Department of Entomology
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    • Online Masters in Applied Entomology
    • Undergraduate >
      • Entomology Minor
      • Honors Program
  • Research
    • IPM & Biological Control of Agricultural, Urban & Forest Pests
    • Ecology, Conservation, Restoration, Climate Change >
      • Pollinator Science and Apiculture
    • Evolution, Systematics and Evo-Devo
    • Genetics & Genomics and Medical Entomology
  • Extension/Outreach
    • Educational Outreach
    • Insect Camp
    • Insect Drawings
    • Insect Identification
    • Pesticide Education and Assessment Program
    • Plant Diagnostic Laboratory (PDL)

Graduate Students


Apart from the Entomology Graduate Program (ENTM), graduate students advised by faculty members in the Department of Entomology may be enrolled in the Marine-Estuarine-Environmental Sciences Graduate Program (MEES) or in one concentration areas within the Biological Sciences Graduate Program (BISI), including: 
  • BEES: Behavior, Ecology Evolution, Systematics
  • MOCB: Molecular and Cell Biology Program
  • CBBG: Computational Biology, Bioinformatics, and Genomics
  • PSYS: Physiological Systems

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Ebony Argaez, MS student, Pick Lab
​eargaez@umd.edu

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Alec Armstrong, PhD Candidate, MEES, Palmer Lab
Research: Relating biogeochemistry to hydrologic connectivity in stream and wetland ecosystems with a particular focus on organic matter dynamics.
aarmstr1@umd.edu

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Arielle Arsenault-Benoit, PhD Candidate, Fritz Lab
Research: Studying the ecology, host use, and landscape genomics of Culex pipiens mosquitoes, the primary vector of West Nile Virus, on an urban to rural gradient. ​
aarsenau@umd.edu 

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Lindsay Barranco, MS Student, vanEngelsdorp Lab
Research: Working on wildflower meadow projects with partners throughout the State of Maryland and is researching the establishment of ground nesting native bee sites within small scale wildflower plantings.​
lbarranc@umd.edu

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Dongxu Chen, PhD Student, Hawthorne Lab
Research: The genetics of imidacloprid resistance in the Colorado potato beetle​.
​​dxchen@umd.edu

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Krisztina Christmon, PhD Student, vanEngelsdorp Lab
Research: Studying the host-parasite-pathogen interaction of the honey bee parasitic mite.
​kriszch@umd.edu 

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Maria Cramer, PhD Student, Hamby Lab
​Research: Studying non-target effects of pyrethroid insecticides and RNAi in field corn.
mec@umd.edu

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Elizabeth Dabek, MS Student, Hooks and Shrewsbury Lab
Research: Studying the fitness of native and non-native parasitoids due to climatic changes.
dabek@umd.edu 

Kathleen Ciola Evans
Kathleen Ciola Evans, PhD Student, Espíndola Lab, ESO President
Research: Exploring plant-pollinator mutualisms and edamame pollination in heterogeneous landscapes.​
​kciola@terpmail.umd.edu​

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Max Ferlauto, PhD Student, Burghardt Lab 
Research: Studying the effects of suburban leaf litter raking on nutrient cycling and herbivore-parasitoid communities. 
ferlauto@umd.edu

​
Website: https://maxferlauto.netlify.app/

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Matthew Fischer, PhD Candidate, MOCB, Pick Lab
Research:  Studying the single-stripe expression patterns of the ftz cis-regulatory elements (CRE's) in D. melanogaster as a transcriptional model to determine how editing endogenous CRE's with the CRISPR-Cas9 system compares to the signal from transgenic reporter experiments. Ultimately, this will elucidate CRE necessity vs. sufficiency for ftz expression during early embryogenesis. 
 mdfi5ch@umd.edu  


Rong Guo
Rong Guo, PhD Candidate, CBBG, Fritz Lab 
Research: Comparative and population studies of two Lepidopteran species, Heliothis virescens and Heliothis subflexa
rguo1990@umd.edu

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Eric Hartel, MS Student, vanEnglesdorp Lab
ehartel@umd.edu 

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Margaret Hartman, MS Student, Lamp Lab 
​Research: Studying the application of Odonata, specifically damselflies, as biological control agents in enclosed systems such as greenhouses and aquaponics. 
​mehartma@umd.edu

Kristen Jayd
Kristin Jayd, MS Student, Burghardt Lab 
Research: current research focus on parasitoids and their relationships, and how tree diversity shapes them.
kjayd@umd.edu


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Lisa Kuder, PhD Candidate, vanEngelsdorp Lab
​Research: Enhancing highway rights-of-way for pollinators. 
lkuder@umd.edu

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Zachary Lamas, PhD Candidate, Hawthorne Lab
Research: Studying the feeding behavior of Varroa destructor mites.
zlamas@umd.edu

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Minh Le, PhD Student, Pick Lab
Research: Regulatory genes involved in hemipteran development.
htmle99@umd.edu

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Patrick McNamara, MS Student, St. Leger Lab
Research: Macro and micro-evolution of entomopathogenic fungi, and the impact of climate change on insect-pathogen relationships. 
​​pjmac@umd.edu

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Mintong Nan, PhD Student, St. Leger Lab
Research: Studying how circadian rhythms affect Metarhizium infection of Drosophila.
mnan@umd.edu

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Anthony Nearman, PhD Candidate, vanEngelsdorp Lab
Research: Using epidemiological data to drive research into the pathophysiology of honey bee diseases.​
anearman@umd.edu

