> SFU entomologist receives gold medal
SFU entomologist receives gold medal
Contact:
Bernard Roitberg, 778.782.3585; roitberg@sfu.ca (note: he returns from Ottawa late Tuesday)
Marianne Meadahl, PAMR, 778.782.4323
Bernard Roitberg, 778.782.3585; roitberg@sfu.ca (note: he returns from Ottawa late Tuesday)
Marianne Meadahl, PAMR, 778.782.4323
October 20, 2008
Simon Fraser University biologist Bernard Roitberg is the recipient of a gold medal award from the Entomological Society of Canada. He received the honor on Oct. 18 in Ottawa.
Over a 30-year career as an ecologist and entomologist, Roitberg has made extensive advances in what we know about the behavior and evolutionary ecology of insects and their natural enemies.
His fascination with the behaviors of insects regarding prey choice and defense has led him to work on a diverse range of insects, with an emphasis on fruit flies, aphids and more recently mosquitoes.
Among research highlights, his studies on the behavioral ecology of a malaria vector, Anopheles gambiae, led to new approaches to studying feeding strategies in mosquitoes, while his research on adaptive suicide in aphids laid the foundation for understanding the evolution of altruistic behaviors in colonial organisms.
Other research by Roitberg and collaborators has led to the development of control practices for insects such as apple maggots.
Roitberg, who did his undergraduate studies at SFU under another gold medal recipient – biologist John Borden (ESC gold medal 1988) - is an honorary scientist with the Korean Rural Development Agency and a recipient of the Entomological Society of Canada’s Hewitt award.
The society is honoring Roitberg with its gold medal for his outstanding achievement in Canadian entomology, recognizing his extensive and innovative work in behavior ecology and service to the society, and cites Roitberg as being "truly one of Canada’s international science stars."
Over a 30-year career as an ecologist and entomologist, Roitberg has made extensive advances in what we know about the behavior and evolutionary ecology of insects and their natural enemies.
His fascination with the behaviors of insects regarding prey choice and defense has led him to work on a diverse range of insects, with an emphasis on fruit flies, aphids and more recently mosquitoes.
Among research highlights, his studies on the behavioral ecology of a malaria vector, Anopheles gambiae, led to new approaches to studying feeding strategies in mosquitoes, while his research on adaptive suicide in aphids laid the foundation for understanding the evolution of altruistic behaviors in colonial organisms.
Other research by Roitberg and collaborators has led to the development of control practices for insects such as apple maggots.
Roitberg, who did his undergraduate studies at SFU under another gold medal recipient – biologist John Borden (ESC gold medal 1988) - is an honorary scientist with the Korean Rural Development Agency and a recipient of the Entomological Society of Canada’s Hewitt award.
The society is honoring Roitberg with its gold medal for his outstanding achievement in Canadian entomology, recognizing his extensive and innovative work in behavior ecology and service to the society, and cites Roitberg as being "truly one of Canada’s international science stars."