AMCA's Best Practices for Integrated Mosquito Management Virtual Training Program

Jennifer R. Gordon, Ph. D. Related Seminars and Products

Dr. Jennifer Gordon is the Founder and Principal Entomologist at Bug Lessons Consulting. She has been active in the field of entomology for over 15 years and earned her M.S. investigating insecticide resistance in Culex quinquefasciatus and her Ph.D. investigating insecticide resistance in the bed bug, Cimex lectularius. She has worked at the corporate level supporting and developing personal and spatial mosquito repellents and consumer and professional mosquito control products and processes. Additionally, she has served as a seasonal mosquito control technician for her local mosquito control program and partnered with mosquito control programs as part of her professional responsibilities. She was a Science Policy Fellow for the Entomological Society of America and, most recently, received the Presidential Citation award from the AMCA for her work on their best practices manuals.

Dan Markowski, Ph. D. Related Seminars and Products

Technical Advisor

AMCA

Dr. Daniel Markowski has served on the front lines of the nation’s various mosquito-borne disease outbreaks from West Nile virus to Zika virus and worked with various local agencies to quell the outbreaks. He has also coordinated aerial responses to every major hurricane event in the US since 2004. In the spring of 2022, he accepted a position as the Technical Advisor for the American Mosquito Control Association (AMCA). In this capacity, Markowski represents the Association’s members on all operational, technical, legislative, and regulatory matters related to the vector surveillance and control industry.

Kristen Healy, Ph. D. Related Seminars and Products

Dr. Kristen Healy is an Associate Professor at Louisiana State University, where she specializes in applied mosquito surveillance and control related projects, and research on the impacts of public health pest control on non-target organisms. She is also the current president of the AMCA and has been actively involved in public engagement and education as it relates to mosquito control. 

Isik Unlu, Ph. D. Related Seminars and Products

Born, raised, and educated in Ankara, Turkey, Dr. Isik Unlu received her B.S. in biology and M.S. in ecology from Hacettepe University. She conducted research and spent time as an educator in Turkey, Israel, and Germany before coming to the U.S. in 2003. Unlu obtained a PhD degree in medical entomology from Louisiana State University (LSU) in 2007. After graduating from LSU, she joined Rutgers University as an adjunct professor and post doc and Mercer County Mosquito Control first as an entomologist, then as a superintendent. She has more than 20 years’ experience, published in nearly 60 outlets, and presented at or contributed to more than 90 conferences on the topics of vector biology, ecology, surveillance, management and control, disease surveillance, blood meal analysis, and epidemiology of vector-borne diseases. Unlu is currently the Acting Division Director and Operations Manager for Miami-Dade County Mosquito Control where she oversees a team of more than 50 staffers.

Larry Reeves, Ph. D. Related Seminars and Products

Dr. Lawrence Reeves is an assistant professor with the University of Florida, based at the Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory. He is interested in mosquito diversity, ecology, and biology, and the ecology of mosquito control. He initially became interested in mosquitoes because they interact with a tremendous range of organisms from Nepenthes pitcher plants, to marine mammals, to Burmese pythons, to the pathogens they transmit. He first realized the importance and central ecological position of mosquitoes when he was infected with dengue virus while studying Lepidoptera in the Philippines. Dr. Reeves' research integrates lab and field work through DNA barcoding, using molecular techniques to understand species diversity and boundaries, to reveal interactions between mosquitoes and other species, and to better understand the evolution of mosquito host associations.

Diann Crane, M.S. Related Seminars and Products

Diann Crane is the Entomologist at the Metropolitan Mosquito Control District in St. Paul, MN and has been with the district for 38 years. Her love of aquatic biology fits perfectly at MMCD where she manages the entomology lab and coordinates surveillance for the district. While working full-time, Diann received her M.S. Her research included a two-year survey of the mosquitoes in a central Minnesota state park. She also led a study that evaluated nontarget effects of Natular in spring, ephemeral pools. She has logged thousands of hours of microscope time and is amazed daily by the many beautiful insects she sees. Crane’s favorite mosquito is Uranotaenia sapphirina.

Chris Fredregill, M.S. Related Seminars and Products

Chris Fredregill is a Vector Specialist with Target Specialty Products supporting vector control agencies in their mosquito sampling and control efforts. He has over 20 years of vector control experience and has responded to several mosquito-borne disease threats as well as hurricanes, tropical storms, and floods. Prior to joining Target Specialty Products, Fredregill served as the Director of the Harris County Mosquito & Vector Control Division, where he integrated innovative vector control strategies ultimately increasing operational efficiencies and the equitable delivery of vector control services. When not chasing mosquitoes, he spends his time with his wife Kim chasing their 4-year-old and 2-year-old boys.

