MSU Entomology honors its 2020 outstanding staff and students

June 18, 2020

Learn about these recipients of the Department’s endowed fellowships, outstanding accomplishment awards, travel awards and more.

Congratulations to our students and staff for outstanding efforts during 2019-20!

Rhodes (Gene) Thompson Endowed Fellowship in Entomology

Jennifer Zavalnitskayar is working on her MS with Zsofia Szendrei. She is researching the overwintering biology of asparagus beetles and how sustainable control measures can be developed to manage their populations.

Department of Entomology Outstanding MS Award

Kayleigh Hauri graduated with her MS degree spring semester 2020. Working with Will Wetzel, Kayleigh examined how plant diversity affects predator-prey interactions in tomato with a focus on genetic monocultures vs. polycultures. She will continue in the department as a PhD student with Zsofia Szendrei as her major professor.

Department of Entomology Outstanding Student Award in Extension

Logan Appenfeller graduated with his MS degree spring semester 2020 and has been developing management practices that impact pest dynamics in organic cucurbit agriculture. Zsofia Szendrei is his major professor.

Robert R. Dreisbach Endowed Fellowship in Entomology

Nicole Wonderlin is working on her PhD with Peter White and is exploring the role of moths as nocturnal pollinators in urban environments.

Department of Entomology Eugenia McDaniel Award

Zinan Wang is earning his PhD with Henry Chung. He is investigating the evolution of cuticular hydrocarbons, their role in desiccation resistance, and how they function as pheromones in insect communities.

Department of Entomology Outstanding PhD Award

Courtney Larson will complete her PhD summer semester 2020. She is studying how headwater stream communities of macroinvertebrates are impacted by different sources of organic matter impact. Eric Benbow is her major professor.

Roger and Barbara Hoopingarner Endowed Graduate Fellowship in Entomology

Jenna Walters is working on her MS with Rufus Isaacs and is studying the role of heat stress on pollination of blueberries and native flowering plants.

Paul Wooley Endowed Fellowship In Entomology

Brianna Alred is earning her MS with Marianna Szűcs and is exploring the potential of a newly-approved biological agent to control invasive weeds, pale and black swallow-worts.

Department of Entomology Outstanding Staff Award

Luke Zehr is a lab manager and research technician in Will Wetzel’s lab. Luke manages the day-to-day operations of the lab and assists with multiple research projects.

Gordon E. Guyer Endowed Fellowship in Aquatic Entomology and Merritt Endowed Fellowship in Entomology

Joe Receveur is working on his PhD with Eric Benbow and is evaluating the microbial communities of various aquatic habitats and how these communities influence the development and behavior of aquatic insects.

Department of Entomology Outstanding Undergraduate Award

Connor Sturr received his BS in Entomology spring semester 2020 and will pursue an MS in entomology at Purdue University.

Department of Entomology Distinguished Alumni Award

John Clark received his PhD from MSU Department of Entomology in 1981. He is Professor of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry and Director of the Massachusetts Pesticide Analysis Laboratory at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.

Hutson Research Proposal Winners

MS recipients

Jenna Walters for the proposal titled: Influence of extreme heat conditions on blueberry pollination and bee nutrition.

Jennifer Zavalnitskaya for the proposal titled: Investigating the impacts of surrounding landscapes on the overwintering of asparagus beetles (Crioceris asparagi).

PhD recipients

Dan Turner for the proposal titled: Investigating the interactions between intraspecific diversity, priority effects and the timing of plant-herbivore interactions.

Haosu Cong for the proposal titled: Mechanisms underlying exaggerated sexually dimorphic traits.

Scriber Scholar Proposal Winner

Brianna Alred for the proposal titled: The importance of prior experience and competition for selection of a lethal host plant in monarch butterflies.