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Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences 

Gilmore 310
3050 Maile Way
Honolulu, HI 96822
Tel: (808) 956-6737
Fax: (808) 956-2428
E-mail: peps@ctahr.hawaii.edu
Web: www2.ctahr.hawaii.edu

Faculty

• K. G. Rohrbach, PhD (Chair)--pineapple diseases, integrated pest management
• A. M. Alvarez, PhD--bacterial diseases
• B. M. Brennan, PhD--pesticide regulation and use
• J. J. Cho, PhD--diseases of vegetable crops, integrated pest management (Maui Agricultural Experiment Station)
• R. H. Ebesu, MS--extension education (Kaua'i Cooperative Extension Service)
• S. A. Ferreira, PhD--crop protection, extension education
• M. L. Goff, PhD--acarology, medical and forensic entomology
• J. K. Grace, PhD--urban entomology, termite and social insect biology and control, insect behavior
• R. T. Hamasaki, MS--fruit and vegetable crops extension education (O'ahu Cooperative Extension Service)
• A. H. Hara, PhD--horticultural entomology, post-harvest insect control, regulatory entomology (Hawai'i Agricultural Experiment Station)
• J. Hu, PhD--virology
• M. W. Johnson, PhD--biological control, insect pest management
• M. Kawate, PhD--pesticide registration
• W. H. Ko, PhD--soil microbiology (Hawai'i Agricultural Experiment Station)
• R. F. L. Mau, PhD--agricultural entomology, entomology extension education, insect biology
• E. F. Mersino --Ornamental crops extension education (O'ahu Cooperative Extension Service)
• R. H. Messing, PhD--insect ecology and biological control (Kaua'i Agricultural Experiment Station)
• N. M. Nagata, MS--urban horticulture, cut flowers and fruits extension education
• S. C. Nelson, PhD--epidemiology, extension education
• R. K. Nishimoto PhD--weed science
• W. T. Nishijima, PhD--tropical fruits and nuts, forest and tree diseases, ornamental extension education (Hawai'i Agricultural Experiment Station)
• J. J. Ooka, PhD--diseases of coconuts, and, field, root and medicinal crops; disease suppressive composts (Kaua'i Agricultural Experiment Station)
• D. M. Sato, MS--extension education (Hawai'i Cooperative Extension Service)
• S. H. Saul, PhD--insect genetics
• D. Schmitt, PhD--tropical nematology, nematode ecology and management
• J. Seifert, PhD--biochemical toxicology
• K. T. Sewake, MS--extension education (Hawai'i Cooperative Extension Service)
• R. Shimabuku, MS--vegetable crops production and disease management extension education (Maui Cooperative Extension Service)
• B. S. Sipes, PhD--nematology, alternative control methods
• E. E. Trujillo, PhD--soil-borne diseases, biological control of weeds
• J. Y. Uchida, PhD--fungal pathology, biological control of diseases, environmental impacts
• J. R. Yates III, PhD--urban pest management, termite biology and control

Graduate Faculty in Entomology 

• M. L. Goff, PhD--acarology, medical and forensic entomology
• J. K. Grace, PhD--urban entomology, termite and social insect biology and control, insect behavior
• A. H. Hara, PhD--horticultural entomology, post-harvest insect control, regulatory entomology (Hawai'i Agricultural Experiment Station)
• M. W. Johnson, PhD--biological control, insect pest management
• R. F. L. Mau, PhD--agricultural entomology, entomology extension education, insect biology
• R. H. Messing, PhD--insect ecology and biological control (Kaua'i Agricultural Experiment Station)
• S. H. Saul, PhD--insect genetics
• J. R. Yates III, PhD--urban pest management, termite biology and control

Cooperating Graduate Faculty in Entomology 

• L. Arita-Tsutsumi, PhD--insect behavior, honeybee ecology (UH Hilo)
• B. M. Brennan, PhD--pesticide regulation and use
• K. Y. Kaneshiro, PhD--systematics, evolution, insect behavior
• J. Seifert, PhD--biochemical toxicology

Affiliate Graduate Faculty in Entomology 

• J. W. Armstrong, PhD--commodity quarantine treatments, fruit fly control (USDA-ARS, Hilo)
• N. Evenhuis, PhD--systematics of Diptera (Bishop Museum)
• P. A. Follett, PhD--commodity quarantine treatments, tropical tree fruit IPM (USDA-ARS, Hilo)
• E. J. Harris, PhD--ecology and control of fruit flies (USDA-ARS)
• F. G. Howarth, PhD--systematics (Bishop Museum)
• E. B. Jang, PhD--insect physiology, fruit fly control (USDA-ARS, Hilo)
• D. O. McInnis, PhD--insect genetics (USDA-ARS)
• N. J. Reimer, PhD--ant biology and control, biological control of weeds (Bishop Museum)
• R. I. Vargas, PhD--ecology, mass-rearing techniques (USDA-ARS, Hilo)

