- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
Steve Nadler, chair of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, will present the award at Page's seminar on Thursday, Nov. 29 at the International House, 10 College Park, Davis. A reception begins at 3 p.m., followed by his 4 p.m. seminar, titled "In Search of the Spirit of the Hive: a 30-Year Quest."
Page, provost emeritus of Arizona State University (ASU) and Regents Professor since 2015, continues his research, teaching and public service in both Arizona and California and has residences in both states.
Page, who relates he will be "officially retiring and living in California" in December, maintained a honey bee breeding program managed by bee breeder-geneticist Kim Fondrk at the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility, UC Davis, for 24 years, from 1989 to 2015.
Page focuses his research on honey bee behavior and population genetics, particularly the evolution of complex social behavior. One of his most salient contributions to science was to construct the first genomic map of the honey bee, which sparked a variety of pioneering contributions not only to insect biology but to genetics at large.
Page and his lab pioneered the use of modern techniques to study the genetic bases to the evolution of social behavior in honey bees and other social insects. He was the first to employ molecular markers to study polyandry and patterns of sperm use in honey bees. He provided the first quantitative demonstration of low genetic relatedness in a highly eusocial species.
He continues to work on how reproductive regulatory networks are altered by natural selection for division of labor in honey bees. “It was a controversial proposal when Gro Amdam (his former postdoc at UC Davis) and I first proposed it, but I think it is now an excepted paradigm and has been shown have occurred in different species of social and non-social Hymenoptera.”
Born and reared in Bakersfield, Kern County, Page received his bachelor's degree in entomology, with a minor in chemistry, from San Jose State University in 1976. After receiving his doctorate from UC Davis, he began his career at The Ohio State University, in 1986 and then returned to Davis in 1989 to accept an associate professor position in 1989. He served as department chair from 1999 to 2004, when he was recruited to be the founding director of the School of Life Sciences of ASU. His career advanced to dean of Life Sciences; vice provost and dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; and provost.
He considers his most far-reaching and important accomplishment, the success of his mentees, including at least 25 graduate students and postdocs who are now faculty members at leading research institutions around the world. He also built two modern apicultural labs (in Ohio and Arizona), major legacies that are centers of honey bee research and training.
Among his many honors:
- Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
- Awardee of the Alexander von Humboldt Senior Scientist Award (the Humboldt Prize - the highest honor given by the German government to foreign scientists).
- Foreign Member of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences.
- Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
- Elected to the Leopoldina - the German National Academy of Sciences (the longest continuing academy in the world)
- Fellow of the Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin.
- Fellow of the Entomological Society of America.
- Awardee of the Carl Friedrich von Siemens Fellowship.
- Fellow of the California Academy of Sciences.
- Fellow, Carl Friedrich von Siemens Foundation, Munich, Germany, September 2017-August 2018
The Leigh seminar memorializes cotton entomologist Thomas Frances Leigh (1923-1993), an international authority on the biology, ecology and management of arthropod pests affecting cotton production. During his 37-year UC Davis career, based at the Shafter Research and Extension Center, also known as the U.S. Cotton Research Station, Leigh researched pest and beneficial arthropod management in cotton fields, and host plant resistance in cotton to insects, mites, nematodes and diseases.
In his memory, his family and associates established the Leigh Distinguished Alumni Seminar Entomology Fund at the UC Davis Department of Entomology. When his wife, Nina, passed in 2002, the alumni seminar became known as the Thomas and Nina Distinguished Alumni Seminar.
For reservations or more information, contact Nicole Brunn at nbrunn@ucdavis.edu.
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
Jeanne Calment of France (1875-1997), who died at age 122 (and 164 days), holds the record of the longest confirmed human lifespan. Will you live longer than that?
“Why do we live as long as we do (evolutionary question), why do we age (mechanisms question) and why do we die (closure question)?” asks biodemography expert James R. Carey, a UC Davis distinguished professor of entomology.
He'll speak on “Are There Upper Limits to Human Lifespan?” and engage the public at his Science Café presentation at 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 10 in the G St. Wunderbar, 228 G St., Davis.
Some of the topics to be discussed at the event, billed as “a conversation and dialogue with a scientist,” include:
- The trends in aging research on extending human lifespan.
- Theoretical arguments for upper limits and empirical evidence in humans
- The impact of disease elimination and organ replacement on longevity
- With the changes in human life expectancy, humans are now being given a second chance-- somewhat like the proverbial cat with nine lives--after an otherwise life-ending disease or incident
- Look to nature for perspectives on the limits of “life duration,” for example 40,000-year-old frozen nematodes; hibernation and dormancy) and limits to “active lifespan.”
