UT Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology

We’re proud to celebrate Hannah Ginn for earning 3rd place in the MS category for her outstanding paper presentation:
📄 “Establishing Vector Surveillance in Areas with Limited Infrastructure through MEGA: BITESS - a Community-Driven Vector Surveillance and Education Program”
Hannah received this recognition at the National Conference on Urban Entomology and Invasive Pest Ants held this week in Atlanta, GA—a fantastic achievement on a national stage! 🏆
Your dedication to advancing community-driven approaches in vector surveillance is making a meaningful impact. Way to go, Hannah—we’re cheering you on! 👏👏👏

🏆 One of our very own wins the High 5 Award!!!! 🏆

Meet Daria Safaipour, a Human Resources Representative from the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology at the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture. Daria is this month’s recipient of the High 5 Award, which is given to a team member that exhibits exceptional customer service and promotes a positive workplace culture.

Daria is extremely approachable and helpful to faculty, staff and students from the department. She’s known for her friendliness and smile… which draws people to her. It’s said that Daria “goes the extra mile” to help- even if it’s outside her normal job duties.

Daria personifies what we want to promote across the Herbert College of Agriculture, UT AgResearch, UT Extension and the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine- a helpful, friendly spirit.

Thanks, Daria, for your positive example. 🌱 🐛 🍊

Angela Tucker and Becky Trout Fryxell recently published an Extension fact sheet on alpha-gal syndrome (AGS). The fact sheet contains information on foods to avoid if you have AGS as well as tips to prevent tick bites, which is the best prevention method for AGS as well as tick-borne illnesses such as Lyme Disease. It can be found following this link: https://utia.tennessee.edu/publications/wp-content/uploads/sites/269/2026/04/W1388.pdf

Although AGS is a relatively new condition, ongoing research enhances our understanding of its development and management. Case histories of individuals with AGS suggest that those with multiple tick bites are more likely to develop the condition. Since its identification, the syndrome has been linked to consumption of red meat after a known tick bite. Preventing tick bites is the best way to reduce the risk of developing AGS.

utia.tennessee.edu

🐝 Don’t miss out!
The U.S. Beekeeping Survey closes April 30. Grab your records and take a few minutes to participate. Your input helps strengthen research and support beekeepers nationwide!
👉 Participate soon!

https://www.facebook.com/auburnbees/posts/pfbid02WtNcRVLpQJe4jQ1Muz99jGcsFoc1QEypoWihVW4mrGj5HkUasK2Gaepn9rPFLTTil

Survey

The annual US Beekeeping Survey is LIVE!

Participate as a beekeeping citizen scientist through April at https://aub.ie/us-beekeeping-survey Your efforts provide insights in this past year's colony losses, plus help drive research direction, Extension efforts, and policy decisions!

Please also share this post widely among your beekeeping social media circles!

Many thanks to our great group of supporters: Project Apis m. National Honey Board One Hive Foundation American Honey Producers Association American Beekeeping Federation North Dakota Department of Agriculture Bee Culture Magazine American Beekeeping Federation

Charity Owings and the EPP Dept. wanted to share that Makhali Voss was awarded 1st place in the PhD category for her poster presentation “Flies as sentinels for wildlife disease ecology: Tracking Histomonas meleagridis in the black blow fly, Phormia regina (Meigen)” at the Global One Health Symposium this past weekend!

CONGRATULATIONS MAKHALI VOSS!!!!!

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The EPP Dept. is pleased to announce that Dr. Heather Kelly was selected for the Fulbright Distinguished Scholar Award – Fulbright-FAPESP Network (Brazil)! This is quite an honor!

Dr. Kelly will collaborate with USP/ESALQ scholars in Brazil. The collaboration focuses on research related to soybean diseases, specifically charcoal rot caused by fungal pathogen, Macrophomina phaseolina. Dr. Kelly's expertise in this area, including remote sensing, spore trapping, and bioinformatics, was highlighted as invaluable for a FAPESP-funded project already underway at USP/ESALQ, which aims to characterize Macrophomina species, assess pathogenicity, and identify resistance sources in Brazilian soybean crops. The study proposed by Dr. Kelly also aims to correlate field charcoal rot incidence with pathogen presence in seeds and assess the resistance of various soybean genotypes released since the 1960s. The impact of this research is to enhance the understanding of Macrophomina diversity and identify sources of resistance, which is crucial for developing improved management strategies to protect soybean productivity. Her thoughtfully designed proposal addresses important scientific questions from a Brazilian perspective while also creating opportunities for new research initiatives and educational partnerships between UTK and USP/ESALQ. Lastly, I want to acknowledge Dr. Denita Hadziabdic Guerry for her assistance and guidance throughout the process. Dr. Guerry currently has an appointment in CGE and her primary role is to increase Fulbright scholars across UTK. This one is certainly a win for UTK and for EPP. Great job and congratulations to Dr. Kelly!

The Exotic and Invasive Vector and Vector-Borne Disease website has recently been launched. The effort involved our team members Becky Trout Fryxell, Katy Smith, and Gwyn McClelland, Liz Short, along with support from UTIA Information and Technology Services (ITS). The website will provide a range of science-based information on disease vectors such as ticks, mosquitoes, flies, and fleas, and the pathogens they transmit, with a focus on protecting human and animal health.

Home | Exotic and Invasive Vector and Vector-borne Disease Welcome Vector-borne diseases affect people, livestock, wildlife, and companion animals across the United States. This website provides clear, science-based ...

Join us in congratulating our EPP students on their great accomplishments!!!

Amanda Penicks (M.S. student) was selected as a recipient of Gamma Sigma Delta Herbert College of Agriculture Outstanding Master’s Student Award. She also has been named a 2026 Volunteer of Distinction for her Excellence in Research. Congratulations, Amanda!

Allyson Dekovich successfully defended her Ph.D. dissertation yesterday! She did a great job overall and will be graduating this semester. Congratulations, Allyson! (Dr. Dekovich)

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Over the past week. the Provost informed us that Gayan Kariyawasam's undergraduate student, Lily Cooper, has been selected to receive Undergraduate Researcher of the Year Award for her excellence in undergraduate research through independent inquiry, classwork, or student employment during her undergraduate career.

Additionally, Lily also received the 1st place for the undergraduate poster that she presented in 33rd Fungal Genetics Meeting held in Pacific Grove, CA. Furthermore, she presented a great talk during the satellite session for Dothideomyctes.

Let's get together and congratulate her for her great achievements through the past week.