Profiles of ESA Member Diversity: Navneet Kaur (P-IE and PBT Sections) and Tanja McKay (MUVE Section)

Professional entomologists can be found performing a variety of roles—in academia, governmental agencies, non-profit organizations, and in industry. Though we find ourselves in very different jobs, we often start our careers inspired by a particular insect species or by an influential mentor or mentors. Many of us can point to one moment or story that moved us toward a career in entomology, and we enjoy sharing that early enthusiasm with others. We also enjoy sharing what we’ve learned with our students, our peers, and with the general public, though we may do that in many different situations and venues. This is the third article that highlights the contributions and stories of diverse entomologists. Here we share the stories and accomplishments of Navneet Kaur, an assistant professor and extension entomologist who is a member of both PBT and P-IE sections, and Tanja McKay, a professor and a member of MUVE. Navneet and Tanja found their entomological spark during their undergraduate educations, and they both solve complicated entomological problems through their research. Both Tanja and Navneet enjoy working creatively to find answers to vexing questions, learning from their peers, and sharing their results with diverse audiences. We interviewed Navneet and Tanja to discuss their professional journeys and what they find most rewarding about being an entomologist. Organism of Inspiration: Silkworms Human Inspirations: Navneet’s Ph.D. mentors Navneet Kaur’s introduction to the world of entomology began in a way that is relatable to most of us. While earning her bachelor’s degree, Navneet took an applied entomology course; she was hooked. Now an assistant professor and extension entomologist at Oregon State University, Navneet says that class was the deciding factor in her academic path and career in agriculture and extension. What was the course? Sericulture: the rearing and cultivation of silkworms for production of silk textiles. Navneet recalls being charged with the care of one hundred silkworm larvae and feeding them mulberry leaves from decorative trees around campus, especially the ones in front of her dormitory. Silkworm larvae are ravenous and require frequent feeding to ensure a successful transition to the pupal stage, which is when silk is harvested. To earn top marks in the class, students were required to turn in 80 or more of their silkworm pupae alive! Navneet attended the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) in Ludhiana, India. The university is known for its mission statement of ensuring food security, its role in bringing the Green Revolution to India, and its reputation as the best university in the country for agricultural studies. Navneet credits the breadth of courses she took at PAU for facilitating smooth transitions between entomology and plant pathology labs throughout her career. Navneet completed her master’s degree at PAU working with mustard aphid and cruciferous vegetables before pursuing her Ph.D. in entomology from the University of Florida, with the mentorship of Eileen Buss. For her doctoral degree, Navneet studied cultural control practices and the susceptibility of St. Augustine grass to Blissus insularis, the southern chinch bug. After earning her Ph.D., Navneet completed two postdoctoral fellowships (one at Oregon State University and the other at the University of Idaho) before she accepted her current position. Navneet says that during her graduate and postdoctoral studies, she was fortunate enough to be trained by excellent mentors who involved her in extension efforts from the start. Her advisor and Jennifer Gillette-Kaufman, an associate professor at UF, allowed her to participate in collaborative, interdisciplinary research efforts. These hands-on entomologists were highly influential and great mentors to Navneet. To this day, when faced with a challenge, Navneet asks herself, “What would they do?” and adds, “Those kinds of mentors really foster your success.” Like many entomologists, Navneet loves collecting and rearing insects, and really enjoys working with insects with multiple and synchronous generations. As an extension entomologist who sees many new agricultural concerns and has to work with many different kinds of insects, she encounters no shortage of rearing challenges. Navneet says that univoltine insects are particularly challenging. With each new species reared, she enjoys learning about the plant–insect interactions. She loves the puzzle of successfully rearing an insect alongside its host species. Navneet’s responsibilities include statewide extension and applied agricultural research in the state of Oregon. She evaluates new insecticide chemistries, investigates host-plant resistance, and explores biological control options for the development and implementation of integrated pest management in field crops. Reconnaissance is an important part of Navneet’s job; it gives her the opportunity to learn about the problems faced by industry so that she can help growers and crop consultants. Understanding these factors steers the objectives of Navneet’s program. After the hard work of research and problem-solving over multiple seasons, Navneet finds it highly rewarding to present the results of her work to the people who started that line of inquiry, helping them meet their challenges as field crop growers. She says that one of her favorite parts of being an extension entomologist is helping people. In addition to her research and extension responsibilities, Navneet is also an editor of the Pacific Northwest Insect Management Handbook, a highly valuable resource to growers, crop consultants, and others in the agriculture industry. Navneet also serves as a reviewer for several ESA journals, as a judge and moderator at both branch and annual ESA meetings, and as a member of the executive committee of the Pacific Branch of the ESA. Navneet values serving ESA in these capacities. She feels responsible to contribute to ESA’s mission and enjoys working alongside both seasoned and newer members. She finds volunteering a proactive and productive form of networking, as well as an opportunity to learn from others. Navneet’s proudest achievement in her career is the recognition of her research and extension work by her peers in entomology. She says, “It is always nice to hear about the impact you are making in your field of study.” Organism of Inspiration: Damselflies Human Inspirations: Alberto Broce and Olga Kukal Tanja is a professor of entomology in the Department of Biological Sciences at Arkansas State University, Jonesboro. She also holds a partial appointment with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. Throughout her career, Tanja has learned to be flexible, think outside the box, and explore new areas of entomology. Though moving into new research areas forced Tanja outside of her comfort zone, she learned unexpected things and made