An internationally recognized leader and distinguished scholar in insect demography and invasion biology, spanning three decades, Carey also researches health demography, biology of aging, and lifespan theory. He is the author of a landmark study published in the journal Science in 1992 that showed mortality of Mediterranean fruit flies (medflies) slows at older ages. Earlier this year scientists confirmed that this also occurs in humans, citing the study of 105-year-old Italian women.
Carey, who joined the UC Davis faculty in 1980, directed an 11-university, $10 million, 10-year study on biodemography of aging from 2003-2013. He is also known for discovering Carey's Equality or the death distribution in a life table population equals its age structure. He teaches a popular longevity course that draws 250 to 300 students year, and recently authored a book on biodemography, to be published by Princeton University next year.
Professor Jared Shaw, interim chair of the UC Davis Department of Chemistry and founder of the Science Café series, will host the Oct. 10th presentation. Launched in 2012 and initially supported by the National Science Foundation, the popular series now draws support from the Department of Chemistry and Division of Mathematical and Physical Sciences and is promoted by Capital Science Communicators.
The presentations are free and open to the public and take place the second Wednesday of each month. See schedule on the UC Davis Department of Chemistry website.
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
His lecture is from 4:10 to 5 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 26 in 122 Briggs Hall, announced seminar coordinator Geoffrey Attardo, assistant professor and medical entomologist, UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology.
Hoddle, an Extension specialist, received his bachelor's degree (1988) and master's degree (1991) in zoology from the University of Auckland, New Zealand. He holds a doctorate in entomology (1996) from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
Since 1997, Hoddle has focused his research on biological control as a tool to reduce the impact of invasive pest species to agriculture, urban and natural areas, with a primary focus on issues affecting California. These programs, he says, often require long periods of overseas research in the home range of the target pest and searching for and studying natural enemies for possible use in biological control.
Hoddle received the Entomological Society of America's "Recognition Award in Entomology" in 2007, after earlier winning the the Pacific Branch of ESA award.
All seminars will take place on Wednesdays at 4:10 in 122 Briggs Hall, located on Kleiber Hall Drive.
Upcoming seminars:
Wednesday, Oct. 3
Daniel Karp, assistant professor in the UC Davis Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology: "Harmonizing Biodiversity Conservation with Agricultural Production Across Working Landscapes"
Host: Jay Rosenheim, professor, UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology
Wednesday, Oct. 10
Geoffrey Attardo, assistant professor in Department of Entomology and Nematology: "Comparative Genomic Anaylsis of the Tsetse Fly: The Genetics of Lactation, Seminal Proteins and Other Unique Adaptations"
Wednesday, Oct. 17
Arnaud Martin, assistant professor of biology, George Washington University: "Do Butterflies Dream of Genetic Tattoos? Exploring the Genotype-Phenotype Map Using CRISPR"
Host: Geoffrey Attardo
Wednesday, Oct. 24
Naoki Yamanaka, assistant professor, UC Riverside: "A Membrane Transporter Is Required for Cellular Uptake of Ecdysone"
Host: Geoffrey Attardo
Wednesday, Oct. 31
Fred Wolf, assistant professor, UC Merced: (tentative title) "Drunken Drosophila and the Coding of Brain Plasticity"
Host: Joanna Chiu, associate professor and vice chair, UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology
Wednesday, Nov. 7
Lark Coffey, assistant professor in the Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine: "Zika Virus in Macaques, Mice and Mosquitoes: Contrasting Virulence and Transmissibility in Disparate Hosts"
Host: Geoffrey Attardo
Wednesday, Nov. 14
(No seminar; Entomological Society of America's annual meeting takes place from Nov. 11-14 in Vancouver, B.C.)
Wednesday, Nov. 21
(No seminar; Thanksgiving week)
Wednesday, Nov. 28
Robert Page, Provost emeritus of the University of Arizona and emeritus professor and chair of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology: "Reverse Engineering Social Structure in Honey Bees: a 25-Year Journey"
Host: Steve Nadler, professor and chair, UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology
Wednesday, Dec. 5
Cindy Preto, recent graduate (master's degree in entomology from UC Davis, Frank Zalom lab) "Behavior and Biology of the Three-Cornered Alfalfa Hopper in Vineyards."
Host: Frank Zalom, distinguished professor, UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology
For more information on the seminars, contact Attardo at gmattardo@ucdavis.edu.
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
Coordinator Geoffrey Attardo, assistant professor and medical entomologist said that the seminars will take place on Wednesdays at 4:10 in 122 Briggs Hall, located on Kleiber Hall Drive. Exception: Arnaud Martin will speak on Friday, Oct. 19 at noon in 122 Briggs Hall.
