Emily C. Kraus
1176 Park BLVD Phone 225 400 1811
Baton Rouge, LA 70806
EDUCATION
Doctor of Philosophy: Major: Entomology (Anticipated 2018)
Minor: Statistics
Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA
Masters of Science: Major: Entomology
Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS
August 2010
Bachelor of Science: Major: Entomology
Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
December 2007
POSITIONS HELD
Graduate Research Assistant-Entomology Department, Louisiana State University, 2014-Present
Host-Plant Resistance Laboratory, Dr. Michael Stout
Activities: Conducting research on induced resistance in Oryza sativa, delegating lab duties to undergraduates
Agricultural Consultant- Agricola Miramontes, Nicaragua, 2016-2017
Host-Plant Resistance to, Tagosodesoryzicolus,, Manolo Porro
Activities: Conducting field and greenhouse research with the goal of identifying delphacid resistant rice varieties to incorporate into breeding programs in Nicaragua and the U.S.
Adjunct Faculty- Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana, Batesville, Indiana, 2014
Instructor, Anatomy and Physiology II
Activities: Teaching the laboratory and lecture of APHY 102 for students in the college’s nursing program. This included multiple animal dissections, blood typing, developing quizzes and exams, and one on one tutoring.
Biologist 1- Monsanto, St. Louis, Missouri, 2012-2013
Biotechnology and Plant Entomology Department
Activities: Rearing multiple insect species on various diets, infesting field trials, field data collection, greenhouse experiments, general lab maintenance, insect bioassays
United States Peace Corps Volunteer- Peace Corps Senegal, 2010-2012
Sustainable Agriculture Extension Agent
Activities: Awarded a $550 grant through Appropriate Projects, extended sustainable agriculture techniques
AWARDS AND HONORS
- The L.D. Newsom Graduate Student Award In Entomology, $1000, Baton Rouge, LA 2018
- Ray and Dorothy Young Assistantship in Agricultural Pest Management, Baton Rouge, 2018
- Session Winner 3 minute talk at ESA 2017 Denver, CO 2017
- ESA-PIE, Kenneth and Barbara Starks Host Plant Resistance to Insects Award, $500, Denver, CO 2017
- Cincinnati Employees Credit Union Scholarship, $500, Harrison, OH 2017
- AAUW Eleanor Earle Memorial Scholarship, $500, Baton Rouge, LA 2017
- Louisiana Agricultural Consultants Association Scholarship, $2000, Baton Rouge, LA 2017
- LSU Entomology Internal Equipment Grant $9000, Baton Rouge, LA 2017
- First Place Prize, LSU Entomology Department Graduate Student Symposium, PhD 10 minute talk, Baton Rouge, LA 2016
- Session Winner 3 minute talk at ESA 2015 Minneapolis, MN 2015
- LSU Entomology Department Graduate Student Symposium winner Baton Rouge, LA 2015
- LSU College of Agriculture, Study Abroad Scholarship, Nicaragua $1500, 2015
- Cincinnati Employees Credit Union Scholarship $500, 2015
- NSF Scholarship to attend IRRI R2RP Course $2,400, Los Banos, PI, 2015
- Debate Team Topic Winner at the ESA National Meeting Portland, Oregon 2014
- Debate Team 2nd Place Overall ESA National Meeting Portland, Oregon 2014
ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES
Internship with IRRI Cambodia Branch 2018
During this internship I worked on an established extension program focused on integrated pest management of rice systems in Cambodia. With a colleague, I visited rural rice growers and determined which extension and management tactics have been the most effective within the program. I also worked closely with Dr. Buyung Hadi on ecological engineering as an IPM strategy to reduce insecticide use.
CIAT Training Course 2017
The International Center of Tropical Agriculture hosted me for a one week training. This training involved in depth information on the insect pest, Tagosodesorisicolus, and the virus transmitted by the insect, Hoja Blanca Virus. Techniques to determine if an insect is virulent, and the application of this information to integrated pest management were key components of the training.
International Research Experience 2016-2017
This opportunity involved spending four months at a Nicaraguan Rice Research Station. While there I performed research on the rice delphacid, a potential invasive species of the US and a pest of rice.
LSU Entomology Club Publications Committee 2016-2017
In this role I collaborated with other graduate students to publish a biannual newsletter for the Department of Entomology at LSU
Environmentors 2014-2015 and 2016-2017
In this group I was paired with another graduate student to serve as mentors for a local high school student. We guided him through the process of designing and carrying out a small environmental based project for his science fair. We also participated in community activities such as volunteering at the Baton Rouge Zoo.
IRRI Rice Research to Production course 2015
The International Rice Research Institute is located in Los Banos Philippines. I was able to attain an NSF Scholarship to attend the course. There I learned important aspects of rice production as well as interacting with individuals from 11 different countries.
International Agriculture Experience Nicaragua 2015
During this experience I traveled to Nicaragua and visited an array of farms. I was able to develop a collaboration with one farmer, Manolo Porro, as a result of this trip.
