NC State University
Forest Entomology
Home

 

Forest Entomology Program

 

 

 

  left to right:  Robert Jetton, David Bednar, Kelly Oten, Micah Gardner, Allen Cohen, Fred Hain, Leslie Newton, John Strider, Zachary Arcaro and Jackie Cohen 

        Program Overview

The NCSU forest entomology program began on Fred Hain’s arrival on the ides of March 1974. Since then 30 students completed graduate degree requirements (16 with an M.S., 2 with an M.A. and 12 with a Ph.D.) in entomology (27) or forestry (3). Currently there are 3 Ph.D. students and 1 M.S. student in the lab. The major areas of research have been host tree resistance, biological control, and Christmas tree integrated pest management. Insects being studied include the southern pine beetle, the balsam woolly adelgid, the hemlock woolly adelgid and various insects and mites infesting Fraser fir Christmas trees.

  • Current research projects:
    1. Landscape evaluation of establishment probability and outbreak potential for southern pine beetle in non-traditional host forest.
    2. Investigations into host tree resistance to the hemlock woolly adelgid, and the insects feeding behavior.
    3. Genetic conservation of eastern hemlock species. This is a cooperative project with CAMCORE  project.
    4. Development of diets for the hemlock woolly adelgid, the balsam woolly adelgid, and predators of the balsam woolly adelgid. This is a cooperative project with the insect rearing education and research program.
    5. Host and site factors associated with old growth Fraser firs that have survived the balsam woolly adelgid; developing bioassay techniques for host resistance screening, and understanding the mechanisms of host resistance. This is a cooperative project with the NCSU Christmas Tree Genetics Program.
    6. Biologically based integrated pest management in Christmas tree production in the southern Appalachians. This is a cooperative project with Jill Sidebottom of NC Cooperative Extension.
       
  • The forest entomology program has 2 primary labs. Our upstairs lab is the analytical lab with a GC, and other analytical instruments. The lab is also equipped with a fume hood. The downstairs lab is a general lab where most other laboratory activities take place, including microscopic work.  Office space for graduate students is located both downstairs and upstairs. The forest entomology labs are housed within Grinnells Laboratories. In addition to some half dozen computers in the forest entomology program, there are 18 computers available in a computer lab also housed in Grinnells. The departmental Media Center is in the building as well. The Media Center has 2 more computers, slide and flatbed scanners, and a poster printer. Grinnells Laboratories is about a 10-minute walk from the D.H. Hill Library and from Gardner Hall, the main building for the Department of Entomology. We work very closely with Dr. Allen Cohen's insect rearing and research program located at the Method Rd. facility, and with Dr. John Frampton's Christmas tree genetics program   located in Biltmore Hall .

     

Who’s Who in the NCSU Forest Entomology Lab

Fred Hain

Fred Hain, Professor.

Click HERE for more information about Fred Hain.
John Strider

John Strider, Agricultural Research Technician I, with the poster printer located in Grinnells Laboratories.

John received a B.S. degree in Biological Science from NC State in 1975. He has worked in the forest entomology program since August 2002. John is a jack-of-all-trades who provides support for all aspects of the Forest Entomology program.
Robert Jetton

Robert Jetton, Assistant Research Professor, (photo is in the Grinnells conference room).

CAMCORE, Dept.of Forestry & Environmental Resuources, NCSU.                  http://www.camcore.org/projects/hemlock.php

Robert has a B.S. in Biology with an Ecology concentration from Furman University, an M.S. (Forestry) and Ph.D. (Entomology) from NC State. His M.S. thesis focused on defoliation tolerance and resistance to the forest tent caterpillar in sweetgum plantations. His Ph.D. dissertation research involved biological control, host resistance, vegetative propagation as strategies and tools for management of the hemlock woolly adelgid.  He was the 2009 recepient of the Roger F. Anderson Outstanding Graduate Student Award presented by the Southern Forest Insect Work Conference. His research is #3 on the list of current research projects and for more information visit the url above.
 