Graduate Faculty in Plant Pathology 

• K. G. Rohrbach, PhD (Chair)--pineapple diseases, integrated pest management
• A. M. Alvarez, PhD--bacterial diseases
• D. Borthakur, PhD--molecular biology
• J. J. Cho, PhD--diseases of vegetable crops, integrated pest management (Maui Agricultural Experiment Station)
• S. A. Ferreira, PhD--crop protection, extension education
• J. Hu, PhD--virology
• W. H. Ko, PhD--soil microbiology (Hawai'i Agricultural Experiment Station)
• S. C. Nelson, PhD--epidemiology, extension education
• W. T. Nishijima, PhD--tropical fruits and nuts, forest and tree diseases, ornamental extension education (Hawai'i Agricultural Experiment Station)
• J. J. Ooka, PhD--diseases of coconuts, and, field, root and medicinal crops; disease suppressive composts (Kaua'i Agricultural Experiment Station)
• D. Schmitt, PhD--tropical nematology, nematode ecology and management
• B. S. Sipes, PhD--nematology, alternative control methods
• E. E. Trujillo, PhD--soil-borne diseases, biological control of weeds
• J. Y. Uchida, PhD--fungal pathology, biological control of diseases, environmental impacts

Cooperating Graduate Faculty in Plant Pathology 

• D. Gardner, PhD--pathology of native vegetation
• S. S. Patil, PhD--host parasite physiology
• M. Shintaku, PhD--virology (UH Hilo)

Degrees Offered: BS in entomology, MS in botanical sciences (plant pathology), MS in entomology, PhD in botanical sciences (plant pathology), PhD in entomology 

Proposed Degrees: BS in entomology, BS in plant and environmental protection sciences, MS in botanical sciences (plant pathology), MS in entomology, PhD in botanical sciences (plant pathology), PhD in entomology. Currently enrolled students may continue in their existing degree program or they may switch to a new degree program once the program has been approved.

The Academic Program

Entomology (ENTO) is the study of insects and related organisms, such as spiders and mites. Entomologists seek to understand the role of insects in the natural world and their interaction with humans. They work to find environmentally safe, effective, and economical solutions to insect pest problems in agricultural and urban environments.

Hawai'i is an excellent place to study entomology. The uniform tropical climate permits students to observe and collect insects year-round. For those with interests related to evolutionary biology, the unique endemic insect fauna of Hawai'i offer many exciting opportunities for original research.

In the area of applied entomology, insects associated with Hawai'i's tropical and subtropical agricultural and urban environments provide a wealth of challenging problems in pest management research. In Hawai'i, such research strongly emphasizes biological control, biotechnological, and other non-chemical methods in order to minimize negative environmental impacts. The development of entomological technology to support low-input sustainable agriculture is another important area in pest management research. Motivated students will find an abundance of challenging opportunities that can help them develop professional competence in the science of entomology.

Advising

All undergraduate majors are advised by a faculty member who has been appointed by the department. New candidates for the graduate program are assigned an interim adviser and committee until such time as a permanent adviser and committee are selected.

Undergraduate Study

BS in Entomology

Requirements

• General Education Core requirements
• CTAHR core requirements
• ENTO 363
• ENTO 374/374L
• ENTO 462
• ENTO 492
• 15 or more credit hours from an approved list of courses (determined in consultation with undergraduate adviser)
• Additional credit hours to total 128

All entomology majors are required to consult with the undergraduate adviser concerning their program prior to registration each semester.

Graduate Study

Applications for admission must include GRE scores for verbal and quantitative aptitude. Intended candidates must have or acquire adequate preparation in plant anatomy, biochemistry, ecology, genetics, physiology, and systematics. Candidates must present evidence of adequate preparation in physics, organic chemistry, statistics, and calculus.

MS in Botanical Sciences (Plant Pathology)

Plant pathology (PPTH) is the study of plant diseases, microorganisms that cause diseases, host-pathogen interactions, and disease control. Plant pathologists concentrate on agricultural crops of economic importance, but the field also includes the biology and host-pathogen interactions of numerous other plant-pathogen systems. The field consists of several subdisciplines including phytomycology, plant virology, bacteriology, and nematology, as well as epidemiology, crop protection, and the molecular biology of host-pathogen interactions.

Students should have their undergraduate preparation in botany, horticulture, agronomy, or microbiology. Plant pathology has its foundation in biology and agriculture and offers wide opportunities in both basic and applied areas of biology, plant sciences, and agriculture. The plant pathology program at the University of Hawai'i offers students a unique opportunity to gain knowledge of the vast diversity of tropical crops and tropical plant pathogens.

