Presenting his research on hala scale was Mason Russo’s initial, official reason for attending the 2023 Society of Island Biology annual meeting in Lipari, Italy.
But the overall experience – being surrounded by like-minded scientists from exotic locales across the globe – was also enlightening and eye-opening for this PhD candidate in the Dept. of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences.
In fact, it inspired Mason to write an article about his trip, which was subsequently picked up by Entomology Today magazine.
“Being able to attend the SIB 2023 meeting to present preliminary research regarding the impacts of the invasive hala scale on native hala forests in Hawaiʻi was amazing,” says Mason. “I was able to represent CTAHR and PEPS in an international setting and raise awareness about a pest that is potentially impacting forests of cultural and ecological significance to our state.”
Read the full article, “How Specialty Conferences Can Broaden Horizons for Entomology Students,” which appears in the latest issue of Entomology Today.