May 2020
Now Accepting Proposals for 2021 Symposia!
The AMCA welcomes program proposals to be considered for an organized symposium at the 2021 Annual Meeting!
 
Deadline to Submit: Tuesday, June 30, 2020

All speakers should already have agreed to participate before you submit! You must meet specific guidelines and adhere to certain requirements prior to submitting a proposal for consideration.
 

**Please note: the Call for Symposia is separate from the general Call for Abstracts. 
The Call for Abstracts will be available in August.

We look forward to seeing you in Salt Lake City!
 
Questions? Contact AMCA's Meetings Department: meetings@mosquito.org
Legislative and Regulatory Update
COVID-19 Emphasizes the Need for Public Health Funding
AMCA members have continuously asked Congress to support a public health preparedness fund, enhanced laboratory capacity, and better-quality databases to track diseases. What we’ve witnessed is reactionary responses to epidemics such as West Nile virus and Zika virus.  Now, as we head into mosquito season during the COVID-19 pandemic, mosquito control programs are experiencing delays in mosquito testing, lack of laboratory materials, and shortages of personal protective equipment.  In response, AMCA is raising the issue with members of the Appropriations Committees that one public health crisis must not amplify another, asking them to fully fund the SMASH Act and the Kay Hagan TICK Act, recent public health preparedness measures enacted by Congress. To read the letter of support CLICK HERE . You can also read the support letter from Vector-Borne Disease Network here . For information on how to help, contact Gary Goodman , Federal Funding Chairman.


EPA's Pesticide Program Dialogue Committee

Dan Markowski, AMCA’s Representative on the EPA's Pesticide Program Dialogue Committee (PPDC) reported that the group met May 20-21 and for the first time ever, it was a virtual meeting. As always, however, there were a variety of interesting and highly pertinent topics to our industry. 
 
Of particular interest was the concern by many members to get new applicators properly licensed despite many of the exam locations being closed. Discussion also centered around new technologies, in particular Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) . It was determined that EPA needs to engage matter experts and relevant stakeholders in these technologies to remove unnecessary barriers to adoption and ensure the safe use of such technologies moving forward. EPA will collaborate with USDA ARS Aerial Application Research (AAR) to conduct research on UAV drift models. Furthermore, they need to determine if label changes are necessary to accommodate these emerging technologies.
The PPDC members were introduced to the methods that the Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) is using to perform human health and ecological risk assessments . In essence, the current hazard determination, exposure assessment, and risk characterization methods will not change. However, it is understood that as science evolves, EPA will need to update the risk assessment process. Currently, FIFRA requires Occupational and Environmental assessments to do a cost/benefit analysis. This differs from risk-only assessment for dietary and residential exposures. The Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) 10x safety factor for protection of infants and children has been retained, unless data shows it can be reduced or removed. 
 
Although significant progress has been made to provide an accurate representation of potential impacts of pesticides on listed species or the environment as required by the Endangered Species Act (ESA), Biological Evaluation methods need refinement to estimate potential impacts reasonably likely to occur at larger scales such as a landscape scale and not just a "field" scale. 

Call for Pollinator Papers

The L&R committee is continuing to develop BMP's for mosquito control in and around pollinator habitat. The committee is looking for solid, peer-reviewed literature on non-target impacts and/or benefits from barrier treatments for public health mosquito control. This information will be used to coordinate responses to USFWS listings of threatened or endangered species from our public health mosquito control efforts. 

Any questions regarding this issue can be directed to Michael Riles and/or Mark Clifton , Co-Chairs of the ESA/Pollinators Subcommittee.
Submit Your AMCA Award Nominations Now!
Deadline is August 20, 2020

AMCA Awards recognize individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the Association, to medical entomology and public health, and to the development and implementation of mosquito control methods and/or equipment.

Please nominate your colleagues and peers who are deserving of recognition. Nominations and the required supporting documents (if applicable) must be received by August 20, 2020, to be considered. Please send nominations via e-mail to Jason Kinley, Awards Committee Chair,  director@gcmad.org .

The AMCA Awards are: 
Medal of Honor
Meritorious Service
John N. Belkin Award
Industry Award
Boyd-Ariaz Grass Roots Award
Memorial Lecturer and Honoree(s)
AMCA Honorary Member
REQUEST FOR PRE-PROPOSALS
American Mosquito Control Association
2021 Research Fund
Deadline: Friday, June 26, 2020
The American Mosquito Control Association (AMCA) Research Fund invites new pre-proposals for research on mosquito control and related topics for 2021.

