Awarded at the International Congress of Entomology
By awarding these Certificates of Distinction, the Council wishes to emphasize the central and continuing importance of entomology in both basic and applied studies, ranging from populations and organisms down to cellular and molecular levels. Entomology is historically, economically and socially salient to human endeavour. It continues to be of critical importance to agriculture, forestry, human and animal health, and environmental well-being in most countries of the world. Insects have also proven to be excellent models for many fundamental studies in biology. By awarding these certificates, the Council hopes to help inspire and connect all entomologists throughout the world. The call for Certificates of Distinction for ICE 2016 are now closed.
The following scientists will be honored with Certificates of Distinction at the 2016 International Congress of Entomology in Orlando, Florida.
Professor Angharad Gatehouse is the chair of the Invertebrate Molecular Biology Department at the University of Newcastle. She is also head of Molecular Agriculture within the Institute of Sustainability, which coordinates research across Newcastle University around key issues of sustainability, including food security. Her over-arching research interests are in the molecular and biochemical bases of insect-plant interactions for the development of novel approaches to crop protection. As part of this, her research interests also encompass the potential impact of such technologies on non-target organisms, particularly beneficial insects including pollinators such as bees, and natural enemies such as parasitoids and predators.
Professor Ring Cardé holds a distinguished professorship and the Alfred M. Boyce Chair in Entomology at the University of California, Riverside. His main research interests are in basic and applied aspects of odor-mediated behavior of insects, focusing on communication by pheromones in moths and host-finding by female mosquitoes.
Professor Maureen Coetzee is director of the Wits Research Institute for Malaria, School of Pathology in the Faculty of Health Sciences, at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. She holds a research professorship in medical entomology and vector control, supported jointly by the Department of Science and Technology and the National Research Foundation through the South African Research Chair Initiative (SARChI). Her research interest is in applied aspects of malaria vector mosquito control, but also includes use of the latest molecular technology to provide insight into mosquito species diversity, biology, and behaviour.
Previous awardees have been:
2012 Daegu, Republic of Korea
JC van Lenteren, University of Wageningen, The Netherlands. Pest control and especially the development and use of biological control internationally. He used studies of plant- insect-natural enemy interactions to solve practical problems, and in assessment of risk from introducing exotic control agents.
HM Robertson, University of Illinois, USA. He is a key figure in the field of insect genomics. In particular he has looked at genes concerned in olfaction and taste, transposable elements, telomeres and gene loss. Work on transposase has helped work on genetic manipulation.
JA Pickett, Rothamsted Research, UK. Major interest has been in the chemical of interactions between insects, plants and other animals. He has characterised semiochemicals and the responses of individual insect receptor neurones to specific components. This has helped us to understand and use push-pull systems in pest control.
2008 Durban, South Africa
A K Raina, USDA, ARS, New Orleans, USA. He has contributed to biological control, host plant resistance, diapause, ultrastructure, insect hormones and biorational control of termites. Most notably he described the regulation of pheromone production in moths.
L W Simmons, University of Western Australia, Australia. Evolutionary biologist with special interests in the evolutionary biology of reproduction using insects as models. He has demonstrated the importance of mate choice as an evolutionary driving force.
O Yamashita, Chubu University, Japan. Physiology of reproduction in silkworm, Bombyx mori. Molecular and cellular endocrinology of diapause in insects.
2004 Brisbane, Australia
J Bitsch, Universite de Toulouse, France. Insect morphology, with major treatises on the basal hexapods, the archaeognathans. He also wrote major reviews on insect cephalic and abdominal anatomy and has been a driving force on a taxonomic treatment of sphecid wasps.
J F Lawrence, CSIRO Entomology, Australia. Major contributions to the taxonomy of Coleoptera, both studies of groups and major reviews combining his work with that of others. Developed interactive larval and adult beetle CD-ROMs which are readily accessible to anyone with a computer.
SS Liu, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China. For his work on insect ecology, biological control and integrated pest management (IPM).He is recognised for developing environmentally sound IPM for vegetable crops, especially crucifers where input of chemical insecticides in major production areas has been reduced by 40-60% over 5 years.
S Masaki, Hirosaki University, Japan. His research has been focused on the adaptation of insects to variable conditions, making good use of the unique climatic variation in Japan ranging from North (N46°) to South (N24°). The evolution and adaptation of insect life cycles were studied in relation to the variable photoperiodic and thermal seasonal conditions.
J H Oliver Jr., Georgia Southern University, Georgia, USA. He has made major contributions to the fields of medical entomology and parasitology, and in particular the reproductive biology and cytogenetics of ticks.
2000 Iguassu, Brazil
M Locke, University of Western Ontario, Canada. Structure and organisation of insect cells. Discovered Golgi complex beads that organise the process of preparing protein secretions in insect cells.
G E Robinson, University of Illinois, USA. Studied mechanisms governing social behaviour using the honey bee. Investigated the genes influencing behavioural maturation and the division of labour in honey bees.
1996 Florence, Italy
EO Wilson, Harvard University, USA. Carried out major studies on ants. Work on socio-biology and biodiversity with strong interest in the synthesis of knowledge from different fields (consilience) and thus interdisciplinary research.
The Council of the International Congresses of Entomology is very grateful for donations from the following Entomology Societies to help provide cash awards for the winners of the Certificates of Distinction.
