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Areas of Expertise
Entomology:
- Handling and maintenance of scientific collections.
- Insect collection.
- Taxonomic identification.
- Rearing of insects for life cycle determination (beetles, praying mantis, walking sticks, crickets, and katydids), gastronomy (crickets, cockroaches, Tenebrio molitor and Galleria mellonella), and parasitoids reproduction (Trichogramma pretiosum).
- Collection and rearing of the Emerald Ash Borer, identification of associate insects of this invasive pest.
- Taxonomic identification (in-field and laboratory).
- Control through herbicides and cultural practices.
- Development of a portable and personal weed identification database through the Ninox database developer App.
Education
2023 Teaching and Learning Transformation Center Inclusive Pedagogy and Practice Certificate Program (ongoing).
2021 PhD Degree in Entomology, University of Maryland (ongoing).
Advisor: Dr. Daniel Gruner
Dissertation: “Emerald ash borer (EAB) phenology and synchrony of their larval parasitoids, mortality factors affecting EAB populations dynamics”
2019 Professional post-B.S. degree with an emphasis in entomology, Agronomy, University of Costa Rica.
Advisor: Dr. Robin Gómez Gómez.
Thesis: “Diversity and richness of the entomofauna in weeds present in sugar cane plantations”.
2018 Bachelor’s Degree in Agronomy, University of Costa Rica.
2013 National University of Distance Education: Business Administration (initiated).
2021 PhD Degree in Entomology, University of Maryland (ongoing).
Advisor: Dr. Daniel Gruner
Dissertation: “Emerald ash borer (EAB) phenology and synchrony of their larval parasitoids, mortality factors affecting EAB populations dynamics”
2019 Professional post-B.S. degree with an emphasis in entomology, Agronomy, University of Costa Rica.
Advisor: Dr. Robin Gómez Gómez.
Thesis: “Diversity and richness of the entomofauna in weeds present in sugar cane plantations”.
2018 Bachelor’s Degree in Agronomy, University of Costa Rica.
2013 National University of Distance Education: Business Administration (initiated).
Research and Professional Experience
2021 - now (ongoing)
2023 (spring) 2021 (spring/fall) 2019 2018 - 2019 2016 - 2018 2017 2015 - 2017 2014 - 2015 2012 - 2013 2011 - 2012 2007 - 2011 |
Department of Entomology, University of Maryland.
Research Assistant on Dan Gruner research laboratory. College of Computer, Mathematical & Natural Sciences, University of Maryland. Teaching Assistant for the undergraduate course BSCI361 - Principles of Ecology College of Computer, Mathematical & Natural Sciences, University of Maryland. Teaching Assistant for the undergraduate course BSCI161 - Principles of Ecology & Evolution Laboratory. Agronomy, Iowa State University on Matt Liebman’s research laboratory. Field and laboratory research assistant. Mesoamerican Agronomy Journal, University of Costa Rica. Editor assistant. Center for Research in Crop Protection of the University of Costa Rica, Insects Museum. Entomology research assistant. Work internship in the Research and Extension Department for the Sugar Cane (DIECA) of the Agricultural and Industrial League of Sugar Cane (LAICA): Development of the project “Inventory of weeds present in sugar cane in the six producers’ regions of Costa Rica”. Center for Research in Cellular and Molecular Biology of the University of Costa Rica. Biotechnology and in vitro laboratory research assistant. Center for Research in Crop Protection of the University of Costa Rica Entomological laboratory research assistant. Center for Research in Crop Protection of the University of Costa Rica Entomology laboratory research assistant. Center for Agronomic Research, Plant Biotechnology Laboratory of the University of Costa Rica. Biotechnology and in vitro laboratory research assistant. Arthropods Unit, National Institute of Biodiversity (INBio). Rearing insects and scientific entomology collection research assistant. |
Conferences and Symposiums
- Participation in the “31st USDA Interagency Research Forum on Invasive Species” that took place in Annapolis, MD, USA on January 10th-14th, 2023.
- Oral presentation of “Synchrony of larval parasitoids of the emerald ash borer with susceptible stages” in the Entomology Seminar Series – Colloquium of the Entomology Department of the University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA on December 2nd, 2022.
