- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
The Zoom link is https://ucdavis.zoom.us/j/8120304398
Homicz focuses her research on the interactions between bark beetles and fire, including the effect of bark beetles on tree mortality after prescribed burning and mechanical thinning in the Sierra Nevada. She is also monitoring increases in fuel loads following a western pine beetle outbreak in the southern and central Sierra Nevada.
Homicz is advised by research forest entomologist Christopher Fettig of the Pacific Southwest Research Station, Davis, and molecular geneticist/physiologist Joanna Chiu, professor and vice chair of the department.
Fettig was a colleague of the late Steve Seybold (1959-2019), a Pacific Southwest Research Station research entomologist and a department lecturer and researcher. Seybold, who served as Homicz' first advisor, was one of the pioneering scientists researching the newly discovered thousand cankers disease (TCD), caused by the walnut twig beetle, Pityophthorus juglandis, in association with the canker-producing fungus, Geosmithia morbida.
Homicz holds associate of science degrees in biology and natural sciences from Shasta College (2016), and a bachelor of science degree in animal biology, with an emphasis in entomology, from UC Davis (2018). Her practicum (with Seybold as advisor): “Landing Behavior of the Walnut Twig Beetle on Host and Non-host Hardwood Trees under the Influence of Aggregation Pheromone in a Northern California Riparian Forest."
As an undergraduate student, Homicz served in the labs of Seybold and James Carey, UC Davis distinguished professor of entomology. As a graduate student, she has served as a teaching assistant for the Animal Biology major, and Introduction to Evolution and Ecology, and as a guest lecturer (forest entomology) in Introduction to Entomology, ENT 10. She presents her research at Entomological Society of America meetings, and at forest-affiliated conferences.
Homicz taught the fundamentals of forestry, including forest ecology, forest measurements and silviculture, at an eight-week UC Berkeley Forestry Camp in 2019. The camp culminated with a capstone project of developing a forest management plant for a 160-acre stand.
Active in campus and community projects, Homicz is a member of the UC Davis Graduate Student Association (EGSA) and represents EGSA at meetings of the campuswide UC Davis Graduate Student Association. She is also a member and former treasurer of UC Davis Entomology Club, advised by forensic entomologist Robert Kimsey. Homicz assisted with Kimsey's Pacific Deathwatch Beetle Surveys on Alcatraz Island.
As a volunteer at the UC Davis Bohart Museum of Entomology, Homicz sorted and identified specimens and integrated specimens into the museum collection. She also participates in the Bohart Museum outreach activities.
An article she co-authored, "Fire and Insect Interactions in North American Forests," is pending publication in Current Forest Reports. Among her other publications:
- Homicz, C.S., C.J. Fettig, A.S. Munson, and D.R. Cluck. 2022. Western pine beetle. USDA Forest Service, Forest Insect and Disease Leaflet # 1, 16pp. https://www.fs.fed.us/foresthealth/docs/fidls/FIDL-01-WesternPineBeetle.pdf
- Homicz, C.S., J. P. Audley, Y. Chen, R. M. Bostock, S. J. Seybold. 2020. Landing Behavior of the Walnut Twig Beetle on Host and Non-Host Hardwood Trees under the Influence of Aggregation Pheromone in a Northern California Riparian Forest. Agriculture and Forest Entomology.
- Audley, J. P., C. S. Homicz, R. M. Bostock, S. J. Seybold. 2020. A Study of Landing Behavior by the Walnut Twig Beetle, Pityophthorus juglandis, Among Host and Non-Host Hardwood Trees in a Northern California Riparian Forest. Agriculture and Forest Entomology
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
Her seminar begins at 4:10 p.m. The Zoom link is https://ucdavis.zoom.us/j/99515291076. The host is doctoral candidate Xavier Zahnle of the Jason Bond lab, UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology.
"I use arthropod appendages as a model to understand how ancient structures like gills and legs evolve and innovate over hundreds of millions of years," Bruce writes in her abstract. "My work suggests that many unexpected structures, such as the insect wing and the crustacean carapace, are derived from a shared ancestral structure. This has deep implications for how we assume genetic networks evolve over vast phylogenetic distances: rather than repeated co-option events, my work suggests that genetic networks are more ancient, more evolvable, and more predictable than currently thought."
