The 2025 ESA Pacific Branch officer elections, conducted via electronic ballot, will open January 6, 2025, and close February 5, 2025, at 10:59 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time.
For additional information on voting, see ESA voting instructions. Questions? Contact elections@entsoc.org.
To see candidates, click to expand the categories below:
President-Elect
Angelita Acebes-Doria
USDA Agricultural Research Service
Bio: Dr. Acebes-Doria is a research entomologist at the USDA-ARS PBARC in Hilo, Hawaii. Her research is on insect ecology and integrated pest management (IPM) of pests in tropical tree nut and fruit (e.g., macadamia and avocado). She established the Hawaii MyIPM App providing a resource for growers and stakeholders in Hawaii. Prior to working with USDA, she was a University of Georgia assistant professor focused on IPM strategies for pecan pests. She was also involved in several IPM-centered projects involving the invasive brown marmorated stink bug in the eastern U.S. and ambrosia beetles in the southeastern U.S. She completed her B.S. at the University of the Philippines with a major in entomology and earned an M.S. from the University of Hawaii and Ph.D. from Virginia Tech. She served in the U.S. Army Reserve from 2015 to 2021.
Past ESA activity or other volunteer service: Dr. Acebes-Doria has been an ESA member for over a decade, starting as a student and continuing through her Ph.D., postdoc, university faculty position, and now as a federal research scientist. She has been a subject editor in the pest management section for ESA's Environmental Entomology journal for five years. As an early career professional, she organized several symposia for ESA Branch and Annual Meetings, participated in early career symposia and discussion forums, and served as a judge and moderator for student competitions. As a student, she volunteered at ESA Branch and Annual Meetings and was actively involved in the Entomological Games competition.
Candidate statement: My values align with ESA's commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusivity across different professional, ethnic, gender, and cultural backgrounds. As a long-time member of ESA, I have a wide range of experiences that represent the needs of the different members of the Society, spanning from students to early career professionals and mid-career scientists. I am an Asian American and was an international student and a U.S. military service member. I have worked in research, teaching and extension. Suffice to say, I will be proactive and consistent in promoting activities and programs that ensure the representation of the diverse members of the entomological community.
Executive Committee Member-at-Large
(Two positions available)
- Julian Golec, Corteva Agriscience
- Dalila Rendon, USDA-ARS Horticultural Crops Disease and Pest Management Unit | Department of Horticulture, Oregon State University
- R. Andrew Rodstrom, Valent USA
Julian Golec
Corteva Agriscience
Bio: Julian Golec has a diverse 10-year entomological career spanning academia, government, and industry. Holding a master's degree from Auburn University and Ph.D. from the University of Delaware, he is currently a product development scientist with Corteva Agriscience and is responsible for its pesticide portfolio along California's Central Coast. He is interested in both agricultural entomology as well as invasive species, biological control, and woodboring beetles. Accomplishments include over 15 peer-review publications across various entomological journals:
Past ESA activity or other volunteer service: Over 10 years active membership with ESA, having participated multiple times via presentations and symposium organization. Over the past two years, Golec has been actively involved with the EntoMentos program.
Candidate statement: I would like to serve in this role to help the Pacific Branch meet the diverse and evolving needs of the members we serve, particularly the students. I have had the pleasure of participating in the EntoMentos program where I had several students engage with me regarding what to do with a degree in entomology. I believe my current role in industry, as well as my past experiences with USDA-ARS and academia, have provided a unique perspective to encourage students to pursue any of these career pathways. I want to continue to foster dialogue between our students and professional members in hopes of further assisting in making connections between the two.
