Sonny Ramaswamy to Speak at Entomology 2012

The Entomological Society of America (ESA) is honored to announce that Sonny Ramaswamy, Director of the USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), will be speaking twice at Entomology 2012, ESA's 60th Annual Meeting to be held November 11-14, 2012 in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Dr. Ramaswamy, who became an ESA Fellow in 2005 (see http://entsoc.org/fellows/sonny-b-ramaswamy-esa-fellow-2005) and has been an ESA member for more than 30 years, will address ESA members on November 13 at 12:15 during a "Lunch and Learn" session in which he will talk about grant opportunities at NIFA, and again at 2:30 at a special student session.

His appointment as the Director of NIFA was announced in March, 2012.

According to ESA President Grayson Brown, “His appointment is a recognition of the outstanding record of leadership that he has established over the years, and I can think of no one better equipped to lead this important institute. While we realize that NIFA supports many programs, we in entomology are especially proud that one of 'us' is in this high post.”

Dr. Ramaswamy received his M.S. in entomology from the University of Agricultural Sciences in Bangalore, India (1976) and his Ph.D. in entomology from Rutgers University (1980). He was a postdoctoral researcher at Michigan State University (1979-82); an assistant, associate, and full professor at Mississippi State University (1982-97); a professor, university distinguished professor and head of the Kansas State University Department of Entomology (1997-2004); associate dean of Purdue’s College of Agriculture, where he directed the University’s agricultural research programs from 2006 to 2009; and dean of Oregon State University's College of Agricultural Sciences.

His research areas have included the integrative reproductive biology of insects, encompassing endocrine and ovarian physiology, chemical ecology, pheromones and sexual behavior and their regulation by hormones, structure and function of sensory receptors as related to host finding and mating in insects, and modification of insect behavior using natural products. He has published more than 100 journal papers.

Entomology 2012 will be attended by 3,000 entomologists and will feature 98 symposia and more than 2,500 presentations, plus entomological excursions, social events, student competitions, the Linnaean Games, and more. For more information, visit http://www.entsoc.org/entomology2012.

The Entomological Society of America (ESA) is the largest organization in the world serving the professional and scientific needs of entomologists and people in related disciplines. Founded in 1889, ESA today has more than 6,000 members affiliated with educational institutions, health agencies, private industry, and government. Members are students, researchers, teachers, extension service personnel, administrators, marketing representatives, research technicians, consultants, and hobbyists. For more information, please visit http://www.entsoc.org.

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