Welcome to the EGSA website!
The objectives of the Association are to provide members an opportunity to organize seminars, meetings, field trips and other functions concerned with common interests of the members of the Association. We hope you find our site useful and informative. If you have any questions please feel free to contact any of the officers.
President: Diane Silcox
As the daughter of an entomologist, I have always had a love of bugs. I received my B.A. in Zoology from Miami University (in Ohio NOT Flordia!). I am currently working on my master’s under the direction of Rick Brandendburg looking into mole cricket behavioral responses to insecticides. In my free time I play with my beagle, Mandy and my horses Pembroke and Trick. I plan to continue on in the wonderful world of turfgrass entomology for my PhD once my master’s work is complete.
Vice President: Rachael Katz
Rachael Katz is a doctoral student in Dr. Fred Gould’s lab. She works with the mosquito species Aedes aegypti, which transmits the virus Dengue Fever. Her project focuses on larval ecology of the mosquito with an emphasis on the impacts of density-dependence on the population. Rachael does most of her field work in Mexico, where Ae. aegypti and Dengue Fever are endemic. She received her B.S. in Evolutionary and Ecological Biology at Tulane University. She enjoys teaching and outreach opportunities.
Secretary: Sandra Paa
Sandra Paa is a current student in the Master's Degree Program in our department. A student of Dr. Fred Gould, her thesis project involves the creation of a gene-drive mechanism, called "Killer-Rescue," in Drosophila melanogaster, and then an introduction of these transgenic flies into a lab-controlled "wild" population, in order to monitor allele frequencies as they change from generation to generation. Sandra is also handy with a pen and likes to draw a lot! She also keeps her own insect collection and has developed an interest in teaching, having been a TA in the past spring semester. She also is a big fan of the NC Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh, interning in the Arthropod Zoo and also taking part in the museum's biggest annual event, "Bugfest". In her spare time, you'll probably catch Sandra doodling, drumming, or working on puzzles.
Treasurer: Kelly Felderhoff
Kelly Felderhoff is working on her Ph.D. in forest entomology with Dr. Fred Hain. Specifically, her studies include determining mechanisms of host resistance in hemlock trees to their attackers, the hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA); feeding sites and behavior of HWA; and the extent of their use of extra-oral digestion. She got her B.S. in Entomology from Texas A&M University (2005...whoop) and her M.S. in Entomology and Plant Pathology from the University of Tennessee (2007). She is an active member of ESA, SFIWC, and SAFEPS. In her spare time, Kelly enjoys anything outdoors, reading, and going to On The Border!
Outreach Coordinator: Nic Kimps
Nic Kimps is a native of Waldorf, MD who received his BS in Zoology and Botany from Methodist University in Fayetteville, NC. He is currently working on his MS in medical/veterinary entomology. He is looking at novel tick repellents in the lab. His interests include hiking, running, working out, reading, and spending time with friends. He also enjoys working with people and the public to further their education and knowledge about nature.
Outreach Coordinator: Amy Lockwood
Hi! I'm a Master's student from Succasunna NJ. I'm doing research with Dr. Rick Brandenburg on the Sugarcane beetle, a relatively new turfgrass pest. I received my BS in entomology from Purdue University and my favorite insect is the cockroach. When not doing bug-stuff I enjoy reading, traveling, cooking, and playing/listening to music.
Mike Duke Seminar Coordinator: Leo Magalhaes
I was born in Rio de Janeiro, but I grew up in Sao Paulo, Brazil. I was introduced to the world of insects in 1998 when I started my B.S. in Agriculture at Universidade Federal de Vicosa (Brazil). Since then I have been working with toxicology and IPM (mainly chemical control). After my graduation in 2004, I moved to Nebraska to get my M.S. in Entomology. I have been at NCSU since May 2007, pursuing my PhD (minor Biotechnology). I am supervised by Drs. James Walgenbach and Michael Roe. I have mainly two projects, study codling moth resistance to conventional insecticides and identify new targets to control the tarnished plant bug using molecular biology techniques. I am broadly interested in toxicology, IPM, insect resistance management and molecular entomology.
Mike Duke Seminar Coordinator: David Bednar