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Lasair M. Ní Cochlain, PhD Student, Hamby Lab
Research: ​My research interests lie in plant-insect interactions, insect ecology, and how these relate to agricultural systems. I am particularly interested in integrated pest management. As an undergraduate at Penn State, I investigated the role of root-mediated plant kin recognition on aphid behavior and performance in genotypically diverse wheat mixtures. I plan to focus on understanding the ecological interactions that structure insect communities and developing sustainable IPM techniques for grain and small fruit crops.
lasair@umd.edu

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Demian Nunez, MS Student, Hooks Lab
Research: Studying the potential biocontrol benefits of intercropping row crops with perennial ground cover in order to increase the natural abundance of ground predators such as wolf spiders.
dnunez1@umd.edu

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 Justin O'Neill , PhD Student, BEES, Espíndola Lab​
Research: Insect ecology and conservation, specifically pollinators in endangered Serpentine Grasslands​
joneill8@umd.edu

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Eva Perry, PhD Student, Burghardt Lab 
Research: Trophic relationships between native plants, their insect herbivores, and the arthropod predators that prey on these herbivores.​
evaperry@umd.edu 


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Maddie Potter, MS Student, Shrewsbury Lab, ESO Communications Officer
Research: Studying the biology and ecology of Anastatus reduvii, a native parasitic wasp of the invasive brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB, Halyomorpha halys).
mpotter@terpmail.umd.edu

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Brendan Randall, MS Student, Burghardt Lab
Research: Studying the legume-rhizobium mutualism in soybean plants and its effects on trophic interactions as well as potential mechanisms for enhancing pest management strategies in agroecosystems
brandall@umd.edu

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Kate Reding, PhD Candidate, Pick Lab
Research: Studying the regulatory interactions underlying segmentation of the milkweed bug embryo.​
kreding@umd.edu

Tais Ribeiro photo
Tais Ribeiro, PhD Student, Espíndola Lab, ESO Vice President
Research: Studying the evolution of floral host specializations in oil-collecting bee genus Chalepogenus. ​
​tmattoso@umd.edu

Angela Saenz
Angela Sáenz, MS Student, Gruner Lab
Research: Landscape management to attract natural enemies of pests using weeds present in agroecosystems are hosts
ansaenz@umd.edu

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Jonna Sanders, PhD Student
Research: Apis mellifera carnica genetics, adaptive beehive systems for disabled persons, Small Hive Beetles.
sanderja@umd.edu

Huiyu Sheng
Huiyu Sheng, PhD Student, St. Leger Lab
Research: ​Studying on entomo-pathogenic fungi and their relationship with both plants and insects.
hysheng@umd.edu

Ali Shokoohi,
Ali Shokoohi, MS Student, Lamp Lab 
Research: Exploring the ecology of natural enemies to develop and improve sustainable pest management strategies​
shokoohi@umd.edu 

Dasry Smith
Darsy Smith, PhD Student, Lamp Lab & Graduate Student Government Representative 
Research:  Studying the influence of alfalfa cultivars and integrated pest management practices on the reproduction of natural enemies.​
​dsmith28@umd.edu

​
Website: http://www.darsysmith.com/​

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Graham Stewart, PhD Student, Palmer Lab
Research: Studying carbon cycling in restored and natural freshwater wetlands.
stewartg@umd.edu

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Aileen Taylor, MS Student, ENST, Palmer Lab
Research: Studying diurnal patterns of methane cycling in restored and natural freshwater wetland​
​ataylo29@terpmail.umd.edu

Veronica Yurchak
Veronica Yurchak, PhD Student, Hooks Lab
​Research: Studying the potential benefits of interplanted living mulches for weed suppression, insect natural enemy enhancement and pollinator conservation in vegetable systems. ​
​vjohnsono4@umd.edu

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Department of Entomology 
University of Maryland 
4112 Plant Sciences Building 
College Park, MD 20742-4454
USA

Telephone: 301.405.3911 
Fax: 301.314.9290
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Web Accessibility
  • About
    • At a Glance
    • Welcome From the Chair
    • Code of Conduct
    • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion >
      • DEI Working Group
      • Resources
    • Departmental History
    • For Alumni
    • Support Entomology >
      • Steinhauer Scholarship Fund
    • Proposal Resources
    • Contact >
      • Directions
  • News
    • News
    • Seminar Blog
    • Seminar Schedule
    • Awards
  • People
    • Faculty
    • Post Docs
    • Students
    • Staff
    • Alumni
  • Academics
    • Graduate >
      • Admissions
      • MS Degree Requirements
      • PhD Degree Requirements
      • Graduate Student Resources
      • Financial Assistance
      • Award & Funding Opportunities
      • Entomology Student Organization
    • Online Masters in Applied Entomology
    • Undergraduate >
      • Entomology Minor
      • Honors Program
  • Research
    • IPM & Biological Control of Agricultural, Urban & Forest Pests
    • Ecology, Conservation, Restoration, Climate Change >
      • Pollinator Science and Apiculture
    • Evolution, Systematics and Evo-Devo
    • Genetics & Genomics and Medical Entomology
  • Extension/Outreach
    • Educational Outreach
    • Insect Camp
    • Insect Drawings
    • Insect Identification
    • Pesticide Education and Assessment Program
    • Plant Diagnostic Laboratory (PDL)