June 9, 2015
K-State entomology students, faculty earn awards at regional meeting
Kansas State University entomology faculty and students earned several honors at the annual North Central Branch meeting of the Entomological Society of America, May 31- June 3, in Manhattan.
About 300 people attended. Nine entomology graduate students and an undergraduate entomology minor brought home awards.
Earning first place honors for oral paper presentations in their respective sections were doctoral students Alice Harris, mentored by Brian McCornack, and Shelly Wiggam, co-mentored by Greg Zolnerowich and McCornack.
Other doctoral students who placed in their sections were Matt Heerman, second place, mentored by Marcelo Ortigão; Donghun Kim, second place, mentored by Yoonseong Park; Darren Snyder, third place, mentored by Lee Cohnstaedt and McCornack; and Ryan Schmid, third place, mentored by McCornack.
J.R. Ewing, master's degree student and mentored by Jeff Whitworth, took first prize for research poster in his section.
Other master's degree students who placed in their sections were Ashley Hough, second place, mentored by Jim Nechols, and Lina Aguirre-Rojas, second place, mentored by Mike Smith. In addition, undergraduate entomology minor Tanner Matson took first prize for his still art that incorporated beetles and butterflies into a beautiful tree design.
In addition to the student awards, McCornack, associate professor of entomology, received the Award for Excellence in Integrated Pest Management, and is now automatically nominated for the national award in the same area.
It was a very successful meeting for K-State.