Bug Talk

[RE-UPLOAD FROM MAY 12, 2020]In today's podcast Andrea Glassmire, Kayleigh Hauri, and Ali Zahorec talk with Dr. Sara Hermann, who is faculty at Penn State University. Dr. Hermann earned her PhD in the Landis lab here in the Department of Entomology at Michigan State University. She describes what it's like working a dual career position and starting a new lab, all while being a mom of two beautiful kids. Dr. Hermann is a positive role model for scientists with a deep passion for research, teaching, and policy. Enjoy!!Send any questions in regard to this episode to Andrea's email: glassmi5@msu.eduYou can follow Bug Talk on Instagram and Twitter @bugtalkpodcast, and YouTube @bugtalk6645

[RE-UPLOAD FROM JUL. 17, 2020]In this episode of Bug Talk, Andrea chats with Oscar Castaneda, a GIS specialist at Michigan State University.  In his spare time, Oscar is an activist for the civil rights of immigrants and is Vice President of the Action of Greater Lansing organization.  Oscar was born in Guatemala and was educated in the United States on a Fulbright Scholarship.  He has been living and working in the States for over 25 years and is still struggling to obtain his green card.  Instead of letting obstacles deter him, Oscar faced the problem head on by playing a prominent role in establishing Lansing, MI as a Sanctuary City.  Oscar continues to help other immigrants understand the legality of the United States immigration system.You can follow Bug Talk on Instagram and Twitter @bugtalkpodcast, and YouTube @bugtalk6645

[RE-UPLOAD FROM APR. 27, 2020]In this episode Ali and Zsofia chatted with Dr. Jen Pechal about maintaining insect colonies at home during quarantine, traveling to do research on many continents, her childhood inspiration for studying decomposition, her garden and animals in her backyard, and getting inspiration through teaching.You can follow Bug Talk on Instagram and Twitter @bugtalkpodcast, and YouTube @bugtalk6645

[RE-UPLOAD FROM APR. 23, 2020]In today's podcast Andrea Glassmire talks to four current postdocs in the Entomology Department, Drs. Eli Bloom, Kelsey Graham, Nate Haan, and Benjamin Jarrett, to find out what life is like as a postdoc at Michigan State University. Our conversation spanned many topics including how we found our current postdoc, the importance of networking, and balancing work and life. It turns out, we all took different strategies to get to where we are today and we are all successful because we are doing what we love….Entomology!!Send any questions in regard to this episode to Andrea's email: glassmi5@msu.edu.You can follow Bug Talk on Instagram and Twitter @bugtalkpodcast, and YouTube @bugtalk6645

[RE-UPLOAD FROM JUN. 23, 2020]In this episode Andrea Glassmire and Kayleigh Hauri talk with a collaborative research group from Louisiana State University and the LSU Ag Center – Rodrigo Diaz, James Cronin, Laura Meyerson, Tracy Meyerson, Xuelian Meng, John Nyman, Ana Salgado, and Joshua Snook. They are collaborating on a project examining the mechanisms causing the die-off of an important wetland grass system, Phragmites australis, that stabilizes the Louisiana coastline. The Phragmites die-off is a multi-faceted problem, and each collaborator is investigating different aspects of this die-off. The restoration of Phragmites is an applied ecological challenge that will be important for stabilizing the Louisiana coastline, and the only way to accomplish this is using basic research to understand what the mechanisms are.The Phragmites research team includes additional scientists studying the role of plant pathogens, soil microbes, plant volatiles, and Asian parasitoids. For a glimpse, please see the research topics covered here!You can follow Bug Talk on Instagram and Twitter @bugtalkpodcast, and YouTube @bugtalk6645

[RE-UPLOAD FROM APR. 21, 2020]In this podcast Ariana, Jen and Zsofia talk to Dr. Therese Poland about her life growing up in Canada, how she found a career in forest entomology initially focusing on chemical ecology, and running 20 marathons. We also chatted about the Michigan Entomological Society and her recently becoming the coeditor-in-chief of Environmental Entomology. Therese works for the US Forest Service and is also an adjunct professor in our department. The book Therese recommended in this podcast is “Buzz - The nature and necessity of bees” by Thor Hanson. The gods of technology were not with us during the recording, so we expose how the sausage gets made since we don't edit the audio files - sorry about that - we hope you still enjoy this episode.You can follow Bug Talk on Instagram and Twitter @bugtalkpodcast, and YouTube @bugtalk6645

