Entomological Society of America names new Fellows for 2008

The Entomological Society of America (ESA) is proud to announce its selection of ten new Fellows. Selection as an ESA Fellow acknowledges outstanding contributions in research, teaching, extension, or administration. The following honorees will be recognized during the ESA Annual Meeting, which will be held from November 16-19, 2008 in Reno, Nevada.

1. Dr. Robert N. Coulson has been a participating member of the Entomological Society of America since 1968. He has served the Texas A&M University system since 1970. He was initially employed as principal entomologist with the Texas Forest Service and as assistant professor with the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station. In 1973, he received an academic appointment with the Department of Entomology at Texas A&M University, worked through the professorial ranks, and today holds the title of professor.

   Dr. Coulson's research has been transdisciplinary in approach, directed to investigations of the activities and impacts of insects and other taxa in forest, prairie, savanna, and agricultural landscapes. The research addresses issues of significance to entomology, ecology, and land-use management.

   In 1984, he co-founded the Knowledge Engineering Laboratory (KEL; http://kelab.tamu.edu) to facilitate research and development of computer applications for planning, problem-solving, and decision making in environmental science and management. The focus of KEL research has been directed to landscape-scale problems that require integration, interpretation, and use of different representations of knowledge. Special emphasis has been placed on ways and means of blending qualitative, heuristic knowledge of experts with quantitative information that results from scientific investigations. Most of the projects in KEL have had an entomological underpinning, e.g., integrated pest management of the southern pine beetle, landscape ecology of feral Africanized honey bees, risk-rating post-oak savanna landscapes for fire ants, etc.

2. John G. Hildebrand earned his A.B. degree at Harvard College in 1964 and his Ph.D. at Rockefeller University in 1969. Following postdoctoral work at Harvard Medical School, he joined the faculty of its Department of Neurobiology in 1972. In 1980, he was appointed professor of biological sciences at Columbia University in New York. In 1985, he moved to the University of Arizona as founding director of the Arizona Research Laboratories Division of Neurobiology, an organized-research unit dedicated to the neurobiology and behavior of insects, and as professor of neurobiology, biochemistry, entomology, and molecular and cellular biology. In 1988, he co-founded the Center for Insect Science at Arizona, and in 1989 he was named regents professor of neurobiology. Throughout his career, Dr. Hildebrand's research has focused on the functional organization, neurophysiology, neurochemistry, and development of the insect olfactory system, the roles of olfaction in insect behavior, and the chemical ecology of insect-host interactions.

   He has served as mentor for 46 postdoctoral associates, 11 Ph.D. students, and 57 undergraduate research students. He has been an editor for four books and has published about 190 research papers, reviews, and book chapters. He has received numerous awards, including Claude Pepper and MERIT Awards from NIH, the Wright Award in Olfactory Research, the Max Planck Research Award, the ESA Founders' Memorial Award, an Alexander-von-Humboldt Foundation Research Prize, the Silver Medal of the International Society of Chemical Ecology, an honorary degree from the University of Cagliari (Italy), and an Einstein Professorship in the Chinese Academy of Sciences. He has also been elected to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, and the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters.

   He has served as president of the Association of Neuroscience Departments and Programs, the International Society for Neuroethology, the International Society for Chemical Ecology, and the Association for Chemoreception Science, and he has served as an officer of the Society for Neuroscience and the International Brain Research Organization. He is an elected fellow of the Royal Entomological Society (UK) and of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

3. Dr. Lawrence A. Lacey is internationally recognized for his work in insect pathology and microbial control. He has published more than 200 refereed journal articles, reviews, and book chapters in medical and agricultural entomology and insect pathology, and has edited or co-edited four books, including the Manual of Techniques in Insect Pathology and the Field Manual of Techniques in Invertebrate Pathology.

   Lacey received his master's degree (1975) and Ph.D. (1978) in entomology at the University of California, Riverside. His first work was with the National Institute of Amazon Research in Manaus, Brazil. Subsequently, he has worked for the USDA Agricultural Research Service, the World Health Organization, and the Vector Biology and Control Project (USAID) in the U.S., Latin America, West Africa, Europe, and several other regions of the world. His research has included studies on the biology and microbial control of black flies, mosquitoes, Japanese beetle, whiteflies, and several insect pests of tree fruit and potato. He led the Japanese beetle control project on Terceira Island (Azores, Portugal), and he conducted foreign exploration for natural enemies of Bemisia tabaci while based in Montpellier, France. In 1996, he was assigned to the USDA-ARS laboratory in Wapato, WA, where he has implemented a research program in insect pathology.

   Lacey has served as an officer in the ESA and in the Society for Invertebrate Pathology, and as subject editor, co-editor and editorial board member for ESA journals and for the Journal of Invertebrate Pathology. His honors include an International Honor Award from the USDA Foreign Agriculture Service and a Public Service Award from the University of California, Riverside Alumni Association.