- Oral presentation of “Synchrony of larval parasitoids of the emerald ash borer with susceptible stages” in the 2022 Annual Meeting of the Entomological Society of America that took place in Vancouver, BC, Canada on November 13th-16th, 2022.
- Virtual oral presentation of “Plagas forestales invasoras: La crisis del barrenador Esmeralda de árboles de fresno en Norte América, caso de estudio” in the Series of Lectures in Commemoration of the 60 years of the Insects Museum of the University of Costa Rica that took place in San José, Costa Rica on November 3rd & 10th of November 2022.
- Participation in the EntoQuest Entomological Society of America Eastern Branch Summer Meeting that took place in Fort Royale, VA, September 9-11th, 2022.
- Poster presentation of “Recovery of introduced biological control agents of emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis) in Maryand, a preliminary study” in the “Entomological Society of America Eastern Branch Meeting” that took place in Philadelphia, PA, USA on April 25th and 26th, 2022.
- Poster presentation of “Beneficial insects found in weeds surrounding sugar cane plantations in Costa Rica” in the “Entomological Society of America Annual Meeting” that took place inSaint Louis, MO, USA on November 17th to 20th, 2019.
- Poster presentation of “Entomofauna benéfica asociada a arvenses en caña de azúcar” in the “XXIV Congreso Latinoamericano de Malezas” that took place in Heredia, Costa Rica on June 5th to 7th, 2019.
- Participation in the 1st Costa Rican Congress of Butterflies Gardens and Related that took place in the University of Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica on February 15th and 16th, 2019.
- Oral presentation of “Identificación de arvenses asociadas al cultivo de caña de azúcar y su similitud entre las seis regiones cañeras de Costa Rica” in the General Assembly of the Costa Rican Association for the Study of Weeds on October 6th, 2018.
- Oral presentation of “Identificación de arvenses asociadas al cultivo de caña de azúcar y su similitud entre las seis regiones cañeras de Costa Rica” and participation in the VII Technological Congress of DIECA 2018 that took place in San Carlos, Costa Rica on August 29th to 31st, 2018.
- Poster presentation of “Inventory of the biofunctional weeds present in sugar cane in Costa Rica” in the 18th European Weed Research Society Symposium that took place in Ljubljana, Slovenia on June 17th to 21st, 2018.
- Participation on the “50 Años del Museo de Insectos” Symposium that took place in San Jose, Costa Rica on October 9th to 11th, 2012.
- Participation in the 7th International Congress of Dipterology that took place in San José, Costa Rica on August 8th to 13th, 2010.
Short Courses and Workshops
- 2023 Mentoring Grad Students. Essential topics of the “Entering Mentoring” curriculum by the Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research. University of Maryland, MD. USA
Neurodiversity in the Classroom workshop. Teaching & Learning Transformation Center. University of Maryland, MD, USA.
Responding to Microaggressions in the classroom workshop. Teaching & Learning Transformation Center. University of Maryland, MD, USA.
- 2022 Adult Mental Health First Aid USA by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, USA.
- 2018 Academic Workshop of Statistical Analysis with R, CENAT, San José, Costa Rica.
- 2017 Regional Course of Genetic Improvement for the resistance to biotic stress through mutation inductions, ARCAL CL, Costa Rica.
- 2012 Forensic entomology workshop by Dr. Lee Goff, University of Costa Rica, Costa Rica.
Awards & Fellowships
- Sigma XI Grant in Aid of Research (GIAR) Grant recipient ($900)
- Teaching Achievement Award. 2021. Department of Entomology. University of Maryland
- Early Career Scientist travel funds for the 18th EWRS Symposium ]in Ljubljana, Slovenia on June 17th to 21st, 2018 ($1000).
- University of Costa Rica travel funding 2018 ($500)
Scientific Organizations Affiliations
- Member of the Entomological Society of America (ESA)
- Member of the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS)
- Ex-member of the European Weed Research Society (EWRS)
- Ex-member of the Costa Rican Association for the Study of Weeds (ACEM)
Extension (4), media appearances (5), talks (5) and others (4)
- Undergraduate Research & Networking Panel for undergraduate students (September 7th, 2022) in person organized by SACNAS, UMD. College park. Audience 25 people.
