MINUTES OF THE FACULTY MEETING -- APRIL 20, 2005

ATTENDEES: C. Barfield, M. Branham, E. Buss, J. Capinera, P. Choate, J. Cuda, D. Dickson, J. Foltz, H. Frank, D. Hahn, D. Hall, N. Leppla, O. Liburd, J. Maruniak, B. McSorley, F. Slansky, J. Stimac, S. Webb, S. Yu, and M. Litchfield

Meeting Convened at 1:15

Capinera asked if everyone had received the information on the High School Training Program. If faculty are interested they need to apply now. Participation in this program can be challenging and gratifying.

Capinera talked about the T-STAR program for grants; 43 applied and only 9 were not funded. He encouraged faculty to apply for these grants; 2.8 million was allocated this past year. The program focuses basically on agriculture.

Voted on Hugh Smith for Courtesy Faculty status. Vote was unanimous.

Seminars: We are short on seminar topics for fall semester. A grad student survey of preferred topics was distributed:

Graduate Student Recommendations for Seminar (results of a student survey)

Medical Entomology
Veterinary Entomology
Forensic Entomology/Science
Insect Behavior
Statistical Analytical Software (SAS) or MiniTab
GIS and Remote Sensing
Bioinformatics
Ecological Models Development
Insect Neurobiology
Insect Evolution
Insecticide Resistance
Chemical Ecology

"Seminar where we discuss current primary literature instead of just listening to presentations. Perhaps simply choosing a specific Journal of interest to the group."

Possible Seminar Organization

This seminar will introduce you to XXX (Topic). You will learn how XXXX can be used to solve problems of interest to entomologists. A seminar is intended to provide you with XXX.

The seminar is intended for graduate students and it is ESSENTIAL that you read the assigned reading materials before coming to class. All graduate student participants are expected to attend each seminar and to contribute to the discussions each week.

During the first two weeks of the seminar, each participant will choose a topic for presentation and we will organize a schedule for the rest of the semester. The first week will include organizational issues and a brief overview of the topic by the faculty organizer(s).

Once the topics have been assigned, guest lecturers will prepare and give presentations on the topics (we will have two weeks without meeting so that the first student presenter has time to prepare their seminar).

Students will have two roles: presenter of a topic and contributor to discussions.

Presenters should conduct a review of the literature, including original peer-reviewed journal articles, on a topic of their choice after consulting with the seminar organizer(s). The seminar organizer(s) should provide guidance on the scope of the topic and, if requested, assist in starting the search for appropriate literature. One week prior to presenting the seminar, the student should hand out a 2-3-page overview of his/her topic to the seminar members, including a list of the most important references so that fellow students have a mechanism for following up on the topic. In addition, the student should make one to three of the most important references available to the class (by sending pdf files by email, by placing photocopies in the Reading Room, or by providing website addresses for the references).

On the day of the presentation, the student is responsible for setting up their visual aides (Powerpoint, blackboard information, posters, photocopies of notes), if any. He/she then makes a presentation lasting approximately 40-50 minutes. At the end of the presentation (or during, if the presenter chooses), he/she is responsible for leading a discussion on the topic. The discussion may include critical analyses of the scientific methods used to investigate the topic and improvements needed, gaps in knowledge, ideas about how to fill those gaps, relevance to other entomological research, etc. Each student presenting the seminar is expected to contribute their ideas, experiences, and critical analysis of the topics.

Letter grades will be based on the following:
Seminar preparation and presentation - 80%
Class participation and discussion - 20%

For additional information contact Dr. XXX, Dept. of Entomology and Nematology, Building 970, Room XXXX, 352-392-1901, ext. XXX, fax: 352-392-0190, or email: XXX.

If any faculty are interested in organizing a seminar please let Debbie know. This is a semester long course and is graded.

It was proposed that graduate students, especially PhDs, give a seminar during the first year of enrollment that outlines their research proposal, and then an exit seminar at the end of their program. This matter was discussed with no decision made. Don Hall reported that the Graduate Committee had voted to give an award of $500 to students for the best proposals. All the details have not yet been worked out, but it was felt that this should be done within the first year of their program. The proposal seminar would be public and possibly analyzed by those attending. The Graduate Committee will work on the details of this proposal and attempt to meld the award program with the overall need for proposal-based seminars.

It was brought up that the attendance of the Departmental Seminars was down. Faculty was encouraged to attend these seminars and to also encourage their students to attend. It was suggested that the day and time of the seminars should be changed but no suggestions were forthcoming.