Kyndall Dye-Braumuller, Ph. D. Related Seminars and Products

Dr. Kyndall Dye-Braumuller is a Post-Doctoral Fellow at the University of South Carolina where she studies arboviruses, mosquito-borne disease transmission dynamics, and application of remote sensing techniques to vector-borne disease epidemiology and mosquito vector biology/ecology. She earned her Ph.D. in Epidemiology from the University of South Carolina researching the epidemiology of tick-borne disease in El Salvador. She earned her M.S. in Entomology from the University of Kentucky studying sublethal impacts of a pyrethroid on mosquito flight behavior. She also has three years’ experience working at Harris County Public Health Department Mosquito and Vector Control Division as the Vector Surveillance Manager. 

Jonathan Darbro, Ph. D. Related Seminars and Products

Dr. Jonathan Darbro is the Advanced Medical Entomologist for Metro North Public Health Unit (Queensland Health) in Brisbane, Australia. He has served as President of the Mosquito Control Association of Australia, Inc. for 5 years. Darbro has worked with mosquitoes for twenty years, beginning with his PhD research at Cornell University and postdoctoral positions at Commonwealth Scientific and Industry Research Organization (CSIRO) and QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute. Darbro’s research interests include arbovirus surveillance, exotic mosquito surveillance, and integrated mosquito management.

Chris Barker, Ph. D. Related Seminars and Products

Dr. Chris Barker is a professor of epidemiology in the Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology in the School of Veterinary Medicine at UC Davis. He directs the Pacific Southwest Center of Excellence in Vector-Borne Diseases and VectorSurv, which is a data management platform that serves vector control and public health agencies in the U.S. His research focuses on the epidemiology of arboviruses, with particular interest in risk estimation and prediction to guide mosquito control and inform public-health policy.

Roger Nasci, Ph. D. Related Seminars and Products

Dr. Roger S. Nasci received B.S. and M.S. degrees in Zoology from Ohio University, and a Ph.D. in Entomology from the University of Massachusetts. He has served as Associate Professor in the Dept. of Biological and Environmental Sciences at McNeese State University, Chief of the Arboviral Diseases Branch at the CDC Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, and Director of the North Shore Mosquito Abatement District. Nasci has published over 120 research papers on mosquitoes and the viruses they transmit and has participated in developing numerous national and international arbovirus surveillance and response programs.

Sarah Wheeler, Ph. D. Related Seminars and Products

Sarah Wheeler was introduced to the world of mosquito control while studying the role of wild birds in the spread of West Nile virus. She went on to earn a Ph.D. at the University of California, Davis, investigating the overwintering mechanisms of West Nile virus with Dr. William Reisen. Sarah started working as the Biologist at Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito and Vector Control District in 2015 where she conducted applied research on product efficacy, emerging products, and application techniques. Currently, she is the Laboratory Director at Sac-Yolo MVCD where she oversees the surveillance arm of the District’s operations working to provide actionable data that is used to select and escalate mosquito control strategies.

Paul Bauman, M.S. Related Seminars and Products

Paul Bauman holds a M.S. in Biology from Bowling Green State University and is a Biologist and the General Manager for the Toledo Area Sanitary District in Toledo, Ohio. He has worked in public health for over twenty years and views mosquito control as an integral part of protecting the public health of our community. Bauman is the current Treasurer and a Past-President of the Ohio Mosquito & Vector Control Association. He is also a member of the AMCA, previously serving on the Science & Technology Committee and currently serving on the Legislative & Regulatory committee with a focus on the Endangered Species Act/Pollinators subcommittee and the Clean Water Act subcommittee. The Toledo Area Sanitary District is a Sustaining Member of the AMCA and an individual partner in the Pesticide Environmental Stewardship Program. 

Roger Wolfe Related Seminars and Products

Roger Wolfe is currently the Wetland Restoration Biologist and Coordinator for the Wetland Habitat and Mosquito Management (WHAMM) Program, Connecticut Dept. of Energy and Environmental Protection, Bureau of Natural Resources, Wildlife Division. He has worked 37 years in mosquito control and coastal wetland management and restoration throughout New England and the mid-Atlantic. His career has focused on developing and promoting Integrated Marsh Management (IMM) which incorporates wetland restoration, wildlife habitat enhancement, mosquito control, invasive plant management, and coastal resiliency. He is a certified Professional Wetland Scientist, and former Certified Wildlife Biologist. He has been a member of the New Jersey and American Mosquito Control Associations and is a member and past-President of both the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic Mosquito Control Associations, and a member of the Society of Wetland Scientists.

Constance Darrisaw Related Seminars and Products

Constance Darrisaw is a graduate of the University of Florida with a bachelor’s degree in Entomology and Nematology. Currently she is a Field Validation Biologist with the Lee County Mosquito Control District in Lehigh Acres, Florida. There she focuses on maintaining mosquito colonies and completing insecticide resistance testing, along with product efficacy and new product testing.

Elizabeth Hart Related Seminars and Products

Elizabeth Hart is the lab manager at the Mosquito Abatement District- Davis in Kaysville, UT. She received her bachelor’s degree in botany from Brigham Young University. Later she completed a second bachelor’s degree in horticulture from Utah State University. While working on her second degree, she worked as a seasonal employee for Utah County Mosquito Abatement, which helped create her desire to work in mosquito control full-time.