LSU Entomology Club President 2015-2016
Activities: Attend department faculty meetings, call to order and lead club meetings, organize and set up events held for students and the department, investigate fundraising opportunities, and stand in for any officer that cannot be present for meetings.
LSU Entomology Club Vice President 2014-2015
Activities: Assist in organization and set up events held for students and the department, investigate fundraising opportunities, and stand in for any officer that cannot be present for meetings. Care for AgMagic arthropods.
LSU Student Debate Team 2014-2015
Entomological Society of America Student Debates 2014: Management Strategies--Solutions to Grand Challenges: Topic 1: The calls for the end of invasion biology are justified; this field should be replaced by the ecology of species redistribution: Con
Entomological Society of America Student Debates 2015: Topic 2: With the development of tools like RNAi, in the future we may be capable of eradicating species. If we can eradicate a species should we? : Pro Team
Global AgAmbassadors 2015
In this group I assisted in welcoming visiting students to the university. We arranged introductory seminars to the university and city, as well as hosting several events to introduce them to faculty and students.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Teaching Practicum Fall 2014
Instructor Dr. Gregg Henderson Louisiana State University
LSU requires doctoral students to gain teaching experience through a teaching practicum. Fall semester I was in charge of a laboratory section of Entomology 2001. I designed interactive lectures and taught students insect collection, identification, and storage.
Instructor Anatomy and Physiology II Spring 2014
IVY Tech Community College, Batesville IN
Activities: Teaching the laboratory and lecture of APHY 102 for students in the college’s nursing program. This included multiple animal dissections, blood typing, developing quizzes and exams, and one on one tutoring.
Graduate Teaching Assistant- 2010
Vector Biology Laboratory, Kristin Michel, Biology Department Kansas State University
Activities: Assisting with instruction of Dr. Michels's human parasitology laboratory. Lectured for 10-15 minutes each class, assisted students with parasite identification, proctored lab exams.
PEER REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS
Emily C. Kraus andPriyanka Mittapely.In press.“Unbiased introduction, Louisiana State University and Ohio State University, Topic 2: What is the most urgent and feasible use for CRISPR/Cas9 in entomology?.” ESA Annual Meeting, Denver, CO, November 2017
Zinan Wang, Lori Moshman, Emily C. Kraus, Blake e. Wilson, Namoona Acharya, and Rodrigo Diaz. 2016. “A Review of the Tawny Crazy Ant, Nylanderia fulva, an Emergent Ant Invader in the Southern United States: Is Biological Control a Feasible Management Option?”.Insects 7(4),77.
Lina Bernaola, Nick DeLisi, Emily Kraus, Zinan Wang, Blake Wilson,.Accepted In Press. “Entomological Society of America Student Debates 2015: Topic 2: With the development of tools like RNAi, in the future we may be capable of eradicating species. If we can eradicate a species should we? : Pro”. American Entomologist63(1):114-123
Monique Ferrira, Emily Kraus, M. T. VanWeelden, Nathan Mercer.2016. "Entomological Society of America Student Debates 2014: Management Strategies--Solutions to Grand Challenges: Topic 1: The calls for the end of invasion biology are justified; this field should be replaced by the ecology of species redistribution: Con”. American Entomologist 62(2): 98-107.
Ewen F. Kirkness, et al., 2010. “Genome sequences of the human body louse and its primary endosymbiont provide insights into the permanent parasitic lifestyle”. PNAS 107(27): 12168-12173.
EDITOR REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS
Emily C. Kraus and Michael J. Stout.2017. “Comparison of Neonicotinoid Foliar and Seed Treatments for Management of Rice Water Weevil in Three Commercial Rice Varieties, 2016”. Arthropod Management Tests (2017) 42(1).DOI:
EXTENSION PUBLICATIONS
Emily C. Kraus, J. Villegas, M. Mulcahy, L. Bernaola, B. Wilson, and M. Stout. 2018.Rice Varietal Resistance to Stem Borers.109thAnnual Research Report– H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station, 109.
Bernaola, L.,Mohamad, M., Villegas, J., Kraus, E., Wilson, B., Frey, M.J., and Stout, M. 2018.Effects of Dermacor against SouthAmerican Rice Miner.109thAnnual Research Report– H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station, 109.
Villegas, J.,Bernaola, L.,Kraus, E., Wilson, B., and Stout, M. 2018. Effects of planting date on stem borer populations in drill-seeded rice.109thAnnual Research Report– H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station, 109.
Bernaola, L.,Mohamad, M., Villegas, J., Kraus, E., and Stout, M. 2018. Understanding plant resistance is a fundamental component of pest management in Louisiana.Louisiana Agriculture.Winter (In press).
Emily C. Kraus and Blake Wilson.2017 “Rice Delphacid”.Rice Insect Fact Sheets, LSU AgCenter.
