Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

Meeting Notes: NCAC 15 Regional Meeting

Date: April 19, 2026

Location: Hybrid (In-person & Zoom)

1. Attendees & Introductions

In-Person:

• Brian Allan: Acting Head, Department of Entomology, University of Illinois (co-leading with May Berenbaum)
• Catherine Hill: Department Head, Department of Entomology, Purdue University
• Steve Harris: Department Chair, Department of Plant Pathology, Entomology, and Microbiology, Iowa State University
• John Ruberson: Department Head, Department of Entomology, University of Nebraska–Lincoln (Outgoing Administrative Advisor)
• Jamie Strange: Chair, Department of Entomology, The Ohio State University
• Brian McCornack: Department Head, Department of Entomology, Kansas State University
• Robert Koch: Interim Department Head, Department of Entomology, University of Minnesota

Online (Zoom):

• Hannah Burrack: Department Chairperson, Department of Entomology, Michigan State University
• Sean Schoville: Department Chair, Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin–Madison
• Reddy Palli: Chair, Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky
• Mark Boetel: Representative / Professor, School of Natural Resource Sciences (Entomology), North Dakota State University
• Karen Sanguinet: Department Head, Department of Agronomy, Horticulture, and Plant Science, South Dakota State University

2. Administrative & Regional Updates (John Ruberson)

• Federal Capacity Funding: Recommendations zeroed out capacity funding again this year; however, optimism remains that funding will be restored in Congress as in previous years.
• Administrative Advisor Transition: John Ruberson announced this is his last NCAC 15 meeting as Administrative Advisor and called for a volunteer from the group to step into the role.
  • Primary Responsibilities: Coordinating/managing reviews of multi-state research and extension project proposals (typically 1–2 per year received around December).

3. State Reports & Program Updates

Michigan State University (Hannah Burrack)

• Undergraduate Enrollment: Experiencing strong growth with 48 majors in Fall 2025 (a 3.2x increase over 5 years) and ~15–20 incoming freshmen expected for Fall 2026. Cohorts/teams (e.g., "Team Emerald Ash Borer") are used for community building. Minors have seen a slight decrease.
• Graduate Enrollment: Facing challenges in grad enrollment (currently ~45–50 total) due to tighter grant/funding availability, though new hires are expected to help rebound numbers. Introduced a 2-year funded Tatter Graduate Fellowship.
• Faculty Hires: Andrea Glassmire (Chemical Ecology), Anders Huseth (Ag Informatics), Jeff Barrick (Insect Microbiomes), Kelsey Adams (Medical Entomology).
• Budget & Institutional Challenges: A 3% direct budget reduction this fiscal year (following a 6% college-level reduction last year). Implementing a hybrid budget model (RCM/tuition-driven) alongside modernizing university general education requirements.
• Facilities: Currently dispersed across 7 buildings; seeking facility consolidation.

The Ohio State University (Jamie Strange)

• Undergraduate Enrollment: 51 majors, graduating 12 students this year. Successfully granted a waiver regarding state low-enrollment degree elimination rules (previously defined as
• Graduate Enrollment: Down slightly to 36 students due to funding caution, but new grants (e.g., NIH Med-Vet) should boost numbers soon.
• Budget & Model: Budgets are flat; operating under a modified RCM model shifting toward enrollment-based metrics.
• Upcoming Events: Hosting Entomology 2026 in Columbus. Planning pre-meeting workshops (aquatic sampling, beetle ID, outreach Lunch & Learns with the "Bugmobile" Airstream).
• Leadership Update: Jamie Strange appointed Associate Dean for Research, Grad Education, and Director of the Ohio Agricultural Experiment Station.

University of Kentucky (Reddy Palli)

• Faculty Updates: Hired Julie Peterson for Extension Entomology (replacing retiring Rick Bessin). Position advertised for open-rank field crops extension entomologist in Western Kentucky following the passing of Raúl Villanueva.
• Enrollment: ~50 graduate students. No undergraduate major, but ~20 students participate in general ag programs; teaches ~2,500 credit hours of service courses, returning ~$100k–$150k annually to the department for instruction/lecturers.
• Facilities & Funding: Moving into a new shared building at the end of the year funded by the medical school. Received support from a $100M Gatton Foundation gift (4 entomology faculty received 3-year $50k/year professorships; leading a "One Health" research initiative focusing on vector-borne diseases).

University of Wisconsin–Madison (Sean Schoville)

• Undergraduate Enrollment: 33 B.S. majors (a 37% increase). Department homes the Global Health major (529 majors, 10% growth year-over-year) and co-developed a new Ecology and Evolutionary Biology major.
• Graduate Enrollment: Down ~13% (~20 students), expecting a small cohort next fall due to grant conservatism.
• Faculty Hires: Michael Belov (Data Science / Biodiversity, starting Fall 2026) and actively recruiting a Fruit Crop Extension Specialist (75% extension).
• Budget Model: Shifting to an RCM model based on majors and credits taught.

Purdue University (Catherine Hill)

• Undergraduate Enrollment: 65 majors in Entomology/Insect Biology with ~15–20 incoming freshmen expected. Granted approval to continue the major despite state low-conferral scrutiny (threshold is 15 majors).
• Graduate Enrollment: Steady at 35–40 graduate students.
• Program Initiatives: Launching an accelerated 4+1 M.S. program, formal internship program, pre-vet track, and exploring degree offerings/online teaching for a new urban campus in Indianapolis.
• Faculty Hires: Hired 4 faculty over the last 2 years (2 Urban Entomology, 1 Insect Diagnostician, 1 Primary Teaching).

University of Nebraska–Lincoln (John Ruberson)

• Undergraduate Enrollment: 28 majors. The standalone major was dissolved due to state graduation metrics (
• Graduate Enrollment: 22 resident graduate students (16 PhD, 6 MS); 58 students in the online M.S. program; 9 in the online graduate certificate.
• Faculty Hires & Losses: Lost Julie Peterson to UK. Recruiting for an IPM position (North Platte) and an open-rank IPM position. Hired a new systematist (parasitoid wasps) starting this week.
• Institutional Restructuring & Merger: Merging with Plant Pathology to form the School of Plant Health and Insect Sciences to address a structural deficit and university-wide 9% budget cuts. John Ruberson stepping down as department head in August as part of cost-saving measures; Plant Pathology department head will direct the new school.
• Leadership Volatility: Multiple interim appointments at chancellor, vice chancellor, provost, and dean levels.

South Dakota State University (Karen Sanguinet)

• Department Context: Encompasses Agronomy, Horticulture, and Plant Science. Department total includes 38 faculty (30 tenure-track), 147 agronomy undergrads, 70 grad students (35 MS, 35 PhD).
• Entomology Faculty: Tripled faculty from 1 to 3 with new hires Abigail Martens (Pollinator Diversity/Parasitic Wasps, Insect Collection Curator) and Govinda Shrestha (IPM), joining Adam Varenhorst (Extension Entomology).
• Challenges: No undergraduate entomology major (only a Crop Protection minor with 12 students). Lack of graduate-level entomology courses; sending grad students to short courses at other institutions (e.g., Cornell) for specialized training.
• Budget: Stable budget with no cuts.

Iowa State University (Steve Harris)

• Department Context: Department of Plant Pathology, Entomology, and Microbiology (merged 4 years ago); 34 faculty (13 identify as entomologists).
• Undergraduate Enrollment: Microbiology major (~100 undergrads); Insect Science minor (~20 students); Global Health minor (~20 students). Working to establish a One Health major.
• Graduate Enrollment: 36 graduate students (~1/3 in entomology labs).
• Budget & Oversight: New university president (David Cook). Facing program vitality reviews from the Board of Regents (thresholds: 25 undergrads, 10 grads based on Day 10 fall enrollment snapshot). Mandated to publish all course syllabi publicly online.

Kansas State University (Brian McCornack)

• Undergraduate Enrollment: ~47–48 majors; expecting ~20 incoming freshmen. Minor enrollments down as students convert to majors. Launched a new 4+1 Accelerated M.S. program.
• Graduate Enrollment: Steady (~22–25 students), heavily supported by USDA-ARS partnerships.
• Faculty Hires: Recently hired an 85% teaching / 15% research tenure-track position.
• Budget & Legislative Pressures: Central administration retention of indirect costs changed to 90/10 (90% retained centrally), severely impacting departmental/faculty operating funds. Board of Regents mandating stricter post-tenure review processes using external committees.
• Department Initiatives: Established the American Honey Institute; launching an insect farming initiative.