A native of the San Francisco Bay area, Heather moved with her family to Cornville, Ariz., at age 12. She holds an associate of arts degree in biological sciences (2006) from Yavapai College, Prescott, Ariz., and a bachelor's degree in cell/cellular and molecular biology (2010) from the University of Arizona. She received her doctorate in cell/cellular and molecular biology from UC Berkeley in 2017.
Bruce authored Insect Wings and Body Wall Evolved from Ancient Leg Segments, published in bioRxiv in January 2018. She wrote: "Researchers have long debated the origin of insect wings. One theory proposes that the proximal portion of the ancestral crustacean leg became incorporated into the body, which moved the leg's epipod (multi-functional lobe, e.g. gill) dorsally, up onto the back to form insect wings. Another theory proposes that the dorsal insect body wall co-opted crustacean epipod genes to form wings. Alternatively, wings may be derived from both leg and body wall (dual origin). To determine whether wings can be traced to ancestral, pre-insect structures, or arose by co-option, comparisons are necessary between insects and arthropods more representative of the ancestral state, where the hypothesized proximal leg region is not fused to the body wall."
"To do so," she continued, "we examined the function of five leg gap genes in the crustacean Parhyale hawaiensis and compared this to previous functional data from insects. Here we show, using CRISPR-Cas9 mutagenesis, that leg segment deletion phenotypes of all five leg gap genes in Parhyale align to those of insects only by including the hypothesized fused ancestral proximal leg region. We also argue that possession of eight leg segments is the ancestral state for crustaceans. Thus, Parhyale incorporated one leg segment into the body, which now bears the tergal plate, while insects incorporated two leg segments into the body, the most proximal one bearing the wing. We propose a model wherein much of the body wall of insects, including the entire wing, is derived from these two ancestral proximal leg segments, giving the appearance of a dual origin. This model explains many observations in favor of either the body wall, epipod, or dual origin of insect wings."
As a research scientist, Bruce led an independent research project from 2018-2018 in the San Francisco Bay Area where "I integrated CRISPR-Cas9 data with previous research spanning 130 years and several disciplines to demonstrate that all arthropods use the same leg patterning system, and that insect wings evolved from crustacean gills."
Nematologist Shahid Siddique, assistant professor, UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, is coordinating the spring seminars. For Zoom technical issues, contact him at ssiddique@ucdavis.edu.
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
The hybrid event, organized by the Brazilian Academy of Sciences and CNPq and featuring the keynote lecture and five round tables, is set April 26-27. Registration is underway at https://forms.gle/QKhrbfp7gNuYLUDY8. The seminar, in Portuguese with English translations, will be live on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytBA4OA9aOc.
Leal, a corresponding member of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences and a native of Brazil, is a distinguished professor with the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, College of Biological Sciences, and former chair of the Department of Entomology, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. In his keynote lecture, Leal will call attention to the CNPq-UC Davis program, “Science without Borders,” which he helped launch 10 years ago to support undergraduate, graduate students and postdoctoral studies at UC Davis.
Leal's hybrid presentation (part recorded and part live) will focus on three “Science Without Border” students whose education at UC Davis played a critical role in launching their careers. One is now an assistant professor at Penn State; another is a data scientist at a Brazilian university; and the third is an entrepreneur. “And one of them met her husband at UC Davis,” Leal related.
- UC Davis Chancellor Gary May will congratulate CNPq in the name of UC Davis, which houses nearly 100 faculty with professional links to Brazil.
- UC Davis distinguished professor Bruce Hammock, the 35-year director of the federally funded UC Davis Superfund Research Program (SRP) (and who holds a joint appointment with the Department of Entomology and Nematology and the Comprehensive Cancer Center), will discuss the history of SRP and his dedication to hosting many Brazilian students, postdocs, and other collaborators.
- UC Irvine distinguished professor Anthony James, professor of microbiology and molecular genetics, who collaborates with UC Davis professor Greg Lanzaro of the School of Veterinary Medicine, will discuss how philanthropy helps to shape current vector biology research.
- World-renowned economist Jose Scheinkman of Brazil, who received an early career scholarship that shaped his career path to the University of Chicago, Princeton, and now Columbia University, will discuss how CNPq plays a key role in the Brazilian scientific economy and its training of scientists.
- John Wingfield, distinguished emeritus professor, UC Davis Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, College of Biological Sciences, and former head of the Directorate of Biological Sciences at the National Science Foundation (NSF), will share information on how NSF operates.
