ESA Science Policy Fellows Class of 2021

science policy fellows 2021

  • Ms. Anna M. Briggs, a PhD candidate in entomology at the University of Idaho, studies biological factors that impact the transmission of malaria parasites to the mosquito host. 
  • Ms. Leah Buchman, a PhD candidate at Texas A&M University, studies plant-insect-microbe interactions and their role in IPM in agricultural systems as well as the public perception of emerging technologies in agriculture at The Bush School of Government and Public Service.
  • Dr. Melissa Nolan, an assistant professor at the University of South Carolina, is a clinical epidemiologist researching the complex factors that result in vector-human transmission of Chagas disease and Spotted Fever Group Rickettsioses throughout the Americas.
  • Dr. Ashfaq Sial, an associate professor at the University of Georgia, holds research, extension, and teaching appointments, and serves as IPM Coordinator for the state of Georgia. His research investigates the biology and ecology of economically important insect pests of fruits crops and helps farmers implement sustainable IPM programs.
  • Dr. Judy Wu-Smart, an Extension & Research Entomologist at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, pursues research questions and extension programs focused on better understanding stressors on pollinator health in managed as well as wild bee communities.