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Undergraduate Research Symposium

Neil Aker, Finn Bergbower, Ella Wilkerson, Billie Ann Jervis, Seth Long, Rusty Cooper, and Jakob West will give their Capstone ENTO 4800 final research presentations on December 6 at 2:30 p.m. in Room 207. 

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December Graduates

Finn Bergbower is completing his B.S. degree in Entomology. He has secured employment. 

 

Meg Gilliland has titled her M.S. thesis, “Ticks, Tribes, and Territories: Unraveling Tick Distribution and Pathogen Prevalence in South Central Oklahoma.” Dr. Bruce Noden has been her advisor. She is moving to O’Fallon, Illinois and is searching for employment. Meg received her B.S. degree in Entomology from OSU in December 2022. 

 

Ryley Hall is completing her B.S. degree in Entomology. She is applying for graduate school. 

 

Jozlyn Propst has titled her M.S. thesis, “Effect of Woody Plant Encroachment by Eastern Redcedar on the Abundance of Ticks and Prevalence of Tick-borne Pathogens.” Her advisor has been Dr. Bruce Noden. She plans on finding a job in a laboratory focusing on disease ecology, specifically in areas related to vector-borne and/or wildlife diseases. Jozlyn received her B.S. degree in History of Science, Technology, and Medicine from the University of Oklahoma in 2021. 

 

Rodrigo Soares has titled his M.S. thesis, “Dung Beetle Communities and Impact on Dung Degradation and Horn Fly Populations under Difference Management Practices.” Dr. Wyatt Hoback has been his advisor. He plans to begin his Ph.D. candidacy with Dr. Hoback where his research will focus on the effect of non-target insecticides on dung beetle populations. Rodrigo received his B.S. degree in Agronomy from Sao Paulo State University in Brazil in 2022. 

 

Tucker Taylor has titled his M.S. thesis, “Effect of Woody Plant Encroachment by Eastern Redcedar on Prevalence of Tick-borne Pathogens and the Role of Birds in Carrying Ticks.” His advisor has been Dr. Bruce Noden. He is in the process of applying for jobs in the realm of Vector-borne Disease Ecologist/Entomologist. He is also interested in developing novel tick collection methods which can be used to reduce local tick populations and consequently decrease exposure to tick-borne illness. His immediate plans are to return to Massachusetts where his family is located, participate in some citizen science Christmas Bird Counts, then continue the search for a job. Tucker received his B.S. degree in Biology from Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts in 2017. 

 

Ella Wilkerson is completing her B.S. degree in Entomology. She works in Educational Outreach at the Oklahoma City Zoo and will continue in that position. 

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Congratulations

Rajat Sharma received third place in the graduate student poster display competition at the ASA, CSSA, SSSA International annual meeting in San Antonio, Texas on November 10-13 

 

Several people were winners at the Entomological Society of America annual meeting in Phoenix, Arizona on November 10-13, as follows: 

 

National Champions for the Entomology Games were Elizabeth Carlson, Faith England, Ryley Hall, Alex Harman, and Samantha Hittson, and the team was coached by Drs. Wyatt Hoback and Melissa Reed. 

 

Elizabeth Carlson – 2^nd place undergraduate student poster display in SysEB: Evolution, Phylogenetics, and Systematics 

 

Alex Harman – 2^nd place 10-minute graduate student presentation in SysEB, Biodiversity 1 

 

Samantha Hittson – 2^nd place graduate student poster display in SysEB: Applied Ecology, Pollinators, and Genetics 

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Departmental Christmas Party

The annual Departmental Christmas party will be held on Saturday December 7 beginning at 5:30 p.m.at at Dr. Justin Talley’s mother house, 6206 South Western Road, Stillwater. Her property is south past the Trio Ranch Edition on the west side of the road at the gray gate. Please bring a side dish or dessert to share. A donation of $2.00 per person would be appreciated to help cover the cost of the meat. There will be a White Elephant gift exchange (please bring a wrapped gift of $20 or less if you would like to participate - no gag gifts). If you plan to attend, please sign up on the sheet in the main office by Wednesday, December 4. We hope to see everyone there! 

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On the Move

Alex Harman has accepted the position of Associate Curator of Entomology at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. He begins this position on January 6, 2025. He has completed his Ph.D. comprehensive exam and will finish writing his dissertation and defend it in the spring semester. 

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Alumna News

Victoria Pickens (B.S. May 2019) won second place in the 10-minute graduate student presentation competition in MUVE: Medical and Veterinary Entomology at the Entomological Society of America annual meeting in Phoenix, Arizona on November 10-13. She also received the ESA Student Activity Award. Victoria is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Entomology at Kansas State University. 

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