR-NEWS.