2014 ESA Plant-Insect Ecosystems (P-IE) Section Results
2014 Vice President-Elect
2014 Treasurer
2014 Secretary
2014 Student Representative
2014 Vice President-Elect
Fred Musser
Mississippi State University
Biographical Sketch
Dr. Fred R. Musser is an associate professor at Mississippi State University, focusing on integrated pest management strategies for row crops. He is a graduate of Penn State (BS in agronomy) and Cornell University (Ph.D. in entomology). Before beginning a career in academia, Fred worked in agricultural development for three years each in Haiti and Bangladesh. He also worked four years as a crop consultant in Pennsylvania. He now has a diverse research program with applied goals, such as comparing sampling techniques, developing thresholds, and monitoring insecticide-resistance levels, as well as more fundamental research estimating insect movement within the agricultural landscape, exploring the relationship between polygalacturonases and host plants, and examining the impact of pathogens on insect population dynamics. He is an author on 30 refereed and 65 other publications. He teaches “Field Crop Insects” and “Principles of Insect Pest Management,” and is currently major or co-major advisor for seven graduate students. Fred has been an active member of ESA since 1999. He currently represents P-IE as the Chair of the Editorial Board for Journal of Economic Entomology. Within the Southeastern Branch of ESA, he has served on the Nominating Committee (2007), the Student Awards Committee (2008-2011, Chair in 2011), and is currently Chair of the Membership Committee and of the 2015 Local Arrangements Committee. Fred is also a member of the Mississippi Entomological Association, serving as its treasurer since 2007.
2014 Treasurer
Patrick Moran
USDA
Biographical Sketch
Dr. Patrick J. Moran is a research entomologist with the USDA-ARS Exotic and Invasive Weeds Research Unit in Albany, California. Dr. Moran has worked for ARS since 2001, and he spent 11 years at the former ARS location in Weslaco, Texas. His research focuses on development and evaluation of biological control of invasive weeds using insects, with an emphasis on weeds that grow in or near water and threaten water resources, such as arundo, saltcedar, and water hyacinth. This work has led to 24 peer-reviewed papers and numerous other publications since 2001. Other areas of interest include plant gene expression responses to insect feeding and insect-plant pathogen-plant interactions. Dr. Moran received a BS in biology and environmental studies from Tufts University in 1992 and a Ph.D. in entomology from Penn State in 1998. He has received and managed over $500,000 in grant funds in his Ph.D., postdoctoral, and USDA-ARS studies, and has served as treasurer for several local community groups over the years. He held leadership positions in the Texas Aquatic Plant Management Society, including program chair (2004) and editor (2005-2008). Patrick has been a member of ESA since 1992. He has chaired one symposium (another pending in 2013), and has judged student presentations at various national and branch meetings.
2014 Secretary
Andy Michel
Ohio State University
Biographical Sketch
Dr. Andy Michel’s research focuses on characterizing the genetic basis for insect adaptation and how these adaptive traits spread across the landscape. His overall goal is to understand how insect pests adapt to rapidly changing selection pressures in agroecosystems, such as host-shifting to important crops or resistance to management tactics. Understanding and demonstrating how insects adapt, as well as communicating research-based insect management recommendations, delays the evolution of resistance or the emergence of pests and ensures a safer and more productive food supply. He received his BS in entomology from Purdue University (2001) and his Ph.D. in biology from the University of Notre Dame (2005). After postdoctoral research at the University of Notre Dame (2005-2007), he joined the Department of Entomology at The Ohio State University with a 70% research and 30% extension appointment. He has studied the genetics of adaptation in various systems, but focuses much of his research on the soybean aphid, Aphis glycines. Overall, he has received over $2 million in research funding and has published more than 35 peer-reviewed papers and two book chapters. Additionally, he has provided over 70 extension presentations on field crop insect management, reaching thousands of participants. He has served as the P-IE Editorial Board member for the Journal of Medical Entomology for the past three years, and has developed, participated in, and moderated several symposia at ESA national meetings. He is a current member of three regional projects, and has served as President for NCERA213 and S1055.
2014 Student Representative
Alejandro Del Pozo
North Carolina State University
Biographical Sketch
Alejandro has a BS in agronomy from La Molina National Agrarian University in Lima, Peru. Upon completion of his degree, Alejandro worked at one of the largest asparagus producers in Peru and was charged with the implementation and execution of their IPM program. Alejandro obtained an MS in entomology from Washington State University under the direction of Dr. John Brown. His research focused on developing new IPM strategies for irrigated hybrid poplars. Alejandro is currently pursuing a Ph.D. at North Carolina State University under the direction of Dr. Dominic Reisig. His project focuses on implementing new strategies to manage the recently introduced soybean pest, Megacopta cribraria, also known as the kudzu bug. The ultimate goal of Alejandro’s research is to provide practical solutions to manage this new soybean pest in North Carolina. Alejandro has been active within ESA and presented results of his research at Branch and national meetings and in the Journal of Economic Entomology. He was also the recipient of the 2012 Entomological Foundation’s Larry Larson Graduate Student Award for Leadership in Applied Entomology. Alejandro is also actively supporting multicultural events at the Office of International Services and serves as president of the Latino American Student Association at NCSU. Alejandro would like to serve as the Student Representative to the P-IE Governing Council so he can represent the student perspective based on his experience at multiple institutions and other student organizations. He believes that having a student voice is important for improving the future goals of the P-IE Section.
