Content: Primarily focuses on visualization and analysis of mosquito and arbovirus surveillance data using free, open-source software. This course uses QGIS, which is free and can be installed on any modern computer. The course does not cover ESRI products such as ArcGIS.

 

Target audience: Any vector control or public health agency staff who may be interested, and I guess this will be particularly relevant to vector biologists or lab supervisors responsible for analysis and reporting of surveillance data to guide control programs.

 

Location: The workshop will be held at UC Davis unless a nearby vector control district prefers to host. In either case, that will keep the costs low, just to pay Kurt's time and lunches for participants.

 

Cost: Aiming for $75-100/day, depending on number of participants. Kurt said he normally prefers to keep these workshops to 20 participants max. If numbers go higher, we will try to accommodate as many as we can by adding some roaming teaching assistants (i.e., myself and grad students).

 

Length: 1-2 days, either Oct 6-7 (Sun-Mon) or Oct 7 (Mon). Will depend on participants' interest in starting on a Sunday, and if that is preferred, could be a whole or half day on Sun. See the draft agenda for candidate material, which was for a 2-day workshop, so we would need to trim some if shorter.

 

Data:  The data to be used are described in the attached file. On the MVCAC summer call, we discussed the possibility of having each attendee use their own district's data from the Gateway. After talking with Kurt, we think the reproducibility of everyone working with the same data sets will be much more valuable for learning purposes, and much of the data is derived from Gateway sources so would be easy to apply later to other data.

 

Bring Your Own Device: Participants would need to bring their own laptops for use in the workshop. Details will be provided for installation of all relevant software.

The Mosquito and Vector Control Association of California (MVCAC) will hold its 88th Annual Conference January 26-28, 2020 at the Hyatt Regency Mission Bay in San Diego. You are invited to submit a paper or poster for presentation at the conference.

Applications for the 2020 William C. Reeves New Investigator Award will be accepted through Monday, December 2, 2019. The William C. Reeves New Investigator Award, memorializing Dr. William C. Reeves, who was a renowned University of California entomologist, is sponsored by the Mosquito and Vector Control Association of California (MVCAC). The award is presented to the best scientific paper submitted and presented at the annual MVCAC conference.  The Reeves New Investigator Award application differs from the MVCAC Call for Papers, if you have an additional speaking topic for the Call for Papers, please follow that application and guidelines.