On September 27-28, 2016, the Entomological Society of America (ESA) convened a high-level summit of global entomological leaders in Orlando, Florida, USA at the Rosen Centre Hotel, Ballrooms D and E . This was the inaugural meeting of the Grand Challenges in Entomology Initiative. At this invitation-only Summit we explored three broad issues of major global importance to which entomology can make a unique and powerful contribution.

• Sustainable agriculture – global hunger, food security, and natural resources preservation
• Public health related to vector-borne diseases
• Invasive insect species – global trade, biodiversity, and climate change

The agenda from the meeting is below. A poster session accompanied the Summit.

SUMMIT AGENDA DAY ONE:  Tuesday, Sept 27:

6:00pm  Reception and Posters

7:15pm  Welcome and Overview
— Dr. May Berenbaum, ESA President
— Dr. Frank Zalom, ESA Past-President and Summit Co-Chair

7:25pm  Keynote address — Collaboration to Solve Global Challenges
 — Dr. Sonny Ramaswamy, USDA-National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Director

7:55pm  Moderated Panel Discussion Introducing Topical Themes
— Dr. Sally Rockey, Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research, Executive Director
— Dr. Maureen Coetzee, University of Witwatersrand Malaria Entomology Research Unit, Director
— Dr. Stephanie Bloem, North American Plant Protection Organization, Executive Director
— Mr. Rick Stone, moderator

8:40pm  Perspective Talks — Micro talks on topics of interest related to the Summit agenda
— “Science Influencing National/International Public Policy” – Dr. Erin Cadwalder, Lewis Burke Associates
— “Modern Funding for Research” – Dr. Sybil Bucheli, Sam Houston State University and Experiment.com
— “Connecting Science to Communities through Entomophagy” – Mr. Robert Nathan Allen, Little Herds
— “Collaborations: Scientists as Community Partners” – Dr. Raj Pandya, American Geophysical Union and the Thriving Earth Exchange
— “Scientific Solutions to Global Challenges – Dr. Doug Norris, Project Premonition

9:15pm  Conclusion and Day Two Preview
— Mr. Rick Stone, Summit facilitator

SUMMIT AGENDA DAY TWO:  Wednesday, Sept 28 :

10:00am  Overview of the Challenges and Introduction of Co-Chairs
— Dr. Frank G. Zalom, ESA Past President and Distinguished Professor of Entomology, University of California-Davis
— 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, Senior Scientist, Embrapa and Professor, Federal University at Curitiba
— Dr. John Pickett, Immediate Past President of the Royal Entomological Society and Michael Elliott Fellow at Rothamsted Research

10:10am  Outcomes from Brazil – A Facilitated Panel Recapping the March Aedes aegypti Summit
— “Communicating Science to Communities” – Dr. Grayson Brown, University of Kentucky
— “Critical Research Needs to Control Aedes aegypti” – Dr. Luciano Moreira, Oswaldo Fiocruz
— “Speaking with a Unified Voice” – Mr. C. David Gammel, ESA

10:30am  Keynote Address — “Entomological Solutions to World Problems”
— Dr. Fred Gould, North Carolina State University

10:50am Facilitated Conversation — “Next Steps”
— Dr. Fred Gould, North Carolina State University
— Mr. Rick Stone, Facilitator

11:10am Workshops Overview

11:15 Break and View posters

11:30am  Facilitated Workshops on Areas of Focus
— “Public Health” – Maureen Coetzee, University of Witwatersrand Malaria Entomology Research Unit, Director
— “Sustainable Agriculture” – Francesco Pennacchio, University of Napoli, Professor and Eliane Quintela, Embrapa
— “Invasive Insect Species/Climate Change” – Sanford Eigenbrode, University of Idaho, Distinguished Professor

12:30pm  Lunch, featuring “thought tables” with discussion-focused seating. View posters.

1:30pm  Reports from Morning Workshops
— Dr. Coetzee, Dr. Pennacchio, and Dr. Eigenbrode
— Mr Rick Stone, moderator

2:00pm  Facilitated Workshops on Entomological Challenges
— “Influencing National and International Public Policy” – Dr. Erin Cadwalader and Ms. Meghan McCabe, Lewis Burke Associates
— “Funding Research and Implementation” – Dr. Dan Strickman, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
— “Connecting Science to Communities” – Mr. Sean Southey, PCI Media Impact and Mr. Rick Stone, Storywork Institute
— “Collaboration and Partnership with Industry” – Dr. Caydee Savinelli, Syngenta and Dr. Brad Hopkins, Dow AgroSciences
— “Scientific Solutions to Global Challenges” – Dr. Nan-Yao Su, University of Florida

4:00pm Break – View posters

4:20pm  Reports from Afternoon Workshops
— Dr. Cadwalader, Dr. Strickman, Mr. Southey, Dr. Savinelli, and Dr. Su
— Mr. Stone, moderator

4:50pm  Call to Action
— Mr. C. David Gammel, Entomological Society of America

5:00pm  Closing Keynote Address — “Telling the Story”
— Mr. Sean Southey, PCI Media Impact

5:30pm Future Story “Entomology in the year 2025”
— Mr. Rick Stone, summit facilitator

5:30pm  Closing and Attendee Photo
— Dr. May Berenbaum, ESA President