Dr. Kevin Heinz, right, receives the Vice Chancellor Award in Excellence for Administration from Dr. Mark Hussey.
The Recruitment Team receiving the Vice Chancellor's Award in Excellence for Diversity from Dr. Mark Hussey, far left. Standing next to Dr. Hussey is Rebecca Hapes, Dr. Darrell Bay, Dr. Pete Teel and Dr. Kevin Heinz.
Greg Cronholm displays his award for County Agent in Agriculture and Natural Resources. Standing next to him are Dr. Ed Smith, left, and Dr. Mark Hussey.
Megha Parajulee, center, with Dr. Bill Dugas, left, and Dr. Mark Hussey. Parajulee received the Vice Chancellor's Award for Research-Individual, Off-Campus
Mary Cobos with Dr. Chris Sansone. Cobos received the Staff Meritorious Service Award for 2009.
Dr. John Oswald stands with Dr. Horace Burke. Burke received recognition for his lifetime career achievements with the Department.
Entomology Faculty and Staff Receive Numerous Vice Chancellor, Departmental Awards
January 22, 2009
The Department of Entomology kicked off 2009 on a great note after several faculty and staff members receive the Vice Chancellor's Award in Excellence and various Departmental awards.
The awards were given out both at the general session at the Texas A&M AgriLife Conference, held on January 12, and the Department's annual Faculty, Staff and Student meeting on January 14.
Department Head Dr. Kevin Heinz received the Vice Chancellor's Award in Excellence for Administration. Heinz has been instrumental in the Department's growth and diversity in both students and faculty.
Heinz also has led the creation of the new Forensic and Investigative Sciences degree program and created the Entomology Teams program to foster research innovation and team building among faculty.
The Department's recruitment team received the award for diversity. Accepting the award were Dr. Heinz, Dr. Darrell Bay, Ms. Rebecca Hapes, and Dr. Pete Teel.
Megha Parajulee received the award for Off-Campus Research and Greg Cronholm for County Agent in Agriculture and Natural Resources category.
Dr. Parajulee’s research area is important to the viability of cotton production in the Southern High Plains of Texas, where more than 3.5 million acres are planted each year.
His work has provided growers with tools to greatly increase their crop yields and decrease pest-control costs. He is also a mentor to the undergraduate and graduate students in his successful program.
“Dr. Parajulee is a widely recognized and respected source of insect management expertise whom we rely on tremendously,” said Patricia Gerling, Assistant Vice Chancellor for University and System Relations for Texas A&M AgriLife.
Cronholm is an Extension Agent-IPM for District 2, which serves Hale and Swisher counties. Some of Cronholm's programs include training pest-identification scouts are the Northern High Plains IPM Scouting Program and the High Plains Scout Training Workshop. He also conducts programs in pesticide safety, youth entomology, and research and demonstration.
“He is a recognized educator, leader, and researcher at local, state, national, and international levels and is well respected by his clientele, who consider him and his programs vital to their operations," Gerling said.
Staff Honored with Awards and Recognition
The Department of Entomology's Staff Meritorious Service Award annually recognizes accomplishments an individual employed within the Department by awarding of a check for $1,000 and a framed certificate. This year, the award went to Mary Cobos.
Cobos has worked as a staff assistant for Texas AgriLife Extension entomology for 25 years.
"Mary is one of the unsung heroes of the department that constantly works to serve the Extension Entomology project group in particular and the department in general," Heinz said.
Several members of the Department received pins for their outstanding service with either the Department or Texas AgriLife. They were:
Ed Riley: 20 years, Texas A&M University, Texas AgriLife Research
Lisa Bradley: 20 years, Texas AgriLife Research
James Woolley: 25 years, Texas A&M University
Pete Teel: 30 years, Texas A&M University
Dr. Horace Burke Receives Lifetime Achievement Recognition
Dr. Horace Burke, Professor Emeritus and former curator of the Department's Insect Collection, was recognized for his career achievements and contributions within the Department.
Burke began his career in 1954 as a Research Assistant with the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station. He then moved to Professor in 1969 and later served as associate department head.
Burke was instrumental in the growth of the Insect Collection to over 1.3 million curated specimens. The collection became recognized as one of the premier land-grant university-based entomological research collections in the United States.
Image Salon
There were many surprising and entertaining entries for the fifth installment of the Arthropods Image Salon, and unfortuanately only a one can be named the best of the best.
The contest aims to highlight the creative talent within Entomology in the form of a photo competition. A public exhibition showcasing the competition winners and participants is now on display on the department’s web site.
Participants submit entries into four categories:
Photo microscopy: Images in this category have been taken with the aid of a microscope whereby the level of detail is an important factor.
Artistic: Images in this category are artistic images which make good use of graphic elements of design. Emphasis is placed on images that showcase line, shape, pattern, form, texture, perspective, etc.
Traditional Macro: Images in this category showcase the talents and steady hands of the photographer with a macro lens.
Arthropods in action: Images in this category tell a story, whether it’s a parasitoid laying eggs or a spider enjoying its latest catch.
This year's winners are:
Artistic: "4-Legged Spider" by Joshua Jones
Arthropods In Action: "An Intimate Fleeting Moment"
by Patricia Mullins
Traditional Macro: "Green and Blue Dragon" by Paul Lenhart
Photo Microscopy: "Arthropoda Galaxy" by Cesar Valencia
Best Overall: "An Intimate Fleeting Moment" by Patricia Mullins
The Best Overall Image received a check for $250.