Robert Page, provost emeritus of the University of Arizona and emeritus professor and chair of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, has been selected the recipient of the Thomas and Nina Leigh Distinguished Alumni Award. He will give a seminar on on Thursday, Nov. 29 at the International House, 10 College Park, Davis. A reception begins at 3 p.m., followed by his 4 p.m. seminar, titled "In Search of the Spirit of the Hive: a 30-Year Quest."
The seminars for the fall quarter:
4:10 p.m., Wedneday, Sept. 26
Mark Hoddle, Extension entomologist and director of the Center for Invasive Species Research, University of California, Riverside, will speak on “Protecting California Agriculture from Invasive Pests: Biocontrol of Asian Citrus Psyllid in Urban Southern California."
Host: Geoffrey Attardo
4:10 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 3
Daniel Karp, assistant professor in the UC Davis Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology: "Harmonizing Biodiversity Conservation with Agricultural Production Across Working Landscapes"
Host: Jay Rosenheim, professor, UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology
4:10 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 10
Geoffrey Attardo, assistant professor, UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology: "Comparative Genomic Anaylsis of the Tsetse Fly: The Genetics of Lactation, Seminal Proteins and Other Unique Adaptations"
Noon, Friday, Oct. 19 (change from initial schedule of 4:10 p.m., Oct. 17)
Arnaud Martin, assistant professor of biology, George Washington University: "Do Butterflies Dream of Genetic Tattoos? Exploring the Genotype-Phenotype Map Using CRISPR"
Host: Geoffrey Attardo
4:10 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 24
Naoki Yamanaka, assistant professor, UC Riverside: "A Membrane Transporter Is Required for Cellular Uptake of Ecdysone"
Host: Geoffrey Attardo
4:10 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 31
Fred Wolf, assistant professor, UC Merced: (tentative title) "Drunken Drosophila and the Coding of Brain Plasticity"
Host: Joanna Chiu, associate professor and vice chair, UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology
4:10 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 7
Lark Coffey, assistant professor in the Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine: "Zika Virus in Macaques, Mice and Mosquitoes: Contrasting Virulence and Transmissibility in Disparate Hosts"
Host: Geoffrey Attardo
Wednesday, Nov. 14
(No seminar; Entomological Society of America's annual meeting takes place from Nov. 11-14 in Vancouver, B.C.)
Wednesday, Nov. 21
(No seminar; Thanksgiving week)
Wednesday, Nov. 28
(No seminar)
4 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 29: Thomas and Nina Leigh Distinguished Alumni Seminar, Nov. 29
Recipient is Robert Page, Provost emeritus of the University of Arizona and emeritus professor and chair of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology. He will give a seminar on on Thursday, Nov. 29 at the International House, 10 College Park, Davis. A reception begins at 3 p.m., followed by his 4 p.m. seminar, titled "In Search of the Spirit of the Hive: a 30-Year Quest."
4:10 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 5
Cindy Preto, recent graduate (master's degree in entomology from UC Davis, Frank Zalom lab) "Behavior and Biology of the Three-Cornered Alfalfa Hopper in Vineyards."
Host: Frank Zalom, distinguished professor, UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology
For more information on the seminars, contact Attardo at gmattardo@ucdavis.edu.
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
The garden, planted in the fall of 2009, is located on Bee Biology Road, next to the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility, west of the central campus. Director of the haven is Extension apiculturist Elina L. Niño.
"In addition to our popular catch-and-release bee activity, we'll be holding a plant and solitary bee house sale," said academic program manager Christine Casey. (See the plant list.)
"There will also be an exhibit of bee photographs by our volunteer photographer Allan Jones," Casey announced. Jones, a Davis resident, frequently photographs bees in the haven and in the UC Davis Arboretum.
Visitors can also see recommendations about what to plant for bees this fall, including information from the ongoing research trials.
The garden was founded and "came to life" during the term of interim department chair, Professor Lynn Kimsey, director of the Bohart Museum of Entomology, who coordinated the entire project. A Sausalito team--landscape architects Donald Sibbett and Ann F. Baker, interpretative planner Jessica Brainard and exhibit designer Chika Kurotaki--designed the garden as the winners of the international competition.
A six-foot long mosaic and ceramic sculpture of a worker bee, the work of self-described "rock artist" Donna Billick, anchors the garden. The UC Davis Art/Science Fusion Program, founded and directed by the duo of entomologist/artist Diane Ullman, professor and former chair of the UC Davis Department of Entomology, and Billick, coordinated the art in the garden through their classes.
The garden is open to the public--no admission--from dawn to dusk.
