Lab Members | Wisconsin Vegetable Entomology

Dr. Russell Groves

Professor, Department Chair, and Vegetable Extension Specialist Phone: (608) 262-3229 Email: groves@entomology.wisc.edu Curriculum Vitae

Education

Ph.D. Entomology – N.C. State University, 2001 M.S. Entomology – University of Arkansas, 1992 B.S. Forestry – Iowa State University, 1989

About me

As a Vegetable Extension Specialist (65%) and Applied Insect Ecologist (35%) in the Department of Entomology at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, my responsibilities include the development, implementation, and delivery of a research-based, extension program to support integrated pest management of insect and mite pests affecting fresh-market and processing vegetable production in Wisconsin. My extension and research program is centered on the ecology and management of insects of commercial and fresh market vegetable crops. To meet current and emerging challenges, novel research approaches are formulated in response to the stated needs of Wisconsin vegetable growers and producers, cooperating statewide and regional Extension Specialists, County Extension Agricultural Agents, pest management practitioners, crop consultants, and other agribusiness stakeholders in order to assess immediate and developing pest problems. Next, my research program tests hypotheses that further the understanding of pest population biology based on sound ecological principles derived from a combination of both field and laboratory research. Here, it is essential to balance the development of short-term solutions to these immediate and emerging problems, which out of necessity may require purely empirical and at times ad-hoc approaches, with research to develop fundamental concepts and knowledge that will lead to the development of long-term sustainable solutions. Solutions and strategies developed for the commercial and fresh-market vegetable industry must be durable, economical and both environmentally and socially acceptable to remain effective against key, vegetable pest species affecting the industry. As an extension educator, it is my goal to create an environment conducive to learning and information exchange where vegetable industry stakeholders can be motivated to acquire new information, concepts and skills. A successful extension and research program is most often the result of a team of collaborators working together. My extension and applied research-based program collaborates with research and extension faculty within the departments of Entomology, Horticulture, Plant Pathology, and Crop Science at the University of Wisconsin as well as scientists from other institutions.

Research Staff

Dr. Scott Chapman

chapman@entomology.wisc.edu Scott has long been associated with the Department of Entomology here at the University of Wisconsin where he received by a M.S (1998) and a PhD (2003) under the direction of Dr. Jeffrey Wyman. After completion of his advanced degree, Scott continued to work in the Vegetable Entomology program and soon thereafter also assumed responsibilities in the Field and Forage Crops Plant Pathology program. He is responsible in part for planning, conducting, evaluating, analyzing, and reporting field research on the management of insect pests and plant pathogens on vegetable and field cropping systems, as well as recruiting, training, and managing summer hourly employees. Scott is also responsible for planning and conducting residue trials for minor crop registrations using IR4, GLP protocols. Education: Ph.D. Entomology – University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2003 M.S. Entomology – University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1998 B.S. Biology – University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, 1995

Ben Bradford

bbradford@wisc.edu Ben completed his M.S. degree in the Groves Lab and is continuing on in the lab working on a variety of projects, including the upkeep of this website. During his time as a graduate student, he explored the problem of groundwater contamination by neonicotinoid insecticides, specifically thiamethoxam, by surveying high-capacity irrigation wells in the Central Sands vegetable growing region of Wisconsin. In addition to describing the spatial extent and magnitude of this contamination, his thesis explored of the relationship between neonicotinoid contamination and landscape composition in the vicinity of sampled wells. Prior to moving to Wisconsin to pursue a degree in Entomology, Ben worked with the USDA-ARS Aquatic and Invasive Weeds Research Unit in Davis and Albany, CA. Education: M.S. Entomology – University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2016 B.S. Biology – University of California, Davis, 2008

Graduate Students

Chris Blume

cjblume@wisc.edu Chris is currently a Ph.D. student in the Groves Lab. He is researching the genetics of corn rootworm and how resistance to insecticides and transgenic Bt corn is influenced by landscape and agronomic factors.