Plan A (thesis) and Plan B (non-thesis) are separate MS programs with distinct purposes. Plan A is the usual program to be taken by candidates. Plan B is offered at the discretion of the graduate faculty for students who do not intend to make research in plant pathology their profession. Plan B programs emphasize general crop protection and/or integrated pest management.

Graduates with the MS degree find employment in research, extension industry, and business. However, most students continue their studies or teach in two-year colleges.

Requirements
Plan A students must complete 12 credit hours of thesis research and a minimum of 18 additional credit hours in courses approved by a candidate's committee. Plan B students must complete 30 credit hours, 18 of these in the major field or an approved related field in courses numbered 600 and above. In addition, at least 6 credits, but not more than 9 credits, must be for directed research in aspects of plant pathology chosen by the candidate in consultation with his or her committee and must be done in two laboratories.

All students take a diagnostic examination within their first two weeks in a degree program. A requirement of all degrees is the presentation of four seminars: the first outlines the background of a research problem and the student's proposed research program; the second and third are focused on a topic; and the final, presented at the conclusion of the program, describes the research results and conclusions. At this time the student is examined by the thesis or dissertation committee. 

MS in Entomology

The department offers graduate programs leading to the MS and PhD degrees in entomology. They encompass independent study, course work, and research in acarology, biological control of insect and weed pests, biotechnology and insect genetics, forensic entomology, insect ecology, insect evolution, insect genetics, insect physiology, insecticide toxicology, insect transmission of plant pathogens, medical and veterinary entomology, pest management, systematics, urban entomology, and tropical economic entomology.

Intended candidates for graduate programs in entomology must present a bachelor's degree with a minimum of 18 undergraduate credit hours in entomology and zoology, including general zoology, general entomology, economic entomology, insect morphology, and systematic entomology. In addition, they must have had credit for two years of chemistry (including inorganic and organic), one year of physics, MATH 140 or equivalent, and courses in botany, genetics, and microbiology. All deficiencies in undergraduate preparation must be satisfied.

The MS and PhD in tropical entomology are recognized Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) regional graduate programs. Residents of Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming are eligible, upon admission, to enroll at Hawai'i-resident tuition rates.

The MS degree program is offered under either Plan A (thesis) or Plan B (non-thesis). All students in this program are first enrolled under Plan A. Transfer to Plan B is permissible only after consultation with the candidate's adviser and approval by the chair of the graduate field of study.

A total of 32 credit hours are required for each degree plan. Specific degree requirements are listed below.

Graduates with the MS degree should possess general knowledge of entomology, including basic principles of insect identification, biology, and control. Prospects for employment are in private industry, service-oriented entomological programs of government agencies, and research institutions.

Requirements

Plan A (thesis)

• 16 credit hours of course work
• 2 credit hours of ENTO 699 directed research
• 2 credit hours of ENTO 687 Entomology Seminar
• 1 credit hour of ENTO 690 Foundations in Entomology each year
• 10 credit hours of ENTO 700 thesis research
• Final oral defense of the thesis research
• Submission of an acceptable thesis

Plan B (non-thesis)

• 26 credit hours of course work
• 2 credit hours of ENTO 699 directed research
• 2 credit hours of ENTO 687 Entomology Seminar
• 1 credit hour of ENTO 690 Foundations of Entomology each year
• Final oral defense of the directed research project and on other aspects of entomological training undertaken by the candidate

PhD in Botanical Sciences (Plant Pathology)

The dissertation is expected to be an original contribution based on independent research. It is initiated by the preparation of a critical review of the literature, which becomes the basis for a dissertation proposal. Dissertation research for the PhD degree is done in an aspect of plant pathology for which a member of the graduate faculty of the field will accept responsibility as committee chair.

Recipients of doctorates generally accept positions in university teaching and research, extension, industry, or government.

Requirements
There is no minimum credit requirement for the doctoral degree in botanical sciences (plant pathology). The student works closely with his or her advisory committee to select appropriate courses offered by the department of plant pathology and other departments in the University. A comprehensive examination and a dissertation must be successfully completed.

PhD in Entomology

Intended candidates for the PhD program should have earned the MS degree in entomology or equivalent from a recognized institution. Those with a BS or BA may petition for admittance into the PhD program only after enrolling in the MS program.

Graduates with the PhD degree should possess broad general knowledge in all areas of entomology, in-depth knowledge in at least one area of specialization, and capability for independent research. Prospects for employment for PhD graduates are in teaching, research, and extension at universities and in research with private industries and government agencies.

Requirements

• 4 credit hours of seminar
• 1 credit hour of ENTO 690 each year
• Diagnostic examination on the basic principles of entomology within two semesters after admission into the program
• Oral and written comprehensive examination in the candidate's area of specialization administered by the doctoral committee
• Preliminary oral defense of the dissertation research for the doctoral committee
• Final oral defense of the dissertation research
• Submission of an acceptable dissertation

Additional course work required for the degree is determined by the candidate's doctoral committee.

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