Entomology
Departmental Overview
 |
|
| Our department will provide you the opportunity to acquire a broad-based education in entomology, coupled with any of a wide range of specific research projects. |
The Department of Entomology offers a wide range of courses and research programs leading to the Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees. Our goal is to support and encourage students who are preparing for a career as a scientist in a federal, state, or industrial laboratory or in an academic institution, by providing them with as broad a background as possible in the many facets of insect biology. Programs within our Department encompass all levels of biological organization from the molecular level to ecosystems. In addition to training in modern methodologies of classical entomology, the Department has special emphasis areas in Insect/Plant Interactions, Biological Control, and Molecular Entomology. We take great pride in the progress and development of our students and the high quality of their research and publications. If you are a perspective student, we encourage you to visit our Department and to meet with the faculty and graduate students, so that you can judge the Department and its excellent facilities for yourself.
 |
|
| Insects threaten food production and are vectors for parasitic diseases, yet they are vital components of terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems. |
A background in entomology is not necessary for students entering the graduate program of the Department of Entomology. In fact, we encourage applicants with a B.S. in any area of the biological sciences to apply. Our department will provide you the opportunity to acquire a broad-based education in entomology, coupled with any of a wide range of specific research projects. Specialized training is available in molecular entomology, insect/plant interactions, computer modeling of insect populations, pathogens of insects, apiculture and insect sociobiology. Research may also be centered in classical areas such as systematics and evolution, pest management (with emphasis on forest as well as agricultural ecosystems), insect biochemistry, insect-plant interaction, insect endocrinology and developmental biology, tropical ecology and aquatic biology.
The University encourages collaborative projects between the faculties of the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, and the School of Forest Resources, particularly in the area of biotechnology. Both faculty and students in the Department of Entomology also have productive collaborations with members of the Departments of Biochemistry, Plant Biology, Genetics, Marine Science, Microbiology, and Cellular Biology. These departments constitute the Division of Biological Sciences. Within this Division, there is a special Faculty of Parasitology with which any student may affiliate. Finally, the renowned Odum School of Ecology has provided many of our students, who have an interest in insect ecology, with invaluable research aid and contacts.
At this time, the faculty have research projects in areas as diverse as Sapelo Island (one of the Golden Isles along the Georgia coast), the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina, Brazil, and Mexico. Students interested in applied aspects of entomology may carry out their research under the direction of faculty at the Georgia Experiment Station in Griffin, Georgia and the Coastal Plains Experiment Station in Tifton, Georgia. These students alternate between course work in Athens, Georgia and intensive, full-time research at either Experiment Station.