4. Dr. Leslie C. Lewis, a research leader with the USDA-ARS, is a recognized national and international leader in research on diseases of insect pests of corn, and on multi-trophic relationships between insects, insect pathogens, beneficial insects, and plants. His work to define relationships of insect pathogens, macrobiological control organisms, and chemical insecticides contributed significantly to the field of integrated pest management. This work included the definition of a unique tritrophic relationship with Beauveria bassiana, the corn plant, and the European corn borer. He initiated and directed research on the effect of transgenic crops and non-target organisms, and is directing research on developing insect resistance management programs for transgenic crops. He is the author or co-author of 160 scientific publications and has made more than 75 paper presentations.

   He began his career as a technician at the European Corn Borer Laboratory (later named the Corn Insects Research Unit, Ankeny, Iowa). He became project leader of the Insect Pathology and Biological Control Projects in 1968, and in 1990 became the leader of the Research Unit. In 1997, he became research leader of the Corn Insects and Crop Genetics Research Unit, which was formed by joining the Corn Insects and Forage Crops Research Units in Ames, IA. As an adjunct professor of entomology at Iowa State University (ISU), he has directed 18 graduate students in their studies. Dr. Lewis will retire from the USDA-ARS in September to become chair of the Department of Entomology at ISU. He received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in animal science from the University of Vermont, and his Ph.D. in entomology from ISU in 1970.

5. Dr. W. Joe Lewis, a scientist with USDA-ARS in Tifton, Georgia, has globally advanced the fundamental science of biological control, sustainable agriculture practices, and sustainable community development. The models for his studies have been behavioral and chemical interactions of parasitoids, insect herbivores, and plants, along with ecosystem principles, but the applications of his findings are of broad significance. The impact of his research is evidenced by over 200 refereed scientific publications and book chapters, including five papers in the prestigious journals Nature and Science, three in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and an invitational paper in Scientific American. His work has been highlighted extensively in the popular press, including CNN, BBC, the Discovery Channel, Business Week, National Public Radio, Fortune Magazine, and NBC's Today Show.

   Dr. Lewis was recently named as recipient of the world renowned Wolf Prize in Agriculture. Additionally, his awards include ESA's Founders' Memorial Lecturer Award, the USDA-ARS Outstanding Scientist of the Year Award, the Jean-Marie Delwart Prize for the Science of Chemical Communications, and an Invitational Fellowship for Research by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. He has also received Special Congressional Recognition for Outstanding Achievement, Service and Public Distinction, and was appointed by Academic Press as charter editor of the international journal Biological Control: Theory and Applications in Pest Management. His extensive international influence is further evidenced by the numerous scientists and students who have come from all over the world to work in his lab under his guidance and training.

6. Dr. Jacqueline Y. Miller is internationally recognized for her research and contributions on the Lepidoptera, especially on the biodiversity and biogeography of the butterflies of the West Indies and the Caribbean basin, and also on the neotropical moth family Castniidae. Her research focuses on the life history, systematics, taxonomy, and phylogenetics of Lepidoptera, including fossil Lepidoptera. These investigations have provided clues and/or supportive data to our understanding of the higher taxonomic categories and the evolutionary history of the Lepidoptera. She has been an active researcher, and has authored or co-authored eight books and more than 148 papers. Dr. Miller received her B.S. degree in biology from the University of Pittsburgh, her M.S. in biology from Catholic University of America, and her Ph.D. in zoology from the University of Florida, with a specialization in entomology.

   As a member of the curatorial staff of the Allyn Museum of Entomology in Sarasota, Florida, Dr. Miller joined the Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, in 1981. She co-taught courses in entomology, biosystematics, and undergraduate thesis tutorials at New College of Florida in Sarasota (1994-2004) as well as short courses on entomology at the College of the Bahamas (1995-1998). In addition, she lectures on the biodiversity and biogeography of Lepidoptera at the University of Florida, and has served on or been chair of more than 23 committees. Dr. Miller currently serves as the Allyn Curator for Lepidoptera and as the associate director of the McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida. She is a member of three editorial boards and serves as editor of the Bulletin of the Allyn Museum. Dr. Miller recently received a three-year University of Florida research professorship award. She was also recognized in 2005 by the Southern Lepidopterists' Society with the Abbot Award for her significant contributions to the study of Caribbean Lepidoptera.

   Dr. Miller has served the ESA in several leadership positions, including Secretary, Vice-Chair, and Chair of the old Section A (Systematics, 1997-2000); member of the Ethics Committee (2001-2003) and Systematics Resources Committee (1994-1997; 2000-2004); Co-Chair of the Local Arrangements Committee for the Annual Meeting (2001-2002); and member of the Governing Board (2003-2006).

7. Dr. Michael P. Parrella received a B.S. degree in animal science from Rutgers University in 1974, and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in entomology from Virginia Tech in 1977 and 1980, respectively. He began as an assistant professor at the University of California in 1980, and was promoted to professor in 1988. In 1989, he relocated to the Department of Entomology at UC Davis, and was chair of the department from 1991-1999. Dr. Parrella holds a joint appointment in both entomology and the Department of Plant Sciences on the Davis campus. In 1999, he became associate dean of the Division of Agricultural Sciences in the College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences at UC Davis, a position he currently holds.

