Program Overview

Entomology (PHD) Program

The Department of Entomology at the University of NebraskaLincoln offers a strong curriculum and provides numerous professional opportunities for its students. This student-centered focus is reflected in the many awards received by the students and in their consistent placement in professional careers.

Description

The Department of Entomology is part of the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources and is involved in research, teaching, and extension arenas. Department faculty are internationally recognized and work in both applied and basic entomology. The department has research sites across Nebraska and collaborative relationships with both domestic and international scientists and educators.

Program Details

• The program is offered on campus and requires 90 credit hours.
• The Department of Entomology makes a firm commitment to its students and provides strong mentoring relationships between the students and major professors.

Applying for Admission

Standard Requirements for All Graduate Programs

• Application for Admission with a $50 non-refundable application fee.
• Transcripts (unofficial): Uploaded as part of the application form.
  • If International: Uploads must include all college- or university-level transcripts or mark sheets (records of courses and marks earned), with certificates, diplomas, and degrees plus certified English translations.
• After admission: Official documents are required from all students who are admitted and enroll. Photocopies of certified records are not acceptable.
• If the applicant's native language is not English, verification of English proficiency is required.
  • When sending TOEFL scores, the institution code is 6877, and a department code is not needed.
• If the applicant is not a US citizen and expects an F or J visa: financial information.
• Applicants must also fulfill any additional requirements the department specifies at the time of application.

Additional Requirements Specific to This Program

• Entrance exam(s): GRE recommended.
• Resume (optional): Adding a resume or CV will make the graduate application more robust and give graduate faculty a better picture of the applicant's skills, qualifications, and goals.
• Personal Statement: Letter of intent stating career interests.
• Faculty (optional): If the applicant is interested in working with a specific faculty member, identify that faculty member in the space provided and also include that in the Personal Statement.
• Three letters of recommendation: Letters of recommendation must be submitted by the recommenders before the application is reviewed.

Admission Application Deadlines

• On-campus recommended deadlines: July 1 for Fall, November 1 for Spring, April 1 for Summer.

Program Faculty

The program faculty includes:

• Troy Anderson: Physiology, biochemistry, and toxicology, Insecticide target site discovery, Mode of action, Resistance management
• Georgina Bingham: Stored Product Pests, Agriculture & Public Health, Global Food Security & Nutrition, Veterinary Entomology
• Jeffrey Bradshaw: Plant health, Biological control of arthropod pests, Ecology and behavior of beneficial insects, Integrated pest management, Host plant resistance, Agroecology
• Gary Brewer: Integrated pest management in cattle production systems and in sunflowers, Conservation of endangered Salt Creek Tiger Beetle
• Douglas Golick: Science teaching and learning (children and adults), Wild pollinator conservation, Development of tools for human dimensions measurement, Arthropods as models for systems understanding, Science outreach
• Kyle Koch: Insect Identification, Insect Training & Diagnostics, Arthropod Species, Citizen Science
• Pin-Chu Lai: Integrated Pest Management, Field Crops Entomology, Biological Control, Sustainable Agriculture
• Joe Louis: Plant resistance to insects, Plant signaling mechanisms, Plant-insect interactions, Induced plant defenses and insect effectors
• Louise Lynch-O'Brien: Insect Biology, Entomology Education, Qualitative and Mixed Methods Research Methods, One Health, Citizen Science
• Justin McMechan: Cover crop management and arthropod interactions, Integrated pest management with focus on soybean gall midge, Crop-hail assessment and management, Extension communication tools (infographics, time-lapse)
• Shaonpius Mondal: Arthropod Vector of Plant Pathogens, Biotechnology, Molecular Genetics/Insect Genetics
• Silvana Paula-Moraes: Applied insect ecology and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in cropping systems, Biology and behavior of insects as applied to Insect Resistance Management (IRM), with focus on insect movement, host utilization and differential exposure to Bt toxins
• Julie Peterson: Insect Ecology, Field Crops Entomology, Integrated Pest Management (IPM), Biological Control
• Lise Pingault: Molecular insect-plant interactions, Utilizing genomic tools and bioinformatics, Genetic and molecular mechanisms of host plant resistance to arthropods
• Leslie Rault: Arthropod Vector Physiology, Molecular Genetics/Insect Genetics, Insecticide/Environmental Toxicology
• John Ruberson: Biological Control, Integrated Pest Management, Sustainable Agriculture, Ecology
• Ana Maria Velez Arango: Response and adaptation of insects to chemical stressors
• Tom Weissling: Pest Management
• Judy Wu-Smart: Apiculture, Pollinator Health, Environmental Toxicology

Department and Graduate Chair

• Department: Entomology
• Graduate Chair: Tom Weissling

Support Staff

• Marilyn Weidner

Campus Address

• 103 Entomology Hall

Program Faculty Research Areas

The program faculty's research areas include but are not limited to:

• Insecticide target site discovery
• Mode of action
• Resistance management
• Stored Product Pests
• Agriculture & Public Health
• Global Food Security & Nutrition
• Veterinary Entomology
• Plant health
• Biological control of arthropod pests
• Ecology and behavior of beneficial insects
• Integrated pest management
• Host plant resistance
• Agroecology
• Science teaching and learning
• Wild pollinator conservation
• Development of tools for human dimensions measurement
• Arthropods as models for systems understanding
• Science outreach
• Insect Identification
• Insect Training & Diagnostics
• Arthropod Species
• Citizen Science
• Integrated Pest Management
• Field Crops Entomology
• Biological Control
• Sustainable Agriculture
• Plant resistance to insects
• Plant signaling mechanisms
• Plant-insect interactions
• Induced plant defenses and insect effectors
• Insect Biology
• Entomology Education
• Qualitative and Mixed Methods Research Methods
• One Health
• Cover crop management and arthropod interactions
• Integrated pest management with focus on soybean gall midge
• Crop-hail assessment and management
• Extension communication tools
• Arthropod Vector of Plant Pathogens
• Biotechnology
• Molecular Genetics/Insect Genetics
• Applied insect ecology and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in cropping systems
• Biology and behavior of insects as applied to Insect Resistance Management (IRM)
• Molecular insect-plant interactions
• Utilizing genomic tools and bioinformatics
• Genetic and molecular mechanisms of host plant resistance to arthropods
• Arthropod Vector Physiology
• Insecticide/Environmental Toxicology
• Biological Control
• Sustainable Agriculture
• Ecology
• Response and adaptation of insects to chemical stressors
• Pest Management
• Apiculture
• Pollinator Health
• Environmental Toxicology