| UCD Entomologist Awarded Prestigious Medal  Robert K. Washino, whose career spans four decades at the University of California, Davis, has received the international Harry Hoogstraal Medal for Outstanding Achievement in Medical Entomology.
Washino, a medical entomologist and global authority on the ecology of mosquitoes and mosquito control agents, received the prestigious medal from the American Committee of Medical Entomology at the 54th annual meeting of the American Society for Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH), held Dec. 11-15 in Washington, D.C.
"I'm dumbfounded," said Washino, who retired from UC Davis 13 years ago but was tapped Nov. 1 to chair the UC Davis Department of Entomology for a year. "This is overwhelming."
Only 14 entomologists have received the medal since 1987 when Washino's mentor, mosquito-borne disease expert William C. Reeves (1916-2004) of UC Berkeley, won the honor.
Washino, whose expertise also includes mosquito control agents, rice field ecology, mosquito blood meal identification, and remote sensing and geographic information technologies, said he is quite familiar with the work of the other 13 recipients. Those who share the award also share his office; their books line his walls.
"I'm awed that I'm in the same company," Washino said.
Last year John Edman, director of the Center for Vector Borne Diseases, UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, won the medal.
Thomas Scott, professor and director of the UC Davis Mosquito Research Laboratory, who nominated Washino for the award, said the UC Department of Entomology "is ranked among the top entomology departments in the world in large part because of the long-lasting impact of Bob's vision and administrative skills."
Describing him as "insightful, persuasive, and a kind person with admirable integrity," Scott praised Washino's "outstanding contributions that range from classic studies on basic and applied science to training the next generation of medical entomologists to high level and very effective administrative posts."
Scott said that Washino's papers on anopheline and culicine mosquitoes remain the bedrock for understanding those species' roles in pathogen transmission in California.
Medical entomologist and professor Gregory Lanzaro, director of the UC Davis Mosquito Program, said he is "very pleased that Bob has been recognized for his outstanding scientific work in the field of medical entomology. This is a very well deserved honor."
Although Washino retired 13 years ago, he's been recalled for three administrative posts since 1996. He served from 1996 to 2001 as the special assistant to the dean of the UC Davis College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences. On Nov. 1, he began chairing the Department of Entomology, a position he also held from 1981-87. In addition, he serves as the interim co-director of the Center for Vector Borne Diseases, UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine.
Born and reared in Sacramento, Washino never strayed far from his roots, except for two years in France as a medical entomologist with the Army Medical Service Corps during the Korean War.
His parents, natives of Japan, grew hops on their farm in the Sacramento Valley. Later his father became a successful Sacramento florist shop and hotel owner.
Robert K. Washino, whose career spans four decades at the University of California, Davis, has received the international Harry Hoogstraal Medal for Outstanding Achievement in Medical Entomology.
Washino, a medical entomologist and global authority on the ecology of mosquitoes and mosquito control agents, received the prestigious medal from the American Committee of Medical Entomology at the 54th annual meeting of the American Society for Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH), held Dec. 11-15 in Washington, D.C.
"I'm dumbfounded," said Washino, who retired from UC Davis 13 years ago but was tapped Nov. 1 to chair the UC Davis Department of Entomology for a year. "This is overwhelming."
Only 14 entomologists have received the medal since 1987 when Washino's mentor, mosquito-borne disease expert William C. Reeves (1916-2004) of UC Berkeley, won the honor.
Washino, whose expertise also includes mosquito control agents, rice field ecology, mosquito blood meal identification, and remote sensing and geographic information technologies, said he is quite familiar with the work of the other 13 recipients. Those who share the award also share his office; their books line his walls.
"I'm awed that I'm in the same company," Washino said.
Last year John Edman, director of the Center for Vector Borne Diseases, UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, won the medal.
Thomas Scott, professor and director of the UC Davis Mosquito Research Laboratory, who nominated Washino for the award, said the UC Department of Entomology "is ranked among the top entomology departments in the world in large part because of the long-lasting impact of Bob's vision and administrative skills."
Describing him as "insightful, persuasive, and a kind person with admirable integrity," Scott praised Washino's "outstanding contributions that range from classic studies on basic and applied science to training the next generation of medical entomologists to high level and very effective administrative posts."
Scott said that Washino's papers on anopheline and culicine mosquitoes remain the bedrock for understanding those species' roles in pathogen transmission in California.
Medical entomologist and professor Gregory Lanzaro, director of the UC Davis Mosquito Program, said he is "very pleased that Bob has been recognized for his outstanding scientific work in the field of medical entomology. This is a very well deserved honor."
Although Washino retired 13 years ago, he's been recalled for three administrative posts since 1996. He served from 1996 to 2001 as the special assistant to the dean of the UC Davis College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences. On Nov. 1, he began chairing the Department of Entomology, a position he also held from 1981-87. In addition, he serves as the interim co-director of the Center for Vector Borne Diseases, UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine.
Born and reared in Sacramento, Washino never strayed far from his roots, except for two years in France as a medical entomologist with the Army Medical Service Corps during the Korean War.
His parents, natives of Japan, grew hops on their farm in the Sacramento Valley. Later his father became a successful Sacramento florist shop and hotel owner.
Contact:
Kathy Keatley Garvey
Communications
UC Mosquito Research Program
Department of Entomology
396 Briggs Hall
University of California, Davis
Davis, CA 95616
Phone: (530) 754-6894
E-mail: kegarvey@ucdavis.edu
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