David Bednar, Graduate Research Assistant, working in the forest en tomology microscopy lab.

David has a B.S. in Biology from Pacific University, and an M.S. in Entomology from NC State. He is working on a Ph.D. in Entomology His project is #5 on the list of current research projects.
Leslie Newton

Leslie Newton, Entomologist, Animal Plant Health Inspection Service, Raleigh.

Leslie has a B.S. and M.S. in Forestry, both from NC State. She is working on a Ph.D. in Entomology. Her project is #5 on the list of current research projects.

Micah Gardner, Graduate Research Assistant



Micah has a B.S. in Ecology and Biology from the University of Georgia.  His project is #1 on the list of current research projects.

 

Kelly Felderhoff, Graduate Research Assistant

Kelly has a B.S. and an M.S. in Entomology from Texas A&M University and the University of Tennessee, respectively. She earned second place in the Natural Resources category at this year Graduate Student Research Symposium. Her winning poster presentation was entitled, "Scanning Electron Microscopy as a Tool in Understanding Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Biology, Feeding Behavior, and Host Plant Resistance." Her project is #2 on the list of current research projects.

Zachary Arcaro, Research Associate

Zach, has a B.S. in civil engineering from Ohio State University, and an M.S. in natural resources from NC State. He also has a GIS Graduate Certificate  His project is #1 on the list of current research projects.

 
 

Allen and Jackie Cohen

Allen is a Research Professor in the  Dept. of Entomology.  He and Jackie direct the insect rearing education and research  program at NCSU; and they are involved in virtually every aspect of the forest entomology program.
 

Ben Smith, Post-doctoral Fellow

Ben received his M.S. and Ph.D. in Forestry (tree improvement) from NC State.  His project involves the work of the Alliance for Saving Threatened Forests, and he is located at the Mountain Research Station in Waynesville.  He is pictured here with John Frampton (right), Director of the Christmas tree genetics program.

 

Where are they now?
The following is a sample of the careers of some of the former forest entomology students.

  • Frank Arthur, Ph.D., graduated in 1985 and is currently a Research Entomologist with USDA-ARS at the Grain Marketing and Production Research Center, Manhattan, Kansas.
  • Steve Cook, Ph.D., graduated in 1985 and is currently a Professor in the Department of Forest Resources, University of Idaho.
  • Adrian Duehl, Ph.D., graduated in 2008 and is currently in a postdoctoral position with USDA ARS in Gainesville, Florida.
  • Glenn Fowler, Ph.D., graduated in 1999 and is currently an Entomologist with USDA-APHIS-PPQ on the NCSU Centennial campus.
  • Robert Hollingsworth, Ph.D., graduated in 1988 and is currently a Research Biologist with the Tropical Plant Pests Research Unit, Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center, USDA-ARS, Hilo, Hawaii.
  • Brad Kard, Ph.D., graduated in 1987 and is currently an  Endowed Professor of Structural Urban Entomology in the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Oklahoma State University (http://www.ento.okstate.edu/profiles/kard.htm).
  • David Kramer, M.S., Ph.D., graduated in 1988 with a dual major in entomology and biomathematics. He is currently Director of Biostatistical Services with PRA International, in Lenexa, Kansas.
  • Alex Mangini, Ph.D., graduated in 1988 and is currently an Entomologist with the USDA Forest Service, Forest Health Protection, Pineville, Louisiana.
  • Brian Strom, M.S., graduated in 1994 with a co-major in forestry and went to work for the USDA Forest Service in Pineville, Louisiana. While with the Forest Service he began work on a Ph.D. at LSU, which he completed in 2000. He is currently a Research Entomologist in Pineville.
  • Matt Wallace, M.S., graduated in 1998 and immediately began work on a Ph.D. with Lew Deitz in insect systematics. He completed the Ph.D. requirements in 2003 and is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, East Stroudsburg University, Pennsylvania.

Positions Available.

Currently, there are no positions or specific assistantships available. However, please check back with us from time to time. If you are interested in graduate studies in Forest Entomology, please contact Fred Hain.