Innovative, presentation honors earned in research

The Biting Times Fall 2024 Newsletter, produced by the North Carolina Mosquito and Vector Control Association, featured students studying environmental health and their research projects. The ECU highlights section begins on Page 15 with Will Murray and Emma Rush, followed by Raven Slade and Naina Sharma Bastakoti on ensuing pages.

These health education and promotion students will present their research at the NCMVCA’s November conference in Atlantic Beach.

Their project titles are:

Dr. Stephanie Richards is director of the Vector-Borne Disease and Insecticide Resistance labs.

• Murray – Wind Tunnel Exposure to Water-and Oil-Based Formulated Prod-
  ucts.
• Rush – Comparison of Field Trial and Wind Tunnel Exposure to Bio-
  mist® and Duet®
• Slade – Droplet Characterization of Formulated Products on Mosquitoes
  Exposed Via Wind Tunnel
• Bastakoti – Staying Safe: Results From an Occupational Hazards Survey
  Among Mosquito Control Personnel

In similar department news, Dr. Stephanie Richards was recognized by the ECU Office of Licensing and Commercialization in the October Provost First Monday newsletter as an “Innovator of the Month” for the wind tunnel invention for insecticide exposure and testing. This collaborative project and invention developed a compact wind tunnel that is specifically designed to accommodate mosquito cages and configured to rapidly test a wide variety of insecticides.

Richards is a professor of environmental health science and director of the Vector-Borne Disease and Insecticide Resistance labs.

The Innovator of the Month honor was established to recognize faculty who have developed novel innovations that can have a major impact on eastern North Carolina and beyond. Nominees are selected by members of the ECU Patent Committee, which chose Richards and Dr. Sinan Sousan from the Department of Public Health for the latest spotlight.