North Dakota State University (Mark Boetel)

• Department Context: Entomology is part of the School of Natural Resource Sciences (combining Entomology, Soils, Range, and Natural Resources Management). Degree restructured into a Natural Resource Sciences degree with an Entomology option.
• Enrollment & Course Minimums: College-wide undergraduate enrollment is down. Administration implemented strict course enrollment minimums, limiting course offerings.
• Faculty Hires & Losses: Lost positions to voluntary buyouts/retirements (Host Plant Resistance position eliminated; Physiologist and Systematist on hold). Recently hired a Pollinator Specialist (Research/Extension) and an Assistant Professor in Climate-Smart Ag.
• Budget: Governor targeting a 10% across-the-board budget cut. Implementing state-mandated post-tenure reviews.

University of Minnesota (Robert Koch)

• Undergraduate Enrollment: No major; 50 undergraduate minors (plateaued). Expanding involvement in multidisciplinary majors (Environmental Science Policy & Management; Plant Sciences).
• Graduate Enrollment: 25 total (15 PhD, 10 MS).
• Faculty Updates: 13 tenure-track. Lost Forest Entomologist to an endowed chair at the University of Guelph; two faculty exploring university early retirement buyouts (125% salary buyout). Recently hired Jeremy Hamburger (Climate Change/Big Data), Christian Beza-Beza (Taxonomy/Systematics), and Matt Peterson (Teaching track). Search underway for an Endowed Chair in Honeybee Biology.
• Budget & Campus: Planning for 1%, 3%, or 5% budget cuts/reallocations under a new teaching-focused budget model. Returning to normal operations following winter disruptions.

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (Brian Allan)

• Leadership Transition: Brian Allan taking over as Department Head; co-heading this year with May Berenbaum (who is stepping down as head after 34 years, but not retiring).
• Enrollment: Small department (12 core faculty). 42 graduate students (supported via partnerships with the Illinois Natural History Survey). No undergraduate major/minor in entomology; undergrads are housed in the School of Integrative Biology (600 students).
• New Programs: Launched a successful 4+1 program in Integrative Biology; created an Entomology Certificate for undergrads.
• Faculty Hiring: Priority hire over the next 3 years focused on "Insect Declines" / Conservation Science (wide net across ecology, evolution, systematics).
• Budget: Facing potential state legislative changes to public university funding models that could redirect funding from flagship research campuses to smaller state universities.

4. Key Cross-Cutting Discussion Topics

A. Accelerated (4+1) M.S. & Non-Thesis Graduate Programs

• Multiple departments (Purdue, Illinois, K-State, OSU) have implemented or are launching 4+1 accelerated M.S. programs.
• Financial Models: Mostly self-funded / tuition-paying by students (often non-thesis / project-based).
• Benefits: Helps students increase competitiveness for professional degrees/industry jobs, provides higher starting salaries (~$12k base increase), and leverages incoming high-school/AP credits.

B. Supporting Underrepresented & Diverse Undergrads

• Demographics: Several leaders (UNL, OSU, MSU) noted a high proportion of entomology undergraduates identify as LGBTQIA+/non-binary, neurodivergent, or non-traditional.
• Discussion: Explored how to ensure students feel safe and supported during summer projects, REUs, or exchanges at other institutions/communities.

C. Undergraduate Engagement & National Meetings

• Entomology 2026 (Columbus, OH): Jamie Strange proposed organizing specific undergraduate-focused activities (discounted/free registration day, student talks/posters, career panels for B.S. graduates, networking scavenger hunt).
• Curriculum Exchange: Interest in hosting another curriculum/teaching workshop at the national ESA meeting (following up on last year's workshop led by Jamie Strange, Brian McCornack, and Hannah Burrack).

D. Future Regional Coordination & Next Steps

• Future Meetings: Agreed to make the regional NCAC 15 meeting a regular, structured event aligned with the North Central Branch ESA meetings.
• Pre-Meeting Form: Plan to adapt Brian McCornack’s CEDA pre-meeting survey form to collect institutional metrics ahead of time to allow more time for strategic discussion.
• Administrative Advisor: Hannah Burrack to circulate summary notes and solicit nominations/volunteers to replace John Ruberson as the NCAC 15 Administrative Advisor.

NCAC15 is an adminstrative project and does not pursue collaborative funding at this time.