Other participants will include Sally Rockey, inaugural executive director of the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research; Sonny Ramaswamy, former administrator of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture; Professor John Hildebrand, International Secretary of the National Academy of Sciences; Daniel Mucida, head of the Laboratory of Mucosal Immunology at Rockefeller University; Nantel Suzuki, program executive of NASA's Human Landing System; and Scott Hutchins, former Deputy Under Secretary of Agriculture.
Brazilian biomedical scientist Helena Nader will be inaugurated next month as the first female president in the 106-year-history of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences.
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
Squirm, maggots, squirm!
If you look behind the scenes of the entomological activities at the 108th annual UC Davis Picnic Day on Saturday, April 23 at Briggs Hall, you'll see a Department of Entomology and Nematology doctoral candidate coordinating everything from Roach Races to Maggot Art.
“I'm really excited to get our events up and running again after two years," said Danielle Rutkowski, the UC Davis Graduate Student Association (EGSA) coordinator of the department's Picnic Day activities at Briggs Hall (with forensic entomologist and faculty member Robert Kimsey).
COVID-19 pandemic cancelled the in-person UC Davis Picnic Day in both 2020 and 2021, but not 2022, nor the renewed enthusiasm.
“Coordinating events has been challenging, mostly because I've only been to one in-person Picnic Day myself!" said Rutkowski, who enrolled in the doctoral program in 2018, and is advised by associate professor Rachel Vannette and UC Davis distinguished professor Richard Karban.
"But it's been fun to work with other graduate students and the entomology club to get our exhibits from previous years back together. This is the first Picnic Day for many students in the department, so I want to make sure it's a fun experience for volunteers as well as visitors.”
Entomological activities at Briggs Hall will include Bug Doctor and Doctor Death booths; displays featuring honey bees, ants, mosquitoes, integrated pest management, forest entomology, medical entomology and agricultural entomology; and EGSA's insect-themed t-shirt sales, as well as the crowd-pleasing Roach Races and Maggot Art. And more. (See schedule at Briggs and Bohart Museum of Entomology.)
“The Roach Races are a definite favorite of the public; they're really high energy and a lot of fun," Rutkowski said. "And the (American) roaches are from a colony that the entomology club cares for, so they can return home after a hard day of racing. Maggot Art is another popular event among visitors, and we order the maggots from a bait supplier.”
Rutkowski says there are plenty of events “that I haven't seen before, and I'm looking forward to being a part of them this year. We'll have a lot of displays set up in Briggs 122, which I'm excited to see. We'll be bringing back some previous displays on forest entomology and medical entomology, as well as some new displays on agricultural entomology and caterpillar biology.”
Her research is funded by a three-year USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) pre-doctoral fellowship of $180,000; it provides tuition stipends and research funding to study the impacts and mechanisms of fungicide and bee-associated fungi on bumble bee health. Her other grants or scholarships include a 2020 Academic Senate grant of $25,000 to research the effects of fungicide on the health and microbiome composition of bumble bees; three George H. Vansell Scholarships (2019, 2020 and 2021 totaling $8950) to study the effects of fungicide on the health and microbiome composition of bumble bees; and a 2018-2020 UC Davis Eugene Cota-Robles Fellowship of $95,200.
Danielle holds a bachelor of science degree from Cornell University in entomology and biological sciences, with a concentration in ecology and evolutionary biology. She graduated in May 2018 summa cum laude with distinction in research.
At Cornell, Rutkowski worked with Professor Richard Lindroth on multiple projects investigating how genotype and environmental conditions interact to affect the growth, defense, and insect community of aspen trees. She did independent research with Professor Jennifer Thaler, carrying out an independent honor's thesis research project on ecological interactions between insect herbivores, plants, and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Rutkowski also worked with Thaler on numerous other projects, studying interactions between potato plants, Colorado potato beetles, and their predators, as well as projects studying the interactions between arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, tomato plants, and insect herbivores.
Active in the Entomological Society of America (ESA), Rutkowski presented her research at the annual meetings in 2017, 2018 and 2021, and received the President's Prize (first place) in both 2017 and 2021. Rutkowski has also served as a member of the UC Davis graduate student group, Equity in Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, and Entrepreneurship (ESTEME), planning activities and lessons for middle school students in the Davis area.
But for now, Danielle Rutkowski is juggling (1) her research on bumble bees (2) her dedication to her academic studies and (3) her mentoring and student teaching with (4) her commitment to public service: coordinating the highly popular Roach Races, Maggot Art and other entomological activities at the UC Davis Picnic Day's campuswide open house.
