A Grand Challenge Agenda for Entomology
Improving the human condition with insect science
Corteva Agriscience, Agriculture Division of DowDuPont, Sponsors Invasive Species Summit
The Entomological Society of America (ESA) is pleased to announce that Corteva Agriscience™, Agriculture Division of DowDuPont™, has sponsored the 2018 Grand Challenges Summit: Addressing the North American and Pacific Rim Invasive Insect and Arthropod Species Challenge.
Corteva Agriscience™, Agriculture Division of DowDuPont™, is an agricultural company with a leading position in seed technologies, crop protection, and digital agriculture. The company has a strong belief in developing market-shaping technologies and partnerships and views this sponsorship as part of its drive toward developing food security on a global basis.
“We believe that collaboration within the entire food system is a critical component of success in ensuring a secure supply of healthy food,” says Melissa Willrich Siebert, Insect and Nematode Management Biology Leader for Corteva Agriscience™, Agriculture Division of DowDuPont™. “Invasive species affect all aspects of human life on earth, whether through vector-borne diseases or their impacts on the food supply. This summit will prove to be an important event as the world’s entomological community convenes to discuss the challenges and agree on a game plan for moving forward. Our company is passionate about supporting missions such as this summit.”
The summit will take place November 9-10 in Vancouver, BC, immediately prior to the Joint Annual Meeting of ESA, the Entomological Society of Canada and the Entomological Society of British Columbia. A primary goal of the summit is to develop a strategic plan for addressing the threats posted by invasive arthropods. Three $10,000 sponsorships are available for the summit. Each sponsor will be entitled to benefits that include hosted space at the summit and the opportunity to address the summit delegates. Corteva Agriscience™, Agriculture Division of DowDuPont™, is the first organization to commit as a sponsor for the Invasive Insects Grand Challenges Summit.
Companies interested in sponsoring the summit should contact Chris Stelzig at cstelzig@entsoc.org.
New Invasive Species Summit Announced
January 8, 2018 – To address the grand challenge of invasive arthropod species, the Entomological Society of America (ESA), the Entomological Society of Canada (ESC), and the Entomological Society of British Columbia (ESBC) will host a one-day summit on 10 November, 2018. The summit, which will be invitation only, will be held immediately prior to the Joint Annual Meeting of the three societies in Vancouver, BC.
Invasive arthropod species are one of the three Challenge Areas addressed by the Grand Challenges Agenda for Entomology (GCAFE) initiative.
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- Learn more about the summit and why it is being held.
- Read the Statement of the Problem” report or the report summary.
- Request an invitation to participate in the summit.
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The summit will include a mix of plenary sessions, breakout conversations, scientific posters, and other methods of scientific presentation, in addition to networking opportunities. Input from attendees will be sought to shape the agenda and outcomes. We seek to explore key aspects of the IIS crisis, learn what existing initiatives and funding organizations are already active in this area, and identify the best opportunities for the entomological community to make a meaningful and lasting contribution.
ESA, ESC, and ESBC have all named a Co-Chair for the summit. For ESBC, Ms. Tracy Hueppelsheuser, British Columbia Plant Protection Advisory Council will serve as co-chair. For ESC, Dr. Sandy M. Smith, University of Toronto will serve. Dr. Frank G. Zalom, University of California – Davis will represent the interests of ESA.
All entomological societies, related federal agencies, and corporate interests are encouraged to send a representative to the summit.
International Entomology Leadership Summit 2016
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 and click here to read the one-page summary report.
Click here to view the Summit agenda
Click here for more information about the 2016 International Congress of Entomology
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
A Grand Challenge Agenda for Entomology 