Victoria Salerno

vasalerno@wisc.edu I started off my undergrad as a PreMed major, but after stumbling into a entomology-focused research lab at UWL, I found a deep LOVE for insects (especially bees!) and immediately changed my major. I am wholeheartedly excited to begin working with the Steffan lab and to begin researching native bee ecology in cranberry ecosystems. I am excited to dive into investigating novel methods of bee conservation and broaden our understanding of native bee ecology. As Wisconsin is one of the largest cranberry producers in the country, I look forward to positively impacting my home state through my research. I adore the outdoors and am currently enjoying hiking, playing tennis, and volunteering at the Dane County Humane Society. My favorite place in the area to spend time outdoors is Devil’s Lake State Park. I also am always up to try new things, so if you are looking for another teammate to play volleyball or want to go birding, I’m in!

Claire Schloemer

cschloemer@wisc.edu I have always been fascinated by agriculture and the ways we produce our food, especially our vegetables. I’m from St. Marys, Ohio where I got my first real exposure to agriculture through FFA, followed by earning my bachelor’s degree in Agronomy from Purdue University where I discovered a real interest in IPM strategies to manage pests in our agricultural systems. I expanded this interest with my master’s degree in Entomology from Auburn University where I researched organic pest management of insects and nematodes. I’m excited to get started at UW-Madison this fall working with the Groves Lab to test more sustainable pest control options for potato growers in the state. I recently wrapped up a dream job in Glacier National Park where I managed a horse corral offering trail rides. I love to hike, hang out with doggies, and I’m really looking forward to exploring what Madison has to offer!

Emma Terris

eterris@wisc.edu I am from the Twin Cities area in Minnesota and am so excited to begin the second chapter of my Wisconsin experience! Originally pursuing the PreMed track, I switched my focus after working as a summer field researcher in Wisconsin and becoming more interested in food systems. Some areas of research that excite me are anything involving genetics and genomics, the interaction between humans and the environment, and global health topics as they relate to agriculture. In the fall I will be joining the Schoville lab working with potato beetles, which I am quite acquainted with from my brief time in the field.

Morgan Weissner

weissner@wisc.edu My name is Morgan and I am from Chicago, Illinois. I have always had a special interest for insects which has led me into the field of Entomology! Growing up in a city, I definitely did not have much exposure to a wide range of insects, but I have greatly enjoyed being able to expand my knowledge and connection with them through my education. I finished my Bachelor’s in entomology with a certificate in sustainability here at UW, and my time as an undergraduate introduced me to the aspects of IPM and insects in agricultural settings. My grandparents owned their own farm here in Wisconsin for most of their lives, so working with insects in agriculture is a great connection to my own and my family’s experiences!

Sumikshya (Sumi) KC

sumikshya.kc@wisc.edu

I’m Sumikshya K.C., from Solukhumbu, Nepal, the homeland of Mount Everest. I completed my Bachelor’s in Agriculture from Tribhuvan University, Nepal in 2019. I started my career as a field enumerator in a USAID project at CIMMYT Nepal. Later, I joined as an Agriculture Instructor at Shree Garma Secondary School, Solukhumbu. It’s been a fantastic experience tutoring students and conducting lab and field research. Continuing with my passion, I co-authored a book named ‘A Textbook of Agricultural Entomology’, a reference book for students pursuing plant science at the intermediate level in Nepal. Furthermore, I am working on publishing a Short Communication Paper titled ‘Diversity of Butterflies at Garma, Solukhumbu’ and a few other articles.

I have a keen interest in studying insects, specifically insect pollinators like wild bees and their conservation. I will be working on Professor Dr Claudio Gratton’s lab and his project called Wi-Bee 2.0. It is a research-extension project focused on developing a citizen science application to determine the abundance and diversity of wild bees at Wisconsin. I am interested in research on safeguarding the habitats of these native pollinators and developing effective crop pollination management tools. It is necessary to explore the impacts on the population dynamics of native pollinators due to changing environments and restore their habitat and resources.

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