Horace VanCleave Honored with Lifetime Achievement Recognition, Smith Receives Staff Meritorious Service Award
COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The Department of Entomology celebrated the outstanding accomplishments of faculty and staff by recognizing members during a special meeting of faculty, staff and students in January.
The Department honored Professor Emeritus Dr. Horace VanCleave with a plaque recognizing his outstanding achievements and accomplishments during his career and Carla Smith with the Staff Meritorious Service Award.
The Department honored Professor Emeritus Dr. Horace VanCleave with a plaque recognizing his outstanding achievements and accomplishments during his career.
VanCleave joined the Department in 1964 as an assistant professor and rose to the rank of professor in 1975. During the time he was at the Department, teaching more than 5,000 Aggies entomology through the General Entomology course (ENTO201). In addition to ENTO201, VanCleave also taught the Economic Entomology course for several years.
For more than 20 years, VanCleave served as the undergraduate coordinator and associate head. His hard work and dedication teaching and advising students landed him recognition from the College and University levels five times, leading to several awards including the Association of Former Students’ Distinguished Award in Teaching. He also received national recognition when he won the Distinguished Achievement Award in Teaching from the Entomological Society of America.
During his research career, VanCleave specialized in the biosystematics of the Aphididae, which includes aphids, and focused on insects attacking pecan and forage grasses.
VanCleave also has provided leadership and service on numerous education and teaching committees for the Entomological Society of America as well as other committees in the Southwestern Branch of the ESA. He has served such positions including secretary-treasurer, vice president and president of the Southwestern Branch and served as Governing Board representative.
“Dr. Van Cleave was mentor to countless undergraduate and graduate students who became successful entomologists throughout the country, and mentored several junior faculty to successful careers at Texas A&M,” Department Head Dr. David Ragsdale said. “His devotion to our profession helped garner national recognition for teaching and research programs in Entomology at Texas A&M University. “
His exceptional leadership in the Southwestern Branch led him to receiving the Ta-Que-Ne-Whap Award in 1987.
“It’s quite an honor and privilege to have worked here in this Department,” VanCleave said during a special meeting honoring his work.
Admininstrative Services Officer Carla Smith also received the Department of Entomology’s Staff Meritorious Service Award during a special departmental-wide meeting on January 18.
Smith has been working for the Department for 5 years and serves as the Administrative Services officer. She coordinates overall operations for the Department, including the business and accounting, annual fiscal closing and annual startup procedures. She also takes care of the preparation of annual budgets and special projects as needed.
“Carla’s leadership, dedication, and service to Texas A&M University and the Department of Entomology are 24/7,” Ragsdale said. “She has positively impacted countless numbers of individuals on and off campus.”
There were many excellent and entertaining entries for the 2012 Arthropods Image Salon, and judges had a hard time naming only one entry as the overall best. Participants submitted more than 36 entries into one of three categories this year: Artistic, Traditional Macro, and Arthropods in Action. The winners are:
Artistic: "The Dancing Butterfly" by Abhishek Mukherjee
Arthropods In Action: “Wheel Bug Love” by Mike Merchant
Traditional Macro: “Sapphire” by Abhishek Mukherjee
The Best Overall Image: "The Dancing Butterfly" by Abhishek Mukherjee.
There were no images entered for the Photo Microscopy category this year.