[RE-UPLOAD FROM JAN. 19, 2022]Dr. Ned Walker is a professor in the Entomology Department at Michigan State University. His work focuses on mosquitos, ticks and other insects important from a human health perspective. In this conversation, Ned talked about his life growing up in Ohio, getting into medical entomology during his undergrad, growing his interest in mosquito ecology and eventually coming to MSU as a postdoc in Rich Merritt's aquatic entomology lab. After getting his current position, he developed an international research program that took him to many different countries around the World. It is interesting that Ned's life today would be very different if it wasn't for an early mentor he met in college who encouraged and taught him at a critical time of his life. Ned also talked about his love of music, playing the guitar and being in bands.Watch this episode on YouTube here!You can follow Bug Talk on Instagram and Twitter @bugtalkpodcast, and YouTube @bugtalk6645

[RE-UPLOAD FROM DEC. 12, 2022]In this episode Lauren Goldstein talks with Ben Phillips, who is a Vegetable Crops Educator at Michigan State University. Ben discusses his education and current job responsibilities working with growers.Watch this episode on YouTube here!You can follow Bug Talk on Instagram and Twitter @bugtalkpodcast, and YouTube @bugtalk6645

[RE-UPLOAD FROM JAN. 12, 2022]In this episode Osten Echedor (MSU Bug Club President) and Nate Howder (MSU Bug Club Vice President) talked about  everything MSU Bug Club related! Bug Club's mission is to provide a welcoming environment for students interested in learning about entomology to connect with fellow arthropod enthusiasts and develop professional skills. We chatted about the club's history, current activities, membership, meetings and future plans. This fun group has members from many different undergraduate majors and love to play games at their meetings. They also organize collecting trips and feed you snacks that have arthropods in them! Follow Bug Club on Discord and Instagram @bugclubmsu. Email them at bugclubmsu@gmail.comWatch this episode on YouTube here!You can follow Bug Talk on Instagram and Twitter @bugtalkpodcast, and YouTube @bugtalk6645

[RE-UPLOAD FROM DEC. 8, 2021]In this episode Zsofia talked with Dr. Inga Zasada, nematologist with the USDA-ARS based out of Corvallis, OR. We chatted about how Inga was inspired by her scientist parents and growing up in Alaska and Oregon to want to become a biologist. She also talked about her unusual path to nematology, including being a Peace Corps volunteer on the Maltese Islands for 2 years where she had to learn on the job. We chatted about her graduate education at North Carolina State University and UC Davis and then working for the USDA as a nematologist.Watch this episode on YouTube here!You can follow Bug Talk on Instagram and Twitter @bugtalkpodcast, and YouTube @bugtalk6645

[RE-UPLOAD FROM NOV. 10, 2021]This episode features Dr. Hannah Burrack, incoming chair of the Department of Entomology at Michigan State University. This new position start on Jan. 1, 2022, and in this episode we chatted about her background and thoughts on leadership.Watch this episode on YouTube here!You can follow Bug Talk on Instagram and Twitter @bugtalkpodcast, and YouTube @bugtalk6645

[RE-UPLOAD FROM NOV. 3, 2021]In this episode Julie and Zsofia talked with Raul Medina, professor of entomology at Texas A&M. Raul received the Entomological Society of America's 2021 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Award. We chatted about how foreign-born people currently living in the US can work with US-born minorities to strengthen each other, how he came to connect his personal experiences to societal issues and how he has been active in the DEI movement since his time as a young professional. We discussed issues such as implicit bias, and talked about why it is sometimes difficult to have conversations about DEI and what we can do to normalize them.Watch this episode on YouTube here!You can follow Bug Talk on Instagram and Twitter @bugtalkpodcast, and YouTube @bugtalk6645

[RE-UPLOAD FROM SEPT. 22, 2021]The MSU Entomology Department is very fortunate to have a wonderful new group of graduate students joining us in 2021. This episode features five of these new grad students: Cynthia Fiser, Julie Michaelson, Ronnie Miller, Charlotte Schuttler and Lauren Goldstein. We talked about how they selected graduate schools, why they ended up choosing MSU and what were the things they looked for in this selection process. We also discussed their future career plans and what skills they hope to learn in graduate school that will help them in finding a job. Watch this episode on YouTube here!You can follow Bug Talk on Instagram and Twitter @bugtalkpodcast, and YouTube @bugtalk6645

