Entomology & Plant Pathology Giving Priorities

Auburn University’s Board of Trustees recently recognized our leadership in bee health, conservation, and management by approving the AU Bee Center. Our Bee Center is the data hub for the national winter colony loss survey- documenting the impacts of stressors on the viability of bees and the beekeeping and pollination industry. The Department has been good stewards of our resources- we conduct excellent research and Extension programs that impact Alabama and the world from a 60 year old, 2700 sqft cinder block building.

With more than 30 personnel, our Bee Center is now the largest program in the Department. This growth and aged facilities create a desperate need for space to provide education and advance research programs.

New Bee Health Center Facilities will:

• Provide modern research facilities to provide high quality training for graduate students and cutting edge research
• Enable the Bee Center to host programs on site to educate beekeepers, researchers, state apiary inspectors, and school groups about the importance of bees health and pollination

Alabamians are faced with significant threat of home and business damage from termites. Alabama and adjacent states are in the US Forest Service Zone 1 where there is a very heavy hazard from termites. This is estimated at a 60-90% chance of infestation over the lifetime of a structure.  While large private companies have training facilities, small to medium sized companies rely on training from Extension and the land grant university. All our adjacent states have Structural Pest Control Training facilities for providing cutting edge training for pest control technicians to more effectively monitor and management termites and other pests. 

We need support to build a training facility at Auburn University to combat the threats of invasive termites and urban pests. 

What resources does the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology have:

• Technical and scientific resources to provide training, but no facilities.
• Possible use of College or Ag land to construct a facility on campus
• Facilities (classrooms and labs) on campus to host classes in addition to on-site training

What resources do we need:

• Construction of the outdoor and indoor training facilities

Dr. Kloepper, Professor Emeritus in the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, is considered the Father of Plant Growth Promoting Bacteria. In the early 1980’s, he coined the phrase and pioneered the idea of using beneficial bacteria for plant health. Fast forward to today: The Department has thousands of potentially beneficial microbes isolated with potential to mitigate plant stress and increase productivity without synthetic inputs like fertilizers or pesticides.   

Highlights of the REU:

• Undergraduates from Auburn or in-state universities can gain experience characterizing and evaluating beneficial microbes for plant health
• Students pair with a faculty mentor and learn the molecular, genetic, and field evaluation pipelines used to assess the utility of these microbes.  
• In one summer, each student gains modern training in OMICs and improves their marketability for biotechnology related positions

Are you interested in investing in students and advancing agriculture into the future?

This REU can be directed toward any plant commodity and support could translate into solutions to help your specific plant industry improve.