October 2025

In the News

Artificial Intelligence

• Training doctoral candidates in AI-powered precision tools for agriculture

Dragonflies

• Penn State Altoona faculty co-author study on durability of dragonfly wings
• Dragonfly Wings: Marvels of Strength, Durability

Microbes

• New microorganism survival commission aims to fill critical conservation gap

Research

• Salty soil, scrappy bugs and shared ideas drive graduate student’s research

Spotted Lanternflies

• Spotted lanternfly may use ‘toxic shield’ to fend off bird predators
• Spotted lanternflies may use stinky toxin to keep birds from eating them
• Lanternflies use a 'toxic shield' to avoid hungry birds

Wild Lupine

• Wild lupine genetics could be key to conservation of species | Penn State University

Awards and Accolades

Institute of Energy and the Environment Fellow

Congratulations to Margarita López-Uribe, Ph.D., for being selected as one of four 2025 fellows of the Institute of Energy and the Environment (IEE).The IEE Fellowship Program recognizes researchers whose work has significantly advanced energy and environmental research and provides support to further their efforts. Nominees for the fellowship were submitted by University deans and department heads.

2025 Interdisciplinary Innovation Fellowship (IIF)

Congratulations to Shannon Ryan, doctoral student in Ecology advised by John Tooker, Professor of Entomology, for being selected as one of six awardees of the Interdisciplinary Innovation Fellowship (IIF) by The One Health Microbiome Center. The IIF is a competitive funding opportunity designed to empower trainee-led projects that blend disciplines in novel and impactful ways.

2025 Student Awards

• Lloyd E. Adams Memorial Grant-In-Aid
  • Tyler Seutter
• Broadening Entomological Diversity by Unearthing Graduate Studies Award
  • Valeria Lee
• Michael E. Duke Memorial Scholarship in Entomology
  • Camilo Florez Valencia
  • Neetu Khanal
  • Jaime Manzano Alvarez
• Paul R. Heller Memorial Award
  • Charles Davis
• William T. Yendol Memorial Research Fund in Entomology
  • Sukhman Singh
  • Bijay Subedi

• William and Melonie Ettinger Excellence Fund in Entomology
  • Nina Devine
  • Mia Esoldo
  • Codey Mathis
  • Marie Muniz
  • Sarah Spence
• Vartkes Miroyan Memorial Award
  • Sujay Paranjape
• Ralph O. Mumma Graduate Award
  • Anju Poudel
• Jack Root and Bob Snetsinger Graduate Award in Entomology
  • Neetu Khanal
• Dr. Zane Smilowitz Endowment for Student Excellence
  • Sahil Pawar

Publications

• Assessing the state-of-knowledge of bees and their pollination services in Colombia, Journal of Melittology, 135, Morales-Rozo, C., Morales-Rozo, A., Restrepo Calle, S., López-Uribe, M. M., & Gonzalez, V. H., 2025
• Organic colony management practices are profitable for backyard beekeepers, Journal of Economic Entomology, Volume 118, Issue 4, August 2025, Pages 1504–1511, Underwood RM, Turley NE, Kelsey T, López-Uribe MM, 2025
• Shifts in bee diet breadths are associated with gene gains and losses and positive selection across olfactory receptors, G3 Genes|Genomes|Genetics, Volume 15, Issue 8, August 2025, Singh A, Pope N, López-Uribe MM, 2025