Departmental Review: Notes from Department Review Planning Meeting were passed out. Review is scheduled for Monday to Friday, February 6-10, 2006.

Notes from Department Review Planning Meeting, April 14, 2005

Purpose of Departmental Review: To maintain a standard of excellence in T, R, and E (relative to other land-grants), assure best use of resources, identify opportunities for improvement, and foster communication. Not everything needs to be covered; rather, the review should center on areas mutually determined by the department faculty and central administration to warrant emphasis.

1. Norm Leppla and Walter Tabachnick will co-chair the review preparations. Review is scheduled for Monday-Friday, February 6-10, 2006.

2. Faculty planning retreat needed, possibly in June. Capinera will check into availability of Austin Cary Lodge. Possibly schedule afternoon and following morning for retreat.

3. Workshop will be used to discuss the six major department areas of emphasis. They are, along with the proposed discussion moderator and recorder:

a. med/vet/urban entomology - Lounibos/Oi
b. biological control - Cuda/Peña
c. behavior/ecol/systematics - McAuslane/Rey
d. nematology - Duncan/Crow
e. pest management - Schuster/Stansly
f. physiology/biochem/genetics - Hoy/Lawrence

Tabachnick and Leppla will invite aforementioned faculty to participate, and substitute others as necessary. Three groups of two concurrent sessions will be scheduled to discuss each thrust area. Faculty can choose among each of the two concurrent discussions (a and b, c and d, e and f), and participate in up to three discussions. Within each area of emphasis, each discussion group will be asked to develop information (considering, T, R, and E) on:

- Current areas of national/international strength
- Areas to be strengthened or new directions (next 10 years)
- Strategies/critical needs to address priority areas
- Up to five important, measurable goals

The discussion moderator will be asked to prepare, in advance, a 1-2 page description of the traditional and current strengths, and this can be reviewed and modified, hopefully leaving most of the time for the last three items (new directions and strengthening, strategies for attainment, and measurable goals). After one hour for formulation of information, the recorder will present the material to the entire group for comment, discussion, and revision. After the six thrust areas are discussed, the remaining time will be used to develop a department mission statement, and overall department priorities (including staffing statewide).

4. Faculty will develop one-page abbreviated CV showing:

- name and appointment
- education
- employment
- research, teaching (including classes taught), and extension responsibilities
- accomplishments
- grants and contracts (total $ over last five years and sources)
- career publication totals (books, chapters, refereed, other including extension)
- selected publications

5. The undergraduate and graduate coordinators will develop information on teaching.

6. Capinera will develop some relevant statistics on staffing, enrollment, and request from faculty statewide information on IFAS, University, and professional service. Also will provide info on budgeting, committees, space, staffing, etc. (any suggestions?).

7. Review team will meet with several groups to solicit comments about activities, performance. Suggested meetings include:

- students
- staff
- alumni
- other department chairs and center directors
- clientele (county extension, DPI, USDA, APHIS and ARS, mosquito control district or association, pest control operator or association, FNGA, FFVA, Farm Bureau, bee keepers or association, ag chemical reps, cattlemen, lawn or golf course maintenance personnel or association)
- allied programs (international programs, OTL, DPM program, PIO office, school of natural resources, honors program)

8. The external review team will be split for a one-day field trip, with one or more going to Tallahassee to discuss the cooperative PhD program with FAMU, and the others visiting the AREC in Apopka, an ornamental plant production operation, and the plant science research and education center in Citra.

9. Some sort of evening social event will be organized for the external review team and the department faculty (and guest).

Capinera asked for any suggestions and for volunteers. If any of the faculty wish to volunteer in any area of the review process to please let him or Norm Leppla know. If there is any area or needs that have been left out they should be discussed at the June workshop. The review committee has been chosen but has not yet been contacted.

Fellowships: Don Hall reported that the department received three fellowships for new graduate students. One was a Presidential Fellowship. Sheri Anderson received the Presidential Fellowship and she will be working with Dr. Tabachnick; the two Alumni Fellowships were received by Kyle Beucke, who will be working with Marc Branham, and John (Court) Whelan, who will be working with Jackie Miller and Jaret Daniels.

Don Hall suggested to the faculty that if they had a potential graduate student whose record was excellent to encourage the student to apply for these fellowships. They should apply and get their information in by January in order to receive it for the fall semester.

Carl Barfield reported that he had six undergraduate students inquire about our program and that four had enrolled. Several also are participating in the NEW laboratory research experience program.

Meeting adjourned at 2:20