Nault's Annual Meeting keynote in Columbus, Ohio, will honor his father, Ohio State University entomologist Lowell "Skip" Nault
Brian Nault, Ph.D.
Annapolis, MD; June 23, 2026—Brian Nault, Ph.D., professor of entomology at Cornell University, has been selected to deliver the Founders' Memorial Award Lecture at Entomology 2026, the Annual Meeting of the Entomological Society of America.
The Founders' Memorial Award was established in 1958 to honor the memory of scientists who made outstanding contributions to entomology. Each year at the ESA Annual Meeting, the recipient of the award delivers the Founders' Memorial Lecture, which posthumously honors the life and career of an influential entomologist.
At Entomology 2026, taking place November 8-11 in Columbus, Ohio, Nault's lecture will honor his father, Lowell R. "Skip" Nault, Ph.D. (1940–2024). Lowell was a pioneer in research on the ecology, evolution, and transmission biology of insect and mite vectors during his 36-year career at The Ohio State University's Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center in Wooster, Ohio, before retiring in 2002.
Lowell R. "Skip"
Nault, Ph.D. (1940–2024)
"The memory of Dr. Lowell Nault is fresh in mind for many of us in insect science. His research, influence, and mentorship reached far and wide in our field," says ESA President Melissa W. Siebert, Ph.D., BCE. "It will be truly special to honor a local legend while we're in Columbus and to have that story told by none other than his son and fellow entomologist Dr. Brian Nault."
Lowell Nault's landmark research on the Dalbulus genus of leafhoppers revealed how insects such as the corn leafhopper (Dalbulus maidis) co-evolve with pathogens they spread to host plants. This three-way interaction between plant, insect, and pathogen is now a cornerstone for understanding and managing vector-borne pathogens in agriculture. A review article he published in Annals of the Entomological Society of America in 1997, "Arthropod Transmission of Plant Viruses: A New Synthesis," is considered a seminal work—cited nearly 900 times—that allowed researchers to predict how a virus interacts with an insect's body and develop improved disease management strategies and biosecurity protocols. Lowell Nault also co-discovered the alarm pheromone in aphids and made important advances in understanding ant-aphid mutualisms.
Lowell Nault was also an influential leader at ESA. He served as president of ESA in 1991 and was later named an ESA Fellow (1995) and Honorary Member (2002). During his term as president, he led the transformation of the Society's Bulletin of the ESA newsletter into American Entomologist magazine as well as the creation of the Board Certified Entomologist program. He twice served on the ESA Publications Council, and he also earned the ESA Eastern Branch J.E. Bussart Memorial Award and North Central Branch C.V. Riley Achievement Award.
"Receiving this award is truly an incredible honor. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to celebrate my father's legacy as a world-renowned entomologist and devoted ESA member, while also sharing some of the fascinating research he and his colleagues conducted over the years," Brian Nault says. "Making this experience even more special, I will be giving the lecture in Columbus, Ohio—home of The Ohio State University, where my journey in entomology began as an undergraduate and where my father served as a professor in the Department of Entomology for his entire career. It is hard to imagine a more meaningful location for this occasion."
Brian Nault followed his father into entomology, having built a distinguished career of his own focusing on the ecology and management of insect pests of vegetable crops. He earned a B.S. in entomology at OSU, a master's in entomology from the University of Georgia, and a Ph.D. in Entomology from North Carolina State University (NCSU). After four years on the entomology faculty at Virginia Tech, he joined the Department of Entomology at Cornell University, where he has served as a professor for the past 25 years. He, too, has been an active volunteer at ESA, where he served as Eastern Branch representative to the ESA Governing Board (2001-2003) and Eastern Branch president (2019-2020).
In his nomination letter, George Kennedy, Ph.D., distinguished professor in the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology at NCSU, deemed Brian "richly deserving" of this honor: "The 2026 Founders' Memorial Lecture, as presented by Brian A. Nault, would be a special event. It would serve as a bridge between the foundational vector biology and chemical ecology of the 20th century, championed by Skip Nault, and the data-driven, technologically advanced integrated pest management of the 21st century led by Brian."
Brian Nault will deliver the Founders' Memorial Lecture at Entomology 2026 in Columbus, Ohio, during the Awards Breakfast and Closing Plenary, beginning at 7 a.m. ET on Wednesday, November 11.
###
CONTACT: Joe Rominiecki, jrominiecki@entsoc.org, 301-731-4535 x3009
ABOUT: ESA is the largest organization in the world serving the professional and scientific needs of entomologists and people in related disciplines. Founded in 1889, ESA today has nearly 7,000 members affiliated with educational institutions, health agencies, private industry, and government. Headquartered in Annapolis, Maryland, the Society stands ready as a non-partisan scientific and educational resource for all insect-related topics. For more information, visit www.entsoc.org.