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
Professor Denison, who retired in 2018, joined the department in 1992 and advanced to professor in 1997. He served as a researcher in the UC Davis SRP, funded by National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), for more than 25 years.
Over a 44-year period, Denison focused his research on understanding the molecular mechanisms by which a protein known as the Ah receptor mediates the biological/toxicological actions of dioxins and related chemicals. He was widely acclaimed for his development of the Chemical Activated LUciferase gene eXpression (CALUX) assay, a cell-based bioassay used to detect specific environmental contaminants, including, but not limited, to dioxin-like chemicals and environmental hormones (endocrine disruptors).
The test, approved by the intergovernmental Organization of Economic Cooperation and the U.S. Department of Environmental Protection Agency, is the international standard for detecting environmental contaminants in the protection of human health. Denison also made other seminal contributions to the Ah receptor field and was a leader in advancing the study of Ah receptor biology, said UC Davis distinguished professor Bruce Hammock, the founding director of UC Davis SRP and a close friend and colleague of Denison's.
“He is best possibly known for his fundamental work on the mechanism of action of TCDD and the translation of this knowledge into a quantitative, rapid and inexpensive assays for tetrachlorodioxin like chemicals and other chemicals that bound to the aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase receptor," Hammock said. "He went on to use the CALUX format to measure a number of other small molecule receptor interactions. Mike was also funded for much of his career by competitive grants from NIEHS, including his MS and PhD work.”
Robert Rice, professor and chair of the Department of Environmental Toxicology, said that "Mike's absence leaves quite a void in our department. Even in retirement, he continued to be a source of wisdom and amusement, and he was still an inspiration to students."
Rice added that he first met Denison in 1992 when he joined the faculty, "and I ended up being department chair in recent years after he declined the position."
Denison, trained in biology, marine biology, animal physiology and environmental toxicology, received his associate of arts degree in biology from the County College of Morris, N.J. in 1975, and his bachelor's degree in marine biology from St. Francis College, Biddeford, Maine, in 1977. He obtained his master's degree in animal physiology from Mississippi State University, Starkville, in 1980, and went on to receive his doctorate in environmental toxicology from Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y., in 1983. Denison did postdoctoral research at the Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada, from 1983 to 1985, and with Stanford University's Department of Pharmacology, 1985-1988.
Denison began his academic career as an assistant professor in the Department of Biochemistry at Michigan State University, East Lansing, from 1988 to 1992, and then relocated to the UC Davis Department of Environmental Toxicology.
Michael and his twin brother, Steven, were born on Dec. 8, 1954, in Shirley, Mass., the sons of Alan (deceased) and Alma Denison. While the father served in the U.S. Army, the family lived in numerous places around the world and settled in Wharton, N.J. when boys were 11.
“Michael was a happy and optimistic person,” said his widow Grace Bedoian, who retired in 2014 as a UC Davis SRP administrator and a member of the Hammock lab. “The only thing he took seriously was science, which he loved."
“His typical day was spent at work, conducting his research and mentoring students, returning home and making a wonderful dinner at the end of the day, and then retreating to his home office to work until the wee hours of the following morning," she said. "He maintained curiosity and wonder of the world around him. He loved to solve problems and figure out how things worked. He was generous with his friends and colleagues alike and always quick to offer his services to those in need."
Denison is survived by his widow, Grace; his mother, Alma; two brothers (Steven and Daniel) and their wives (Gloria and Angela); two nieces, two nephews, and several grandnephews.
The family thanks the staff at Yolo Cares of Davis for “their exceptional expertise, kindness and compassion in providing in-home hospice care for Michael. All of the staff members at Yolo Cares are truly angels on this earth.” In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Yolo Cares by contacting (530) 758-5566 or http://www.yolocares.org.
Donations also may be made to the Michael S. Denison, Ph.D. '83 Environmental Toxicology Research Fund, an endowment created at Cornell University by a colleague. Checks payable to Cornell University may be mailed to Cornell University, Box 37334, Boone, IA 50037-0334. In the memo field or in the correspondence, donors are asked to add: Michael S. Denison, Ph.D. '83 Environmental Toxicology Research Fund #0018594. Online gifts can be made at https://giving.cornell.edu/, notating Michael S. Denison, Ph.D. '83 Environmental Toxicology Research Fund #0018594 on the online giving form. ChristyAgnese, director of development in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cornell University, may be contacted at (607) 279-6884 for further assistance.