[RE-UPLOAD FROM SEPT. 8, 2021]If you are interested in graduate school and are considering joining our department, this episode will provide you with a wealth of information about where to start this process. Dr. Anthony Cognato (Graduate Program Director) and Heather Lenartson (Administrative Assistant to the Chairperson and Academic Programs) talk about topics related to admission to graduate school and what you should expect. You can find resources on the MSU Entomology department website about finding a major professor, funding and the application process here.Watch this episode on YouTube here!Thanks to Jason Roedel for improving the sound quality, Matt Grieshop for the music and Ellie Darling for designing the Bug Talk logo!You can follow Bug Talk on Instagram and Twitter @bugtalkpodcast, and YouTube @bugtalk6645

[RE-UPLOAD FROM SEPT. 1, 2021]Dr. Anthony Cognato (Graduate Program Director) and Heather Lenartson (Administrative Assistant to the Chairperson and Academic Programs) talked about this year's new grad student orientation, the new Student Information System that replaces much of the physical paperwork for both PhD and MS students and allows them and their committee members to track their progress online, different types of MSU fellowship, application process for those interested in being considered for MSU fellowships/assistantships, graduate guidance committee composition, etc. We will be back with another episode about details of the application process to graduate school.Watch this episode on YouTube here!You can follow Bug Talk on Instagram and Twitter @bugtalkpodcast, and YouTube @bugtalk6645

[RE-UPLOAD FROM JUNE 16, 2021]Dr. Jean Tsao (Twitter: @JTsao1) from MSU's Department of Fisheries and Wildlife talks about everybody's "favorite" ticks! We also chatted about how she became an expert in this group of arthropods and she shared this list of resources with us: Michigan Department of Health & Human Services (MDHHS) page on  tick-borne diseasesCurrent MDHHS Lyme disease risk map (to which Jean's lab has contributed much of the tick data)MDHHS document that summarizes the tick and disease risk trends over the last 5 yearsMDHHS's webpage for ordering tick warning signs, tick ID cards, and tick collection/submission kits for tick ID [only].  You can also submit photos of ticks instead of the ticks themselves and probably get a faster turnaround time on the ID.Here is the link to The Tick App, a mobile health app Jean and colleagues developed to improve tick prevention - both through outreach/education about ticks and tick prevention, but also through community science regarding both improving tick prevention practices as well as monitoring for invasive ticks. Here's a recent write-up about the app from MSU Today. Watch this episode on YouTube here!You can follow Bug Talk on Instagram and Twitter @bugtalkpodcast, and YouTube @bugtalk6645

[RE-UPLOAD FROM MARCH 31, 2021]Original Bug Talk producers celebrate the 1-year anniversary of the Bug Talk podcast by discussing future plans, major breakthroughs in the MSU Entomology Department, research opportunities, and more!Watch this episode on YouTube here!You can follow Bug Talk on Instagram and Twitter @bugtalkpodcast, and YouTube @bugtalk6645

[RE-UPLOAD FROM MARCH 25, 2021]Dr. Sheila Colla is an assistant professor at York University in Toronto, Canada. Her lab focuses on researching native pollinators, especially bumble bees. In this episode, Sheila talked about her undergrad research experiences that led her to study bumble bees, and the  people who influenced her most in her career. We also talked about pollinator conservation more broadly, the advantages of working in an interdisciplinary department, funding for research in Canada, and community science programs.You can find Sheila on Instagram @findingflowersmedia and on Twitter @SaveWildBees.Watch this episode on YouTube here!You can follow Bug Talk on Instagram and Twitter @bugtalkpodcast, and YouTube @bugtalk6645

[RE-UPLOAD FROM MARCH 22, 2021]Ariana and Zsofia talked with Jackie Perkins about fieldwork safety guidelines and how we approach field work this upcoming field season. Jackie developed a document that contains best practices on traveling to and working at field sites while doing research. It is designed to provide information for existing employees and their supervisors, and new employees that may not have much experience working in remote locations. The document provides useful information on preparing for fieldwork, traveling, and emergencies. It includes a section on Safe Fieldwork For All, informed by the recent Demery & Pipkin article.You can follow Jackie on Instagram @msuberrybugs and follow the Isaacs Lab on Twitter @IsaacsLab.Watch this episode on YouTube here!You can follow Bug Talk on Instagram and Twitter @bugtalkpodcast, and YouTube @bugtalk6645

[RE-UPLOAD FROM JUNE 2, 2021]Zsofia and two guest co-hosts, Julianna Wilson and Elizeth Cinto Meija, talked with Drs. Jabbar Bennett, (MSU's Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer, Professor of Medicine in the College of Human Medicine) and Quentin Tyler (Associate Dean and Director for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Director of MSU Extension), two leaders at MSU. We asked them about their current positions, their take on what it means to be a good leader, what the pandemic taught them about leadership, how to move forward after the lockdown, balancing personal views with the larger vision of an institution, their view on the future of the university, their mentors and people who inspire them and what they think the future will bring.Watch this episode on YouTube here!You can follow Bug Talk on Instagram and Twitter @bugtalkpodcast, and YouTube @bugtalk6645

[RE-UPLOAD FROM MAY 26, 2021]Ariana, Jen, Natalie and Zsofia chatted with Jenna Walters about the Entomology Research and Outreach Fellowship (EROF). We chatted about how Jenna (Twitter: @Jenna_M_Walters) was inspired by Insects for Inclusion to start this program, what activities had been undertaken by the EROF committee over the last year, funding the program, recruiting and interviewing fellows and finally offering 7 fellowships for this summer. You can follow them on Twitter and Instagram @erof_msuWatch this episode on YouTube here!You can follow Bug Talk on Instagram and Twitter @bugtalkpodcast, and YouTube @bugtalk6645

[RE-UPLOAD FROM MAY 12, 2021]Dr. Amanda Lorenz is the undergraduate advisor in the Department of Entomology at Michigan State University. In this episode, Natalie, Ariana and Zsofia chatted with her about our undergraduate program, current recruitment strategies, employment opportunities and courses for entomology undergraduates. Amanda described the demographic of our undergraduate students and strategies used to increase diversity. We also talked about how graduate and undergraduate students interact in our department. Amanda is our Bug House coordinator and she talked about what an important outreach tool this has been. If you are interested in our undergraduate program and have questions, please feel free to send an email to Amanda (lorenzam@msu.edu). You can also find out more about our undergraduate program and how to apply to MSU on our department's website.Watch this episode on YouTube here! You can follow Bug Talk on Instagram and Twitter @bugtalkpodcast, and YouTube @bugtalk6645

[RE-UPLOAD FROM APR. 14, 2021]In this episode, Olivia and Zsofia chatted with outgoing MSU Entomology postdocs Andrea Glassmire and Eli Bloom. They shared the challenges of the pandemic-era job market and what they'll remember fondly about the MSU Entomology community. Andrea is starting a new position working in the Cronin Lab at Louisiana State University and can be found online at aglassmire.com. Eli is on Twitter at @susta1nabeelity and on the Szendrei lab website. Watch this episode on YouTube here!Thanks to Jason Roedel, audio engineer, for improving sound quality, Matt Grieshop for the music, and Ellie Darling for designing the Bug Talk logo!You can follow Bug Talk on Instagram and Twitter @bugtalkpodcast, and YouTube @bugtalk6645

[RE-UPLOAD FROM APR. 14, 2021]On this week's episode, co-hosts Jen, Natalie, and Ariana chatted with Dr. Meg Lowman ("Canopy Meg"). Dr. Lowman is a conservation biologist, educator, ecologist, writer, explorer, and public speaker. Her expertise involves canopy ecology, canopy plant-insect relationships, and constructing canopy walkways. We chatted about what it's like being a woman in science, her global travels, science communication, and her new book!Learn more about Meg's conservation work here, or follow her on Twitter @canopymegWatch this interview on YouTube here!You can follow Bug Talk on Instagram and Twitter @bugtalkpodcast, and YouTube @bugtalk6645

[RE-UPLOAD FROM MAR. 10, 2021]On this episode, Jen and Ariana chatted with Dr. Julie Lesnik, an associate professor of Anthropology at Wayne State University in Detroit. She studies the evolution of humans eating insects and has even wrote a book on it called Edible Insects and Human Evolution. We chatted about how humans evolved to eat insects, her time studying chimpanzees in Africa, and gives some advice to graduate students within STEM.Watch this interview on YouTube here!You can follow Bug Talk on Instagram and Twitter @bugtalkpodcast, and YouTube @bugtalk6645

