Principal Investigator

Dr. Brian A. Nault is a Professor & Program Leader in the Department of Entomology at Cornell University’s AgriTech campus in Geneva, New York. For over 25 years, his research and extension program has broadly covered applied insect ecology and vegetable entomology. During this time, Brian and members of his program have focused on understanding the ecology of pests that attack vegetable crops, some of which transmit viruses, and then developing practical, economical and environmentally responsible pest management strategies. His program at Cornell has helped vegetable growers in New York and beyond successfully implement solutions to their pest problems, including new invasive pests, saving millions of dollars. Brian has leveraged over $14 million at Cornell to support his research and extension program and published nearly 140 peer-reviewed papers, several book chapters and hundreds of other research and extension articles. Brian has advised or co-advised 14 graduate students and mentored 11 postdoctoral associates and dozens of undergraduates. His former graduate students and postdoctoral associates hold research positions in academia, government and industry and others have positions with university extension. In addition to serving as Program Leader at Cornell (analogous to Associate Chair), Brian served as the Director Graduate Studies and led several faculty searches. He also held leadership roles in the Entomological Society of America, serving as both President and Governing Board Representative of the Eastern Branch. Brian received all three of his degrees in Entomology; his B.S. was from The Ohio State University, M.S. from the University of Georgia, and Ph.D. from North Carolina State University.

Division of Effort

Research – 60%

Extension – 35%

Teaching – 5%

Curriculum Vitae [Link]

Graduate Students

Katherine Poulos is a PhD student co-advised by Drs. Brian Nault and Sara Emery. I study onion thrips (Thrips tabaci) in commercial onion systems with the goals of understanding landscape-scale movement of thrips and improving pest management strategies. Previously, I obtained my masters degree in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology at Columbia University. My research there assessed plant associations with the spotted lanternfly across its life cycle using photos posted on iNaturalist. Prior to pursuing graduate studies, I worked as a Horticulturist to maintain several greenspaces in New York City. My experience mitigating pest organisms, such as invasive insects, in a hands-on manner was instrumental in fostering my interest in integrated pest management and drive to work with growers.

Leo Salgado graduated from the Universidad Nacional de Agricultura (UNAG) in Honduras in 2019 with his Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Sciences. He then began his master’s degree in Entomology with a minor in Applied Statistics at Louisiana State University (LSU), graduating in 2021. For his Master’s thesis, he worked on a project to elucidate mechanisms that confer resistance to sugarcane (Saccharum spp. L.) to the stem borers Diatraea saccharalis (F.) and Eoreuma loftini (Dyar) in a series of field, laboratory, and greenhouse experiments. In addition to his thesis project, he worked on projects related to the timing, volume, and efficacy of insecticide applications in sugarcane and rice (Oryza sativa).

Ollie Vetrovec (under construction)

Postdoctoral Associates

John Mahas is an applied insect ecologist specializing in managing crop pests and vector-borne plant pathogens, currently working as a postdoctoral research associate in Brian Nault’s vegetable entomology lab. I received my B.S. in Biology with a focus in Coastal Ecology from the College of Coastal Georgia, and obtained my M.S. and Ph.D. in Entomology from Auburn University. During my M.S., I focused on managing the emerging cotton leafroll dwarf virus (CLRDV) and its vector, the cotton aphid, Aphis gossypii. This was done by quantifying imidacloprid resistance among cotton aphid populations in Alabama while taking a landscape ecology approach to assess the effects of landscape composition on observed LC50 values, along with investigating cultural and chemical control strategies to manage for CLRDV. My interest in landscape ecology and geographic information systems (GIS) then led me to obtain my Graduate Certificate in GISc at Auburn University. The overarching goal of my Ph.D. research was to assess the role of the aphid vector in the epidemiology of CLRDV. This was done by characterizing the spatiotemporal distribution, abundance, and seasonal dynamics of cotton-infesting aphids, investigating how different biotic and abiotic factors influenced CLRDV incidence and vector abundance in cotton fields, and by performing gut content analyses to determine the dietary history of the vector before colonizing cotton.