AMCA is a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to providing leadership, information, and education leading to the enhancement of public health and quality of life through the suppression of mosquitoes. The AMCA Research Fund is devoted to funding research that will lead to new tools and strategies for mosquito surveillance and control and ultimately protecting the public from mosquito-borne disease and discomfort from mosquito bites.

Priority Areas

In general, AMCARF seeks to support research that:
  • Enhances public mosquito and vector control agency mosquito control programs
  • Originates from young/early career researchers building their careers
  • Originates from and/or includes researchers from Mosquito Control Districts
More specifically, AMCARF priority areas include but are not limited to projects investigating:
  • Mosquito behavior and ecology
  • Arbovirus transmission
  • Chronic and/or acute impact of pesticides on target and non-target organisms
  • Novel methods of domestic and/or urban mosquito surveillance and control
  • Novel methods of arbovirus surveillance, control, and risk prediction
  • Adulticides and/or larvicides: new products research
  • Pesticide efficacy and/or resistance
CONTRIBUTE TO THE AMCA RESEARCH FUND 
The AMCA Research Fund is currently accepting contributions for future research on mosquito control and related topics. 

Contributions can be made online or by check payable to: 

AMCA Research Fund
One Capitol Mall, Suite 800
Sacramento, CA 95814
FEATURED ITEM OF THE MONTH!
YOUNG PROFESSIONALS SPOTLIGHT
First Name: Olayinka

Last Name: David

Organization: Florida International University

City: Miami

State: Florida

What was your first job? High school level chemistry and biology teacher

How did you get started in mosquito control?
Hailing from the Sub-Saharan part of Africa, arguably the top mosquito-infested region in the world, I grew up to see and experience mosquito-borne diseases. To combat these illnesses, I soon learned how to control mosquitoes as a non-expert. Ranging from sleeping under insecticide-treated nets, applying repellents as deterrents against mosquito bites, and emptying potential breeding sites around our home. The high level of mortality associated with mosquito-borne illnesses and its overall impact on public health is the primary reason I became interested in pursuing a career in mosquito research.

Highly motivated to become an expert in mosquito control, I traveled to the United States to research on the yellow fever mosquito. Currently, I benefit from the mentorship of Dr. Matthew DeGennaro who is training me on how to employ molecular genetics approach in understanding the role of chemosensory genes in chemical communication between mosquito gametes to ensure fertilization. My research can inform a new biological control strategy that targets mosquito reproduction.

 Favorite thing about being an AMCA member?
Being a member of AMCA gives me a sense of professionalism and access to vital information in mosquito control.
YOUNG PROFESSIONALS GROUP
Anyone with 5 years or less experience in a mosquito-related field (student, mosquito control, government, industry, etc) is eligible to join!
Want to join the AMCA Young Professionals Group?
2020 SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES!
AMCA offers many options for advertising and sponsorships. We encourage you to take advantage of these exciting opportunities to get your company or entity's name and message across to more than 1,600 AMCA members as well as the general public.


WEBINAR SPONSORSHIP

$1,500 per webinar: AMCA webinars are live, 1-hour, web-based seminars that cover the latest industry hot-topics. Sponsors of webinars receive recognition during the promotion of the webinar via email, website, and during the presentation.
Sponsor benefits include:

  • -Promotional emails for the webinar which include sponsor acknowledgement.
  • AMCA will display sponsor logo on the webinar platform for duration of the webinar. Sponsor to provide company logo.No product names or product logos may be used.
  • Webinar moderator will thank the sponsor at the beginning and end of the presentation.
  • AMCA and/or speaker may use a disclaimer statement indicating that neither party endorses a specific product.


WEBSITE SPONSORSHIP

Homepage Banner: $900 for 3 months
A sponsor provided banner ad will be showcased on the homepage of the new mosquito.org homepage. Sponsor message will remain on the homepage for 3 months and will link to the sponsors website. Size: 728x90

Website Sponsor: $2,100
Sponsor logo will appear at the bottom of the mosquito.org website for the full calendar year. Receive visibility all year round!



JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN MOSQUITO CONTROL ASSOCIATION (JAMCA)

With the Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association (JAMCA) now being published in online open access format, journal advertising is also currently available in an online only format! The journal is accessible to the public and free of charge. Have your message seen beyond the 1,500 AMCA membership. For more information on journal ad packages and pricing, please go here .


If you are interested in any of AMCA's sponsorship opportunities, email amca@mosquito.org or call (888) 626-0630. Sponsorship is offered on a 
"first come first served" basis.
Thank you to our sponsor: