Rondon Selected as ESA Books Editor-in-Chief

Expert in integrated pest management takes on newly expanded role

Silvia I. Rondon, Ph.D.

Annapolis, MD; January 24, 2024—Silvia I. Rondon, Ph.D., professor, extension entomology specialist, and director of the Oregon Integrated Pest Management Center at Oregon State University, has been selected as the new editor-in-chief of the Entomological Society of America's book-publishing program.

In November 2023, the ESA Governing Board elected to expand the scope of the editor-in-chief position of ESA's Thomas Say Publications to include all ESA books. This month, the Board approved Rondon to serve in the newly expanded role, succeeding Daniel Whitmore, Ph.D., who completed a four-year term at the end of 2023 as Thomas Say editor-in-chief.

"Dr. Silvia Rondon's extensive and varied experience in entomology makes her an ideal leader to pursue ESA's book publishing goals," says ESA president Jennifer Henke, BCE. "My colleagues and I on the ESA Governing Board are eager to welcome her to this role, and we thank Dr. Daniel Whitmore for his dedicated service since 2020."

ESA's books program encompasses a range of specialized publications serving the field of entomology, such as monographs, proceedings, and memoirs, as well as handbooks and study guides for ESA's pest management certifications.

Rondon brings more than 20 years of experience in entomology to the ESA books editor role. Her research and extension work has largely specialized in integrated pest management across a variety of crop plants, and she has taken on several leadership roles at ESA, Oregon State, and beyond.

Lina Bernaola, Ph.D., ESA vice president and chair of the search committee, lauded Rondon's long-time engagement and service to ESA and the entomology community. "Dr. Rondon has given back to her field in so many ways throughout her career and led collaborations with colleagues across the profession," she says. "The ESA books program will be in great hands with her energy and enthusiasm."

Rondon's term as books editor-in-chief begins immediately and will run through December 31, 2027.

"It is truly an honor to be chosen as ESA books editor-in-chief," Rondon says. "I have been an ESA member since 1997 when I moved from Peru to join the University of Illinois to pursue my Ph.D., with the dream to develop a career in academia. My passion for reading and writing will be evident as I work with my colleagues to strengthen and diversify our books and manuscript collections. And I thank the ESA search committee for the opportunity to discuss with them my ideas and suggestions. This level of engagement from my peers feeds my energy to keep working for our professional society."

Rondon was named director of the Oregon Integrated Pest Management Center at Oregon State University (OSU) in July 2021, and she has served in various professor and extension roles at OSU since September 2005. Prior to joining OSU, she served as a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Horticultural Science at the University of Florida, as well as an assistant professor in entomology and insect curator at the Universidad Nacional Agraria la Molina (UNALM) in Lima, Perú. She earned a bachelor's degree in zoology in 1993 and master's degree in entomology in 1999 at UNALM and a Ph.D. in crop sciences in 2002 at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She has been an active ESA member since 1997, serving in a variety of volunteer roles. She is currently vice president of the ESA Pacific Branch, and she is a founding co-organizer of the Latin/Hispanic Symposium, now entering its 12th year, hosted at the ESA Annual Meeting.

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CONTACT: Joe Rominiecki, jrominiecki@entsoc.org, 301-731-4535 x3009

ABOUT: ESA is the largest organization in the world serving the professional and scientific needs of entomologists and people in related disciplines. Founded in 1889, ESA today has nearly 7,000 members affiliated with educational institutions, health agencies, private industry, and government. Headquartered in Annapolis, Maryland, the Society stands ready as a non-partisan scientific and educational resource for all insect-related topics. For more information, visit www.entsoc.org.

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