On 27-28 September, 2016, the Entomological Society of America (ESA) convened a leadership meeting of global entomological societies, corporate leaders, thought leaders, and others who are all engaged in bridging some of the knowledge and communication gaps that exist within the discipline of entomology. The meeting was held concurrent to the International Congress of Entomology (ICE) in Orlando, FL, USA. The purpose of the invitation-only gathering was to engage and empower leaders of the discipline to seek ways in which we can all work independently or in concert with one another to take on some of the Grand Challenges we face in the coming decades to which entomology can make a unique and powerful contribution.

Hosted by ESA, the summit engaged scientists, business experts, and leaders, along with entomological society leaders, private sector partners, international NGOs, government agencies and policymakers, funders, and the media. The participants worked collaboratively to develop business, funding, and implementation models as a blueprint to sustain multiple Grand Challenge projects in public health, sustainable agriculture, invasive insect species, global trade, and climate change. This summit served as the official international kick-off to the Grand Challenge Agenda for Entomology.

ESA and the session leaders prepared a report following the Summit. Click here to read the full Outcome Statement (PDF) and click here to read the one-page summary report (PDF)

Click here to view the Summit agenda

Summit Co-Chairs:

• Dr. Silvia Dorn, ESA and Royal Entomological Society Fellow and Professor of Applied Entomology, ETH Zurich
• Dr. Le Kang, TWAS Fellow and Director of the Institute of Zoology and President of Beijing Institutes of Life Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences
• Dr. Antônio R. Panizzi, Embrapa FS and Professor, Federal University at Curitaba
• Dr. John Pickett, Immediate Past President of the Royal Entomological Society and Michael Elliott Fellow at Rothamsted Research
• Dr. Frank G. Zalom, ESA Past President and Distinguished Professor of Entomology, University of California-Davis

Posters for the Entomology Leadership Summit

Click here for more information about the 2016 International Congress of Entomology