Peter DeChant Related Seminars and Products

Peter DeChant started his career in 1978 as a field technician with Multnomah County Vector Control. He managed the county’s vector control program from 1983 to 1997 and then joined Abbott Laboratories (now Valent BioSciences LLC). At Valent BioSciences (VBC), his responsibilities grew as he managed technical and commercial development of biorational mosquito control products. DeChant retired from his role as VBC’s Global Technical Manager in 2020 and is now Chief Executive Officer of DeChant Vector Solutions LLC. In his career, he has achieved three patents, received the AMCA Industry Award, supported response to vector-borne disease outbreaks, and participated in global policy development.

Manuel Lluberas, M.S. Related Seminars and Products

Manuel Lluberas is an internationally recognized public health entomologist with almost forty years of experience on the business architecture of mosquito population management programs, capacity building, community engagement, disaster preparedness and response, and emergency vector control obtained in four continents. His many notable accomplishments include designing the malaria vector control structure of the President’s Malaria Initiative, directing mosquito control operations after the Indonesian tsunami, writing WHO’s Operational Manual for Indoor Residual Spraying, and giving keynote speaker in scientific conferences in Africa, South America, the Caribbean Basin, and the United States in English and Spanish. He’s the recipient of the AMCA’s Meritorious Ser-vice Award and was twice Finalist to the Rear Admiral Charles S. Stevenson Award for excellence in US Navy Preventive Medicine.

Angela Caranci, Ph. D. Related Seminars and Products

Originally from the Mid-Atlantic area, Dr. Angela Caranci completed a M.S. in Entomology & Wildlife Ecology from University of Delaware and a PhD in Medical Zoology from Uniformed Services University. After a brief post-doc in the Viral and Rickettsial Diseases Department at Navy Medical Research Center, Caranci moved to California and joined Northwest Mosquito and Vector Control District as Vector Ecologist. In 2020, she served as interim District Manager and has since continued on as Assistant District Manager/Vector Ecologist.

Broox Boze, Ph. D. Related Seminars and Products

Dr. Broox Boze is the Technical Director for Vector Disease Control International (VDCI) and has a Ph.D. from Colorado State University. As a specialist in emergency response, she has developed protocols and coordinated surveillance and management operations with various local, county, state and federal organizations. When she is not coordinating emergency response activities, she oversees research and development activities for VDCI to ensure the intervention strategies used are environmentally friendly and avoid non-target effects. Boze currently serves as the Industry Director for the American Mosquito Control Association and is President of the West Central Mosquito and Vector Control Association.

Alden Estep, Ph. D. Related Seminars and Products

Dr. Alden Estep is a Research Entomologist in the Mosquito & Fly Research Unit of the Center for Medical, Agricultural, and Veterinary Entomology. His laboratory studies the mechanisms underlying insecticide resistance in mosquitoes and flies, develops new methods to rapidly assess resistance and pathogens in field populations, and develops effective mitigation strategies for the control of resistant arthropods. He has published more than 60 articles related to insect toxicology, genomics, and insecticide resistance and served on graduate committees through an adjunct appointment. He has also given numerous presentations, lectures, and webinars on insecticide resistance and RNA interference.

Lindsay Baxter, M.S. Related Seminars and Products

Lindsay Baxter manages the pesticide resistance monitoring program within the Northeast Regional Center for Excellence in Vector-borne Diseases (NEVBD). She received her M.S. in Entomology with a concentration in medical entomology and public health from Cornell University in May of 2021. Her thesis explored the environmental associations of Powassan virus and Ixodes scapularis ticks in a hotspot in Southern Maine. Baxter is one of nine students to complete a M.S. through the NEVBD. In her current role, she works with mosquito control and public health professionals throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions to identify and further investigate pesticide resistance in medically important ticks and mosquitoes.

Nina Dacko, M.S. Related Seminars and Products

Nina Dacko has had a passion of working with insects ever since she was very young. She obtained her B.S. in entomology from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign in 2006 and a M.S. in environmental toxicology from Texas Tech University in 2011. She has been involved in mosquito surveillance and control activities in Illinois, California, and Texas since 2006. She led and developed the mosquito control program at Tarrant County Public Health in Fort Worth from 2013- 2022 and most recently served as the Associate Director of the Mosquito Vector Control Division at Harris County Public Health Department. Dacko is also the chair of the Control Strategies Subcommittee for the American Mosquito Control Association (AMCA), served as a past president of the Texas Mosquito Control Association (TMCA), and serves on other various vector control committees for the National Association of City and County Health Officials (NACCHO) and the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA).

Angela Beehler Related Seminars and Products

Angela Beehler is the district manager for the Benton County Mosquito Control District in Washington state and served as the Legislative and Regulatory Committee Chairman for the American Mosquito Control Association from 2013-2023. Beehler attended North Dakota State University, where she graduated with a B.S. in Biological Sciences. Prior to her role with the Benton County Mosquito Control District, Beehler was a field inspector for the Metropolitan Mosquito Control District in Minnesota and the Director for Cass County Vector Control in North Dakota.