novel research contributions. Tanja enthusiastically says that it is great to move into new topics and grow to become a recognized expert in these new areas. Tanja grew up in Nova Scotia, Canada; she became interested in nature and animals as a young child. Tanja’s parents had a lot to do with this by taking her on nature hikes and canoe trips. Tanja would bring garter snakes into the house, and her parents would let her keep them inside for two or three weeks before releasing them in the garden. Tanja’s parents always introduced her to new things; she remembers taking violin classes and completing an insect collection—using sewing pins to mount insects—for a science project in the fifth grade. Tanja’s inclination toward science motivated her to apply to The Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, to pursue a B.S. in biology. Her love for insects increased during her undergraduate studies through studying damselflies under the mentorship of Olga Kukal, who inspired Tanja to become an entomologist. Tanja learned how temperature and microclimate affected the spatial and temporal distribution of populations of three damselfly species in a pond in her parents’ backyard over the summer. Tanja took entomology classes in her last years at Acadia University and stayed an extra year to complete her honors project on damselflies, which served as a stepping stone for admission to a graduate program. Tanja then moved to the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, where she started her master’s program in veterinary entomology under the supervision of Terry Galloway. Tanja was introduced to animal farms and the entomological problems associated with large manure piles. Within weeks of her arrival in Winnipeg, Tanja was down on her hands and knees looking for housefly pupae to recover parasitic wasps. As she sorted through large accumulations of cow manure with forceps, she wondered what she had gotten into. However, after learning about the fascinating biology of these wasps, Tanja was hooked! Her entomological interests grew through her research and the insect taxonomy classes taught by Rob Roughley. Tanja also improved her teaching skills as a teaching assistant in lab sections of general entomology. As a graduate student, Tanja gained access to scientific meetings with the chance to meet other livestock entomologists. One of the first meetings Tanja attended was a Livestock Insect Workers Conference (LIWC) in Kerrville, Texas. Tanja’s mother advised her not to talk to strangers at the airports, but she forgot this when she saw Roger Moon and his graduate student, Peter James (University of Minnesota), with the LIWC pamphlet. Tanja introduced herself to them, and soon they convinced her not to take a bus from San Antonio to Kerrville, but to travel with them by car to the meeting. The drive turned out to be a wonderful experience. Roger took them to see the sights of San Antonio before heading to Kerrville. Though Tanja’s mom never knew about the ride, the meeting was a great experience for her. Tanja began to realize the importance of meeting people and connecting with colleagues, including Alberto Broce, a veterinary entomologist at Kansas State University, Manhattan. As Tanja was finishing her master’s thesis, she started looking for a Ph.D. program. She reconnected with Alberto Broce, who was interested in conducting a project on fly parasitoids. Broce was an excellent intellectual influence for Tanja; he asked the right questions and would act as a devil’s advocate to challenge his students. Tanja was also influenced by Greg Zolnerowich, who helped her acquire interview skills, prepare for the job market, and negotiate faculty positions. Tanja also met a variety of faculty and students that were musicians like her; they would have potluck dinners during the weekends and play music. During her time in Manhattan, Tanja also met her husband, Jorge Ayala, a Panamanian graduate student. Job hunting is complicated for two scientists in a relationship. Tanja and Jorge moved to the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville so that Tanja could work with Carrol Dayton Steelman as a postdoctoral associate, studying fly parasitoids for two years. Fortunately, Jorge was recruited for a research position at the university. This project was a great experience for Tanja because she studied fly parasitoids in poultry facilities. Tanja recalls northwestern Arkansas as a beautiful place to live; Fayetteville also had a good music scene. She remembers those times as fun—meeting wonderful people, eating good food, and listening to excellent music. In Fayetteville, Jorge and Tanja had their oldest daughter, Malena, near the end of Tanja’s postdoc. Tanja interviewed for faculty positions with three-week old Malena in a tiny bassinet. She accepted an assistant professor position at Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, beginning in August 2004. As an assistant professor, Tanja faced new challenges. Her second child, Adriana, was born as Tanja was working toward tenure. Tanja had a heavy teaching load, with two classes and labs each semester, along with establishing her research program. As she did in the past, Tanja found ways to thrive in her new role. Jorge was supportive of Tanja’s career, and Tanja recruited excellent graduate students, who were successful in coursework and research projects. Funding her research was also difficult at first; cattle and poultry farms are not a good source of revenue in northeastern Arkansas. Tanja decided to move in other research directions to make her lab more viable in the long term. She began to collaborate with Arkansas State faculty to write educational grants. Her first funded project was a National Science Foundation grant that provided new skill sets to K–12 teachers, giving them access to new science modules for their classrooms. Tanja also expanded her research into canine heartworm associated with mosquitoes and integrated pest management for stored rice. Northern Arkansas is known for rice production, and the flooded fields near communities can result in problems with mosquitoes. Tanja’s ability to adapt has given rise to a thriving research program. She has initiated cooperative projects that total $8.7 million dollars. Today, Tanja shares all her experiences, along with training and professional development, with graduate students at Arkansas State University. Alix Whitener is a technical services manager for the Pacific Northwest region at FMC Corporation and is president-elect of PB-ESA. Alvaro Romero is an associate professor of urban entomology at New Mexico State University and a member of MUVE. Rebecca Simmons is a professor of biology at the University of North Dakota and the 2021 president of SysEB. Jessica L. Ware is an associate curator of invertebrate zoology at the American Museum of Natural History, vice president of ESA, and part of the Entomologists of Color collective.

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