[RE-POST FROM MAR. 3, 2021]In this podcast, Jen and Zsofia talked to Rebecca Tonietto, assistant professor of biology at the University of Michigan-Flint. Rebecca is a pollination ecologist, who got her start with Ann Fraser's entomology course at Kalamazoo College. She then worked as a research assistant on melon pollination in New Jersey where her interest in pollinators began. She is a native of Michigan and has found her way back to the Flint area after going to graduate school at Northwestern University where she worked - among other things - on pollinators on roof gardens. Rebecca gave some really nice examples from her life of how following your gut and staying open to opportunities can land you in the 'right' place.Follow Rebecca on Twitter @beckytoniettoWatch this interview on YouTube here!You can follow Bug Talk on Instagram and Twitter @bugtalkpodcast, and YouTube @bugtalk6645

[RE-UPLOAD FROM FEB. 24, 2021]In this episode, Jen, Olivia, Andrea and Zsofia chatted with MSU alumna, Jaree Johnson. She is a medical-veterinary entomologist in the military and she talked to us about growing up in Indiana, getting into entomology, working in industry, getting an M.S. from the MSU Entomology Department and then going to work in the military. She also chatted about what her life is like living in different countries, her love for travel and food, and her hobbies. Follow Jaree on Instagram and Twitter @alliknowarebugs. Here is a link to a previous conversation with her on YouTube: Army Medical Entomology, Who Knew? - MAJ Jaree JohnsonWatch this interview on YouTube here!You can follow Bug Talk on Instagram and Twitter @bugtalkpodcast, and YouTube @bugtalk6645

[RE-UPLOAD FROM FEB. 17, 2021]Kayleigh, Natalie, Ariana, and Zsofia welcomed Dr. Olivia Cope to the department, she is a new postdoc in the Wetzel Lab. Olivia will also be joining our podcast team as co-host, so keep an eye out for episodes by her. Olivia told us about her life growing up in Seattle, doing her undergrad at Berkley and getting a PhD at the University of Wisconsin with Rick Lindroth. She shared about her passion for biking, and is looking forward to making new acquaintances in the department in person in the near future.Follow Olivia on Twitter @ocopeoWatch this interview on YouTube here!You can follow Bug Talk on Instagram and Twitter @bugtalkpodcast, and YouTube @bugtalk6645

[RE-UPLOAD FROM FEB. 3, 2021]In this week's episode of Bug Talk, Natalie talked with her Undergraduate Research Advisor, Dr. Kate Boersma. Kate is an assistant professor at the University of San Diego, California. She is an entomologist who focuses on arid land aquatic ecology. Natalie and Kate talk about the research they've done together, what it is like to be a first generation student, and strategies for recruiting a diverse lab. Follow Kate on Instagram and Twitter @kateboersma for more information on desert aquatic entomology!Watch this interview on YouTube here!You can follow Bug Talk on Instagram and Twitter @bugtalkpodcast, and YouTube @bugtalk6645

[RE-UPLOAD FROM JAN 20, 2021]In this fun conversation with Dr. Samuel Ramsey, Jen, Natalie, and Zsofia asked him about how he came to love insects, his life as a singer/performing artist, and his passion for science communication. We mentioned his YouTube channel called Doctor Buggs, his appearance on American Idol, and his 3-minute thesis summary. Samuel is currently a postdoc at the USDA Bee Lab in Beltsville, MD where he works on Varroa mites - a topic he presented during a department seminar at Michigan State University in December 2020. Follow Samuel @drsammytweets and @drsammygrams or visit his website at drsammy.onlineWatch this interview on YouTube here! *Thanks to Jason Rondel, audio engineer, for improving the sound quality, and Matt Grieshop for the music!You can follow Bug Talk on Instagram and Twitter @bugtalkpodcast, and YouTube @bugtalk6645

[RE-UPLOAD FROM JAN. 20, 2021]In this episode, Ali and Zsofia chatted with Yolanda Chen, an associate professor at the University of Vermont. Yolanda shared with us how she got interested in evolutionary biology, her experience working at the International Rice Institute in the Philippines and talked to us about having kids while establishing her career as an assistant professor. We also discussed differences between working at a smaller, teaching focused institution such as UVT and larger universities like Michigan State University. Watch this interview on YouTube here!Follow Yolanda on Instagram @insectagroeco and on Twitter @Yolanda_H_Chen.You can follow Bug Talk on Instagram and Twitter @bugtalkpodcast, and YouTube @bugtalk6645

In this episode Lauren Goldstein talks with Ben Phillips, who is a Vegetable Crops Educator at Michigan State University (https://www.canr.msu.edu/people/benjamin_phillips). Ben discusses his education and current job responsibilities working with growers.