At Cornell, my current research centers on the ecology and management of corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea, in sweet corn. I am involved in monitoring moth populations to improve trapping methods, develop predictive models for corn earworm risk, and refine action thresholds based on trap captures. Additionally, I investigate chemical and cultural control strategies to optimize management efforts for lepidopteran pests, monitor pest susceptibility to Bt toxins and insecticides, and assess overwintering success and spring emergence timing of corn earworm populations. My career aspiration is to apply our understanding of crop pest ecology to develop sustainable management solutions, mentor and educate the next generation of scientists, and to develop economically sound solutions for today’s growers.

Lab Managers and Research Technicians (under construction)

Sarah Caldwell

Lab Alumni

Graduate Students

Lidia Komondy, 2024, Ph.D. (Advisor)

Erica Moretti, 2020, M.S. (Advisor)

Ricardo Perez Alvarez, 2019, Ph.D. (Committee member only)

Ashley B. Leach, 2019, Ph.D. (Advisor)

Nelson Milano, 2018, M.S. (Co-Advisor)

Erik A. Smith, 2015, Ph.D. (Advisor)

Dan Olmstead, 2015, M.S. (Committee member only)

Elaine J. Fok, 2013, M.S. (Advisor)

Saurabh Gautam, 2013, M.S. (Committee member only)

Erik A. Smith, 2013, M.S., (Advisor)

John Diaz-Montano, 2010, Ph.D. (Committee member only)

Caroline Boutard-Hunt, 2008, M.P.S. (Committee member only)

Francisco Badenes-Perez, 2005, Ph.D. (Co-Advisor)

Benjamin Werling, 2003, M.S. (Advisor)

Sharon McDonald (Virginia Tech), 2001, Ph.D. (Co-Advisor)

Postdocs

Dr. Marcelo Dimase, 2024-2025, University of Florida (2024)

Dr. Pin-Chu Lai, 2021-2023, University of Georgia (2021)

Dr. Ramandeep Sandhi, 2021-2021, Montana State University (2020)

Dr. Karly Regan, 2019-2021, Penn State University (2019)

Dr. Lindsy Iglesias, 2018-2021, University of Florida (2018)

Dr. Rebecca Schmidt, 2015-2017, Washington State University (2015)

Dr. Anders Huseth, 2013-2015, University of Wisconsin (2013)

Dr. Jessica Petersen, 2011-2014, Iowa State University

Dr. Cynthia Hsu, 2007-2012, University of Minnesota (2007)

Dr. Derek Artz, 2008-2010, University of Miami (FL) (2005)

Staff

Nate Hesler, 2023-2024, Technician I

Matt Garlick, 2021-2022, Technician I

Riley Harding, 2016-2021, Technician III

Kellie Damann, 2018-2019, Research Assistant

Mason Clark, 2018, Research Assistant

Molly Cappiello, 2015-2017, Research Assistant

Dan Olmstead, 2015-2016, Research Support Specialist

Mary Lou Hessney, 2001-2010, Technician IV

Summer Scholars (Undergraduate Students)

Layton Rosen, 2023, Purdue University

Ollie Vetrovec, 2022, Franciscan University of Steubenville

Isabella Yannuzzi, 2019, Cornell University

Lauren Ebels, 2018, Calvin College

Deanna Gentner, 2017, Cornell University

Erica Moretti, 2016, Allegheny College

Rachel Wallace, 2016, Cornell University

Sierra Short, 2015, Mary Baldwin College (VA)

Emily Justus, 2014, Purdue University

Alexandra Gresov, 2013, Cornell University

Martin Holdrege, 2012, SUNY-ESF

Elizabeth Miller, 2012, Saint Vincent College (PA)

Kathryn Cappiello, 2011, SUNY Brockport