Dalila Rendon
USDA-ARS Horticultural Crops Disease and Pest Management Unit | Department of Horticulture, Oregon State University
Bio: Dalila got her B.Sc. in biology at Universidad de Los Andes in Bogota, Colombia. With a full scholarship from the Australian government, she pursued a Ph.D. in biosciences at Macquarie University and the Australian Cotton Research Institute, studying conservation biological control in cotton fields. After graduating in 2016, she started a postdoc at Oregon State University, focusing on IPM in berries and tree fruit. Afterward she took a career break for her family and moved to Vienna, Austria. In 2023 she resumed her role as a research associate at the USDA-ARS and Oregon State University. She currently researches virus transmission by aphids in blueberry crops and develops computer vision models to identify spotted-wing drosophila. Dalila has published 21 peer-reviewed papers and seven extension publications and delivered many invited seminars at conferences and field days.
Past ESA activity or other volunteer service: Dalila is currently a member of the Awards Committee for the P-IE Section (two-year commitment), which involves reviewing and scoring the applications for the different Section awards. From 2017 to 2019 she also served as a member in the Awards Committee for the Early Career Professional awards. She serves as a judge for student competitions (oral presentations) at the Pacific Branch Meetings. She was a symposium organizer at the International IPM Symposium in 2019 and submitted a symposium proposal for the Pacific Branch Meeting in 2025. At her institution, she delivered a two-day workshop to prepare Oregon State University students for their oral presentations. As a result, four students won awards at the 2024 ESA Annual Meeting in Phoenix. She also gives talks and workshops to local small farmers in Spanish.
Candidate statement: During my Ph.D. I had a small professional network in the US, but being an EntSoc member gave me the confidence to create connections, learn soft skills, and seek collaborations with other colleagues. Now, older and a bit more experienced, I want to give back to the Society that helped me boost my career and the Branch where I intend to stay. One of my goals is to help increase the recruitment of symposium organizers for our Branch Meeting, particularly Early Career Professionals and Ph.D. students. I would like to bring awareness of the benefits of organizing symposiums, including gaining valuable advice and feedback for your own research, establishing collaborations, and staying on the radar of future employers. I want to transmit confidence to students that they are not too young or inexperienced to start getting this organizational skill that can lead to future opportunities.
R. Andrew Rodstrom
Valent USA
Bio: Dr. R. Andrew Rodstrom received his Ph.D. from Washington State University in 2013 and is currently Valent USA's field market development specialist in the Pacific Northwest, managing projects in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Utah, and Wyoming. His work experience spans multiple continents and several public agencies and industry. Knowledge he developed in these roles shaped his outlook and worldview to form an ethos of knowing solutions may arise from an array of backgrounds, ideas, and individuals. At present, he manages the regional research program for Valent USA, which requires him to work closely with academic and private industry researchers to evaluate the efficacy of products and practices in multiple disciplines. Outside of work, Andrew enjoys camping in the Pacific Northwest mountains, ultimate, and enjoying his garden, goats, and chickens on his small farm.
Past ESA activity or other volunteer service: Andrew joined the ESA the first semester of graduate school and has been an active member since, attending and presenting at both Annual and Branch Meetings (Pacific and North Central). During graduate school he participated in the research (poster and presentation) competitions at these meetings and also was a member of his university's Entomology Games and debate team during that time. Following graduation Andrew has volunteered to judge the student competitions at several of the meetings he has attended at both the regional and national level. He also helped charter WSU's Entomology Graduate Student Association and served as faculty liaison for the organization for several years. He also volunteers as a national judge for FFA and is a founding and active member of the local nonprofit Three Rivers Ultimate.
Candidate statement: Being a part of ESA's Pacific Branch has been a boon to my career and growth as a scientist. It certainly is not something I expected from the organization when I joined in 2005. My first Branch Meeting was hugely impactful and exposed me to the breadth of the organization's reach. Connections made at ESA meetings, especially Pacific Branch, regardless of their brevity, have proven to be integral to my success as a professional and expanded my friend base. Realizing what the organization has given me, I feel that it is time for me to support it and take a more active role by serving as a member-at-large. While my strength may not be in officiating competitions at every meeting, I strive to help mentor and support those I network and interact with at and outside of the meetings. I think that my atypical path to, through, and after graduate school makes me a valuable advocate for the region's members.