In this week's episode of Bug Talk, Jen chats with Stefanie Steele, Pollinator Conservation Specialist for urban and small farms in underserved communities and USDA NRCS partner biologist with the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation! We chat about Stefanie's background and education and how she found her role at the Xerces Society. Stefanie also gives some tips on steps you can take while in graduate school to gain skills to work at a non-profit. To learn more about the Xerces Society and their work visit xerces.org

Dr. Maxime Eeraerts is a new postdoctoral associate in the MSU Entomology Department (https://www.isaacslab.ent.msu.edu/people/lab-members/). He is originally from Belgium, has a background in biological engineering and got interested in honey bees during his M.S. degree. After his Ph.D., he moved to Washington State University in 2021 for 9 months to work on a blueberry pollination project. He is currently housed in Rufus Isaacs' lab and is conducting a meta-analysis to better understand the pollinator dependence of different fruit crops. He is funded by a unique foundation that is intended to increase exchange of knowledge between the US and Belgium. He is also an outdoor enthusiast, biker, runner and will be exploring MI this summer.*Contact/follow us @bugtalkpodcast on Instagram or Twitter.Thanks to Ellie Darling for designing the Bug Talk logo!

Laura Ingwell is an assistant professor of horticultural entomology at Purdue University (https://ag.purdue.edu/entm/Pages/Profile.aspx?strAlias=lingwell). First, she talked about her path from dentistry into community ecology and then to entomology. She then shared with us her thoughts about the role of extension, delivering research results to growers and the importance of building personal connections to gain trust.*Contact/follow us @bugtalkpodcast on Instagram or Twitter.Thanks to Ellie Darling for designing the Bug Talk logo!

Ke Dong is a professor at Duke University leading a research program on insect toxicology and physiology (https://kedonglab.biology.duke.edu/). In this episode she talked about her childhood growing up on a silkworm experiment station in China, playing with silkworms, and her mother's influence on her interest in biochemistry. She talked about the importance of her mentor during her PhD program, the "two-body problem", and raising her son while managing a research program at Michigan State University. She also shared with us about her new life in North Carolina, including her teaching responsibilities and a new seminar course she created.*Contact/follow us @bugtalkpodcast on Instagram or Twitter.Thanks to Ellie Darling for designing the Bug Talk logo!

In this episode Zsofia talked with Dr. Nayeli Carvajal. Nayeli is  starting her postdoc at MSU in the Entomology Department this month. She will be moving from California to Michigan in April just in time to see spring in all its glory! She completed her Ph.D. in Nov. 2021 at the University of California - Irvine  studying the effects of climate change on insect-plant interactions. During her postdoc, she will be working on determining how heat waves affect potatoes and its associated pests. Outside of research, Nayeli is passionate about plants, hiking, she also enjoys reading and cooking. Check out her website: https://nayelicarvajal.weebly.com/

Zsofia and Jean Tsao (https://www.canr.msu.edu/people/jean_tsao; former guest of the podcast on Ep. 62) cohosted this episode featuring Dr. Jannelle Couret, a first-generation Afro-Caribbean/Latina scientist. She researches the biology of arthropod vectors and the eco-epidemiology of vector-borne human pathogens. She completed her PhD in Population Biology, Ecology, and Evolution of Infectious Disease at Emory University. We chatted with her about how she found her current faculty position and a unique fellowship she had as a postdoc. Check out her website for some of the fantastic art we talked about during the podcast: http://www.vectorbiology.org/*Contact/follow us @bugtalkpodcast on Instagram or Twitter.Thanks to Ellie Darling for designing the Bug Talk logo!

Dr. Megan Fritz (http://www.meganfritzlab.com/people.html) is alumna of the MSU Department of Entomology.  She sat down in person with Zsofia to talk about career and family. She chatted about being an undergraduate research assistant in an entomology lab, being inspired by the people around her to choose entomology as a career, and going to grad school without getting an M.S. first. Meghan also discussed her choice to start a family in graduate school, raising children while completing her Ph.D., the role of a supportive adviser and community to be able to do this and thinking about why it might be a good option for some to have kids during this time of life.*Contact/follow us @bugtalkpodcast on Instagram or Twitter.Thanks to Ellie Darling for designing the Bug Talk logo!