- Maryland State Fair – Insect Petting Zoo Volunteer for Maryland State Fair, an extension and outreach activity at the Maryland State Fair. Aug 27th, 2022.
- Maryland Day – Insect Petting Zoo Volunteer for Maryland Day, an extension and outreach activity at the University of Maryland campus. April 30th, 2022.
- Lecture talk about weed-insect interactions for the grad course Weed Management of the University of Costa Rica held through Zoom (April 18th, 2022), audience eight master’s students and two professors.
- Panel in the Teaching and Learning Transformation Center (TLTC) orientation for STEM graduate students *January 21st, 2022) held through Zoom, audience 20 people.
- Insect Zoo – DC Bilingual Elementary Presentation. September 23rd, 2021.
- Writer in the extension and outreach Spanish blog of the University of Maryland “Extensión en Español” https://extensionesp.umd.edu/tag/AngelaSotoSaenz/
- CoopeManzu Co-Op founding member and active participant of extension and outreach for citizens and farmers in Costa Rica.
- GeoDC - talk MS. Lindsay Barranco and Angela Saenz “17 Years Periodical Cicadas” for geospatial enthusiasts (June 2nd, 2021) held through Zoom, audience 31 people.
- Austrian Broadcasting Corporation. Cicada interview by Inka Pieh aired on Austrian radio on June 2nd, 2021 and TV on June 3rd, 2021.
- STEM Night for Deep Run Elementary School - talk MS. Angela Saenz. “Cicadas/Chicharras” for students and parents held in English and Spanish (May 26th, 2021) held through Zoom, audience of 76 people.
- Insect Feasts – Documentary participation for Blink Films (May 20th, 2021).
- Fox News Cicada Interview by Madeleine Rivera aired on TV on May 21st, 2021 on Atlanta, Houston, Portland, Minneapolis, and other locations.
- Interview with The Ringer “Summer Is Coming. So Are Trillions of Brood X Cicadas” by Lex Pryor May 11th, 2021 at https://www.theringer.com/2021/5/11/22429664/cicadas-brood-x-emergence-17-year-wait
- Mount Saint Joseph High School - talk MS. Lindsay Barranco and Angela Saenz “The Amazing 17-year Periodical Cicadas!” for students and parents (May 11, 2021) held through Zoom, audience of 102 people.
- Q&A UMD Cicada Crew Panel for STEM Salon as part of the Life Sciences and Outreach Library series for students, faculty and administrative staff (May 3rd, 2021) held through Zoom, audience of 76 people
- Aid to the BBC Documentary on Periodical Cicadas (May 5th, 2021).
- Q&A UMD Cicada Crew Panel for Entomology Faculty, staff, students, AGNR Extension Specialists and agents, and HGCI staff (April 19th, 2021) held through Zoom, audience of 31 people.
- Beltsville talk - Dr. Michael Raupp, and Ms. Angela Soto "Climate and the Insect World, Cicadas and the Spotted Lanternfly, Oh My!" Brood X Cicada Crew Outreach and Extension Service – Department of Entomology University of Maryland (held through Zoom audience 60 people).
- Maryland State Fair – Insect Petting Zoo Volunteer for Maryland State Fair, an extension and outreach activity at the Maryland State Fair. Aug 27th, 2022.
- Maryland Day – Insect Petting Zoo Volunteer for Maryland Day, an extension and outreach activity at the University of Maryland campus. April 30th, 2022.
- Lecture talk about weed-insect interactions for the grad course Weed Management of the University of Costa Rica held through Zoom (April 18th, 2022), audience eight master’s students and two professors.
- Panel in the Teaching and Learning Transformation Center (TLTC) orientation for STEM graduate students *January 21st, 2022) held through Zoom, audience 20 people.
- Insect Zoo – DC Bilingual Elementary Presentation. September 23rd, 2021.
