KINGSTON, R.I., — March 13, 2000 — Three University of Rhode Island faculty members and one student recently received awards for their work in the field of entomology. Drs. Roger LeBrun and Richard Casagrande, both professors in the University’s Department of Plant Sciences, were recognized at the 71st annual meeting of the Eastern Branch of the Entomological Society of America. At the same meeting, graduate student Michael DeSanto took second place in the Student Paper Competition. LeBrun received the Society’s Distinguished Achievement Award in Teaching for inspiring many students to study entomology through his lively and humorous teaching style. A resident of Kingston, he recently collaborated with colleagues in France and Switzerland to study invertebrate immunology. Casagrande’s award was for Excellence in Integrated Pest Management, acknowledging the several innovative programs he has developed at URI since 1976. He was instrumental in establishing URI’s Biocontrol and Quarantine Facility, which has an international reputation for research on the integrated management of pest insects through the importation of natural enemies. He lives in Kingston. DeSanto’s paper on the biocontrol of the hemlock wooly adelgid earned him a $150 prize and second place in the Entomological Society’s student competition. A resident of Montrose, Penn., he is working on a master’s degree with Casagrande. In a separate ceremony, Dr. Howard Ginsberg, a research ecologist with the U.S. Geological Survey based at URI, was named Natural Resources Researcher of the Year in the Northeast Region by the National Park Service. He was recognized for his role in assessing the disease risk associated with Eastern Equine Encephalitis and West Nile Virus at Fire Island National Seashore, Gateway National Recreation Area, and other coastal parks during the 1999 mosquito breeding season. He was also recognized for his research on ticks and Lyme disease. He lives in Wakefield. -xxx- For Further Information: Todd McLeish 874-7892.