MSU apiculture faculty member receives regional early career award

Contact: Meg Henderson

STARKVILLE, Miss.—A Mississippi State college member within the Division of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Entomology and Plant Pathology is being acknowledged regionally for excellent analysis, educating and outreach by the world’s largest entomological society.

Assistant Professor Priyadarshini “Priya” Basu is the recipient of the 2022 Early Profession Skilled Award from the Entomological Society of America, Southeastern Department.

Yearly, every regional ESA department honors a pupil or early skilled working inside the discipline of entomology who has demonstrated excellence and made excellent contributions to entomology by analysis, educating and outreach. Based in 1889, the guardian group has greater than 7,000 members affiliated with instructional establishments, well being companies, non-public business and authorities.

“It’s an honor to obtain this award,” Basu mentioned. “The Entomological Society of America, by its numerous branches and sections, has been extraordinarily supportive of all its members, particularly college students and early profession professionals. This award reinforces my want to try even more durable.”

Basu got here to MSU final fall after finishing a postdoctoral place at Oregon State College. She earned her bachelor’s, grasp’s and Ph.D. levels in zoology from the College of Calcutta in India. Her analysis focuses on bee physiology, diet, molecular ecology, neuroethology and toxicology, in addition to understanding and mitigating the impacts of varied stressors on bee pollinators. Final yr, she started engaged on a challenge to construct a pollen database to catalogue the diet profiles of over 100 bee-pollinated crops all through the U.S. and Canada.

An energetic member of ESA, Basu serves because the Physiology, Biochemistry and Toxicology part consultant to the Early Profession Skilled Committee and chairs the Standout Early Profession Professionals Collection for the journal Entomology At present. As well as, she has been elected vice chair of the Early Profession Skilled Committee and can turn into chair subsequent yr.

“This award was solely made attainable due to everybody who has helped me,” she mentioned. “I wish to thank Dr. Jeff Gore and Dr. Angus Catchot at MSU, in addition to Dr. Ramesh Sagili at Oregon State for the nomination and their help letters. And, after all, I additionally thank the Southeastern Department of ESA for the award.”

For extra on MSU’s Division of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Entomology and Plant Pathology, go to www.biochemistry.msstate.edu. For extra on the School of Agriculture and Life Sciences, go to www.cals.msstate.edu.

MSU is Mississippi’s main college, accessible on-line at www.msstate.edu.