Dr. Ned Walker (https://www.canr.msu.edu/people/edward_walker) is a professor in the Entomology Department at Michigan State University. His work focuses on mosquitos, ticks and other insects important from a human health perspective. In this conversation, Ned talked about his life growing up in Ohio, getting into medical entomology during his undergrad, growing his interest in mosquito ecology and eventually coming to MSU as a postdoc in Rich Merritt's aquatic entomology lab. After getting his current position, he developed an international research program that took him to many different countries around the World. It is interesting that Ned's life today would be very different if it wasn't for an early mentor he met in college who encouraged and taught him at a critical time of his life. Ned also talked about his love of music, playing the guitar and being in bands.Thanks to Jason Roedel for improving the sound quality, Matt Grieshop for the music and Ellie Darling for designing the Bug Talk logo!*Contact/follow us @bugtalkpodcast on Instagram or Twitter.*Visit us on our YouTube channel.

In this episode Osten Echedor (MSU Bug Club President) and Nate Howder (MSU Bug Club Vice President) talked about everything MSU Bug Club related! Bug Club's mission is to provide a welcoming environment for students interested in learning about entomology to connect with fellow arthropod enthusiasts and develop professional skills. We chatted about the club's history, current activities, membership, meetings and future plans. This fun group has members from many different undergraduate majors and love to play games at their meetings. They also organize collecting trips and feed you snacks that have arthropods in them! Follow Bug Club on Discord (https://discord.gg/6tqT6fA6ZV), Instagram (@bugclubmsu), and join them at Springticipation 2022 (Student Involvement Fair on Wednesday, January 19 2022, 6:00 PM-8:00 PM at the Duffy Daugherty Building - Indoor Football Practice Center 771 Chestnut Rd , East Lansing , MI)Email them at bugclubmsu@gmail.com.Thanks to Jason Roedel for improving the sound quality, Matt Grieshop for the music and Ellie Darling for designing the Bug Talk logo!*Contact/follow us @bugtalkpodcast on Instagram or Twitter.*Visit us on our YouTube channel.

In this episode Zsofia talked with Dr. Inga Zasada, nematologist with the USDA-ARS based out of Corvallis, OR (https://www.ars.usda.gov/pacific-west-area/corvallis-or/horticultural-crops-research/people/zasada-inga/). We chatted about how Inga was inspired by her scientist parents and growing up in Alaska and Oregon to want to become a biologist. She also talked about her unusual path to nematology, including being a Peace Corps volunteer on the Maltese Islands for 2 years where she had to learn on the job. We chatted about her graduate education at North Carolina State University and UC Davis and then working for the USDA as a nematologist.  

On this episode of Bug Talk, Jen and Julie chat with Liz Schultheis, Kellogg Biological Station's Long Term Ecological Research Education (LTER) and Outreach Coordinator and the founder of Data Nuggets. We talk about the founding of the program, its response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and how you can become involved with the Data Nuggets program!Follow Data Nuggets along on Twitter and Instagram to stay in the loop!Thanks to Jason Roedel for improving the sound quality, Matt Grieshop for the music and Ellie Darling for designing the Bug Talk logo!*Contact us @bugtalkpodcast on Instagram or Twitter.*Visit us on our YouTube channel.

This episode features Dr. Hannah Burrack, incoming chair of the Department of Entomology at Michigan State University (https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/canr-names-new-chair-to-lead-department-of-entomology). This new position starts on Jan. 1, 2022, and in this episode we chatted about her background and thoughts on leadership. Thanks to Jason Roedel for improving the sound quality, Matt Grieshop for the music and Ellie Darling for designing the Bug Talk logo!*Contact us @bugtalkpodcast on Instagram or Twitter.*Visit us on our YouTube channel.

In this episode Julie and Zsofia talked with Raul Medina (https://medinalab.tamu.edu/), professor of entomology at Texas A&M. Raul received the Entomological Society of America's 2021 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Award. We chatted about how foreign-born people currently living in the US can work with US-born minorities to strengthen each other, how he came to connect his personal experiences to societal issues and how he has been active in the DEI movement since his time as a young professional. We discussed issues such as implicit bias, you can take the Harvard test we mentioned here: (https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/takeatest.html). We also talked about why it is sometimes difficult to have conversations about DEI and what we can do to normalize these.Thanks to Jason Roedel for improving the sound quality, Matt Grieshop for the music and Ellie Darling for designing the Bug Talk logo! *Contact us @bugtalkpodcast on Instagram or Twitter.*Visit us on our YouTube channel.

Jen and Zsofia talked to Dr. Julio Bernal (https://entomology.tamu.edu/people/bernal-julio/), professor of entomology at Texas A&M.  Julio told us about his background in agriculture and how he got interested in entomology. He also told us about his graduate education and postdoc working with citrus biocontrol. We also chatted about the structure of the A&M system and the undergraduate and graduate programs in his department.Thanks to Jason Roedel for improving the sound quality, Matt Grieshop for the music and Ellie Darling for designing the Bug Talk logo!*Contact us @bugtalkpodcast on Instagram or Twitter.*Visit us on our YouTube channel.

In this episode, Zsofia and Jen chat with Dr. Katja Poveda, associate professor of Entomology at Cornell University. Dr. Poveda studies plant-insect interactions from the plant to landscape scale in agroecosystems. We chat about her global research in Malawi and Kenya, her teaching interests, and some of the awesome research she has done! You can follow the Poveda lab on Twitter @PovedaLab to stay updated with Dr. Poveda's current research! Thanks to Jason Roedel for improving the sound quality, Matt Grieshop for the music and Ellie Darling for designing the Bug Talk logo!*Contact us @bugtalkpodcast on Instagram or Twitter.*Visit us on our YouTube channel.

The MSU Entomology Department is very fortunate to have a wonderful new group of graduate students joining us in 2021. This episode features five of these new grad students: Cynthia Fiser, Julie Michaelson, Ronnie Miller, Charlotte Schuttler and Lauren Goldstein. We talked about how they selected graduate schools, why they ended up choosing MSU and what were the things they looked for in this selection process. We also discussed their future career plans and what skills they hope to learn in graduate school that will help them in finding a job. We talked about Ecolog( https://halllab.asu.edu/how-to-join-the-ecolog-job-board/), a list serve that some people in our discipline use to find graduate student positions.

In this episode we chat with Naim Edwards about his work as an extension specialist at Michigan State University's Detroit Partnership for Food, Learning and Innovation (DPFLI). The DPFLI is an urban food research center, developing solutions to economic and nutritional challenges unique in urban environments located in a Detroit neighborhood. We talk about the formation of the DPFLI and some of its goals, along with the importance of promoting urban agriculture within communities and eating local food.If you are interested in learning more about or becoming involved with the DPFLI you can visit their website or follow them on instagram @msu_detroit_ag!Thanks to Jason Roedel for improving the sound quality, Matt Grieshop for the music and Ellie Darling for designing the Bug Talk logo! *Contact us @bugtalkpodcast on Instagram or Twitter.*Visit us on our YouTube channel.

If you are interested in graduate school and are considering joining our department, this episode will provide you with a wealth of information about where to start this process. Dr. Anthony Cognato (Graduate Program Director) and Heather Lenartson (Administrative Assistant to the Chairperson and Academic Programs) talk about topics related to admission to graduate school and what you should expect. You can find resources on the MSU Entomology department website about finding a major professor, funding and the application process. Thanks to Jason Roedel for improving the sound quality, Matt Grieshop for the music and Ellie Darling for designing the Bug Talk logo!  *Contact us @bugtalkpodcast on Instagram or Twitter. *Visit us on our YouTube channel.

Dr. Anthony Cognato (Graduate Program Director) and Heather Lenartson (Administrative Assistant to the Chairperson and Academic Programs) talked about this year's new grad student orientation, the new Student Information System that replaces much of the physical paperwork for both PhD and MS students and allows them and their committee members to track their progress online, different types of MSU fellowship, application process for those interested in being considered for MSU fellowships/assistantships, graduate guidance committee composition, etc. We will be back with another episode about details of the application process to graduate school.Thanks to Jason Roedel for improving the sound quality, Matt Grieshop for the music and Ellie Darling for designing the Bug Talk logo!  Contact us @bugtalkpodcast on Instagram or Twitter.