   Dr. Parrella maintains a teaching/research program in entomology and works in the area of developing IPM strategies for ornamental crops, with an emphasis on biological control. Dr. Parrella is the author of more than 375 publications, with more than 200 of these appearing in trade journals. For 10 years he wrote a monthly column for Greenhouse Manager and GrowerTalks magazines. Dr. Parrella's laboratory has been an incubator for the development of other research/extension personnel currently working in floricultural entomology.

   Dr. Parrella is the recipient of the California Association Research Award (1986), the ESA Recognition Award (1987), the Futura Research and Education Award from the Professional Plant Growers Association (1991), the Alex Laurie Research Award from the Society of American Florists (1997), the Virginia Tech Distinguished Alumni Award (1998), and the Emma Lausten Horticulture Award from Rutgers University (2007). Dr. Parrella initiated and organized the first Conference on Insect and Disease Management on Ornamentals, sponsored by the Society of American Florists (San Jose, CA in 1985), which has become an annual event, currently in its 23rd year.

8. Daniel A. Potter, Bobby C. Pass Professor of Entomology at the University of Kentucky (UK), is an international authority on turf and landscape insects. A UK faculty member since 1979 and an ESA member since 1975, he received his B.S. from Cornell (1974) and his Ph.D. from the Ohio State University (1978). He has published more than 160 refereed papers, mostly as junior author with students, 21 book chapters, two annual reviews, dozens of trade-journal articles, and a widely used textbook on turf entomology. His former graduate students include a winner of the ESA Leadership Award in Applied Entomology, President's Prize recipients, three winners of ESA's J.H. Comstock Award, eight active university faculty members, and leaders in regulatory, extension, and industry entomology.

   Dan is an associate editor for Environmental Entomology, subject editor for Applied Turfgrass Science, and is active in youth science outreach. He teaches undergraduate horticultural entomology, a graduate course in insect-plant relationships, and is a frequent keynote speaker at scientific and industry conferences throughout the world. Dr. Potter has received the national ESA Distinguished Achievement Awards in Urban Entomology (1995), Teaching (1999) and Horticultural Entomology (2006), as well as university awards for research, teaching, and service to graduate students, plus several leadership and service awards from the turf and landscape industries.

9. Dr. Kevin L. Steffey has been recognized for his extension entomology program at the University of Illinois, where he has been an extension specialist (100% appointment) since 1979, first with the Office of Economic Entomology, then with the Department of Crop Sciences (since 1996). His applied research and extension activities have focused on management of some of the most important insect pests of field crops in the Midwest, including corn rootworms, European corn borer, and soybean aphid. During the course of his nearly 30-year career, he has published 18 book chapters and invited monographs, 35 peer-reviewed articles in journals, and more than 240 extension publications, including many extension and industry conference proceedings. In addition to hundreds of extension presentations associated with University of Illinois Extension programs, Dr. Steffey has been invited to speak at nearly 150 educational events sponsored by other universities and the agricultural industry. Since 2000, he has developed or co-developed and coordinated nine educational programs delivered via distance-education technology to more than 3,000 people in North America.

   Dr. Steffey has served the ESA as President of the North Central Branch (1998), on the Governing Board (1990-1993, 2000-2005), as ESA President (2004), and as a member of numerous committees, including the Restructuring Advisory Council (2006-2007). He was co-editor of the ESA's Handbook of Corn Insects, published in 1999. "I have been recognized several times by the ESA, University of Illinois, and other organizations for my extension entomology efforts, but this honor surpasses them all," Steffey said. "I thank all of my colleagues, collaborators, and friends in the ESA for their support for many years; the often unjustly, unrecognized giants upon whose shoulders I have stood; and my wife, Ria, whose support has overshadowed all others."

10. Frank G. Zalom is a professor of entomology at the University of California, Davis. He received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in zoology and ecology from Arizona State University, and a Ph.D. in entomology from UC Davis. Zalom was an assistant professor at the University of Minnesota before returning to UC Davis in 1980. He served as director of the UC Statewide IPM Program for 16 years, providing leadership for that program's heralded group of specialists and staff. He serves as ESCOP Co-Chair of the National IPM Committee, on the ESCOP Science and Technology Committee, and as grants manager for the USDA-CSREES Western Region IPM Competitive Grants Program. He helped organize the 1st, 2nd and 4th National IPM Symposia, and was co-investigator on the USDA grant that originally funded the Western IPM Center. He is recognized for many international IPM activities.

    Zalom is a fellow of the California Academy of Sciences, and has received numerous awards, among them ESA's Recognition and Distinguished Achievement in Extension Awards, a Fulbright Senior Research Fellowship, the James H. Meyer Award from UC Davis for career recognition in teaching, research, and public service, and a resolution from the California State Legislature in recognition of his career contributions to agriculture. Zalom's research and extension activities focus on developing alternatives to conventional pesticides for insect and mite pests of fruit, nut, and vegetable crops, and on mitigating pesticide movement into surface waters. He has authored over 260 journal articles and book chapters, including the book Food, Crop Pests and the Environment.