Congratulations!

Sulav Paul received 2nd place in the graduate poster presentation at the 21st BMBGSA Annual Research Symposium on February 20-21 in the Noble Research Center, organized by the OSU Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Graduate Student Organization.

Angelique Robinson, a double major in Entomology and Psychology with a minor in Microbiology from Mustang, Oklahoma, was named a 2025 Barry M. Goldwater Scholar on March 28. She received this prestigious national scholarship for her innovative research on cardiac muscle regeneration.

Southwestern Branch of the Entomological Society of America

The Southwestern Branch Meeting of the ESA was held on March 23-26 in Round Rock, Texas. Congratulations to the many people who won awards!

• Jakob West – Percival Scientific Undergraduate Entomology Student Activity Award
• Walker Jones – Undergraduate Student Achievement in Entomology Award
• Amelea Jones – Master’s Student Graduate Award
• Alex Harman – John Henry Comstock Graduate Student Award
• Gillian Struble – 1st Place Undergraduate Oral Presentation
• Elizabeth Carlson – 3rd Place Undergraduate Oral Presentation
• Amelea Jones – 1st Place M.S. Oral Presentation
• Ashley Di Agostino – 3rd Place M.S. Oral Presentation
• Alex Harman – 1st Place Ph.D. Poster
• Rodrigo Soares – 2nd Place Ph.D. Poster
• Samantha Hittson, Gideon Morris, Rodrigo Soares, and Jared Saufley, with Wyatt Ringer, alternate – 1st Place Entomology Games

Departmental Seminars

Seminars will be held at 2:30 p.m. in Room 108 NRC.

Alumnus News

Dr. Paul Rensner (M.S. 1985) retired from full-time work at the end of February 2024, but continues working on a small retainer with SynTech Research (a global contract services group for agricultural R&D) where he assists with field research and demonstration questions and plans. During his full-time stint with SynTech, he managed field trial programs for sponsored companies. He began his career as a Field Research and Development/ Insecticide Discovery Team Leader and Product Development Manager for American Cyanamid from 1989 to 2022, and then he was a Global Field Development Manager for BASF from 2000-2002. In February 2002, he began working for FMC Corporation, first as a Manager for Biology and Global Field Development and Product Development Manager, and then beginning in November 2012 as a Manager for Global Field Development and Global Biology Lead until June 2015. From February 2016 to August 2017, he was the Director of Field Research for SGS North America. He began working as a private Agricultural Research and Development Consultant and Contractor from his home in Yardley, Pennsylvania in 2018. In July 2019, he began his role as the U.S. Field Development Coordinator for Valagro until November 2021. He began his position as Research and Development Project Manager for SynTech in January 2022 until his retirement in February 2024. Dr. Rensner received his B.S. degree in Biology with a concentration in Ecology, Ethology, and Evolution from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign in 1980, his M.S. degree in Entomology from OSU in 1985 under the direction of Dr. W. Scott Fargo, and his Ph.D. degree in Entomology from Purdue University in 1989.

April Birthdays