- Writer in the extension and outreach Spanish blog of the University of Maryland “Extensión en Español” https://extensionesp.umd.edu/tag/AngelaSotoSaenz/
- CoopeManzu Co-Op founding member and active participant of extension and outreach for citizens and farmers in Costa Rica.
- GeoDC - talk MS. Lindsay Barranco and Angela Saenz “17 Years Periodical Cicadas” for geospatial enthusiasts (June 2nd, 2021) held through Zoom, audience 31 people.
- Austrian Broadcasting Corporation. Cicada interview by Inka Pieh aired on Austrian radio on June 2nd, 2021 and TV on June 3rd, 2021.
- STEM Night for Deep Run Elementary School - talk MS. Angela Saenz. “Cicadas/Chicharras” for students and parents held in English and Spanish (May 26th, 2021) held through Zoom, audience of 76 people.
- Insect Feasts – Documentary participation for Blink Films (May 20th, 2021).
- Fox News Cicada Interview by Madeleine Rivera aired on TV on May 21st, 2021 on Atlanta, Houston, Portland, Minneapolis, and other locations.
- Interview with The Ringer “Summer Is Coming. So Are Trillions of Brood X Cicadas” by Lex Pryor May 11th, 2021 at https://www.theringer.com/2021/5/11/22429664/cicadas-brood-x-emergence-17-year-wait
- Mount Saint Joseph High School - talk MS. Lindsay Barranco and Angela Saenz “The Amazing 17-year Periodical Cicadas!” for students and parents (May 11, 2021) held through Zoom, audience of 102 people.
- Q&A UMD Cicada Crew Panel for STEM Salon as part of the Life Sciences and Outreach Library series for students, faculty and administrative staff (May 3rd, 2021) held through Zoom, audience of 76 people
- Aid to the BBC Documentary on Periodical Cicadas (May 5th, 2021).
- Q&A UMD Cicada Crew Panel for Entomology Faculty, staff, students, AGNR Extension Specialists and agents, and HGCI staff (April 19th, 2021) held through Zoom, audience of 31 people.
- Beltsville talk - Dr. Michael Raupp, and Ms. Angela Soto "Climate and the Insect World, Cicadas and the Spotted Lanternfly, Oh My!" Brood X Cicada Crew Outreach and Extension Service – Department of Entomology University of Maryland (held through Zoom audience 60 people).
Mentoring
Undergrads Seth Caban and Clark Bacwaden from the University of Maryland. Set 2022 – May 2023. Assistance and mentoring on insect taxonomic identification for the project “Invertebrate Survey of Invasive Plants at Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park”.
Undergrad Richard Alejandro Fradera-Gonzalez from the University of Puerto Rico-Arecibo. May 23-July 29, 2022. SOARE Program. Research title: “Fungal identification in the Emerald Ash Borer’s (EAB, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire) frass in Ash trees (Fraxinus spp.) in Maryland”.
Undergrad Richard Alejandro Fradera-Gonzalez from the University of Puerto Rico-Arecibo. May 23-July 29, 2022. SOARE Program. Research title: “Fungal identification in the Emerald Ash Borer’s (EAB, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire) frass in Ash trees (Fraxinus spp.) in Maryland”.
Relevant Technical Skills
- Taxonomic identification of insects and weeds.
- Insect field collection, management of scientific collections, insect rearing.
- In vitro culture medium preparations, transference, and maintenance of in vitro plants.
Agronomic skills:
The core curriculum of the Agronomy major at the University of Costa Rica include courses on horticulture, crop production, soil classification, plant nutrition, integrated pest management, weed’s management, statistics, plant physiology, plant pathology, and genetics.
- Focused on entomology, biological control, insect rearing, insectary plants, apiculture, and agroecology.
Software use:
- Highly proficient with MS Office Suite.
- Basic use of R software, Quantum QGIS, Surfer, SigmaPlot, InfoStat.
Languages
- Spanish (native)
- Fluent English (fluent TOEFL iBT: 110/120)
- Knowledge of Portuguese
Soft Skills
Hard worker, proactive, fast and easy learner, able to work under pressure, team worker, empathetic, good public relations, patient, honest, organized, very responsible.