Blake Wilson, Lina Bernaola, Emily Kraus, James Villegas, Michael J. Stout.2015. “Mexican Rice Borer Update”. Rice Research Station News, Vol 12: Issue 4.
Emily Kraus and Rodrigo Diaz.2015. “Spined Soldier Bug”. BUG BIZ Pest Management and Insect Identification Series. Pub. 3481
MANUSCRIPTS IN PREPARATION
Emily C. Kraus and Michael J. Stout.In Prep. “Effects of defoliation on the resistance and tolerance of rice, Oryza sativa, to root injury by the rice water weevil, Lissorhoptrusoryzophilus”.
Emily C. Kraus and Michael J. Stout.In Prep. “Effects of herbicides on resistance in rice, Oryza sativa, to the southern United States rice pest complex”.
Emily C. Kraus and Michael J. Stout.In Prep.“Varietal resistance in rice, Oryza sativa,to the rice delphacid, Tagosodesoryzicolus”.
POSTER PRESENTATIONS
Emily C. Kraus, Michael J. Stout, 2017, “Investigating the potential for Lissorhoptrusoryzophilus to induce resistance in rice, Oryza sativa, to subsequent rice herbivores”, ESA Annual Meeting, Denver, CO, November 2017
Emily C. Kraus, Michael J. Stout, 2015, “Fall armyworm induced Resistance to Rice Water Weevil”, ESA Annual Meeting, Minneapolis, MN, November, 2015
Emily C. Kraus, Jeremy Marshall, 2009, “Identification and Phylogenetics of two putative RNAi genes in the cricket, Allonemobiussocius”, Arthropod Genomics Symposium, Kansas City, MO, June, 2009
Emily C. Kraus, J. PagelVanZee & Catherine A. Hill, 2007, “G Protein-Coupled Receptors in the Genome of the Body Louse, Pediculushumanus”, Independent study research presentation, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, May, 2007
Emily C. Kraus, J. PagelVanZee & Catherine A. Hill, 2007, “G Protein-Coupled Receptors in the Genome of the Body Louse, Pediculushumanus”, Genomics in Agricultural Research Conference, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, September 10-12, 2007
ORAL PRESENTATIONS
Emily C. Kraus and Michael J. Stout, 2018 “Induced Resistance in Rice, Oryza sativa to insect herbivores”. Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge LA, April 2018
Emily C. Kraus and Priyanka Mittapelly, 2017 “Unbiased introduction, Louisiana State University and Ohio State University, Topic 2: What is the most urgent and feasible use for CRISPR/Cas9 in entomology?.” ESA Annual Meeting, Denver, CO, November 2017
Emily C. Kraus and Michael J. Stout, 2017 “The effect of methyl jasmonate seed treatments on plant growth of rice,Oryza sativa, and subsequent population density ofLissorhoptrusoryzophilus” ESA Annual Meeting, Denver, CO, November 2017
Emily C. Kraus and Michael J. Stout, 2016 “Herbicide induced effects in Rice, Oryza sativa”LSU Graduate Student Symposium, Baton Rouge, LA, October 2016
Emily C. Kraus and Michael J. Stout, 2016 “Herbicide induced effects in rice (Oryza sativa)on the rice water weevil(Lissorhoptrusoryzophilus)” International Congress of Entomology, Orlando, FL, September 2016
Emily C. Kraus and Michael J. Stout, 2016 “Insecticidal Management of Stemborers in Rice, Oryza sativa” LSU AgCenter Stemborer Workshop, Crowley, LA, June 2016
Emily C. Kraus andMichael J. Stout, 2016 “Fall Armyworm Induced Resistance in Rice, Oryza sativa” Rice Technological Working Group, Galveston, TX, March 2016
Emily C. Kraus and Michael J. Stout, 2015 “Herbicide induced effects on oviposition of the rice water weevil (Lissorhoptrusoryzophilus)” LSU Graduate Student Symposium Baton Rouge, LA, October 2015
Emily C. Kraus andMichael J. Stout, 2015 ESA “Herbicide induced effects on oviposition of the rice water weevil (Lissorhoptrusoryzophilus)” ESA annual meeting, Minneapolis, MN, November 2015
Emily C. Kraus and Michael J. Stout, 2015 “Induced resistance in agricultural systems” LSU Department of Entomology Seminar Series, LSU, Baton Rouge, LA, 2015
OUTREACH PRESENTATIONS
- “INSECTS!” Louisiana State University, AgCenter AgMagic, Baton Rouge, LA 2018
- “Emerging Pests in Rice, Oryza sativa, in Louisiana” Invited speaker, Vermillion Parish Rice School, Vermillion Parish, LA, 2018
- “Insect Neuroanatomy and Neurophysiology” Guest Lecture, General Entomology ENTM 7001, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 2017
- “Utilization of Host Plant Resistance in Agroecology” Guest Lecture, Agroecology ENTM 7008, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 2016
- “What is an Insect?” Invited speaker, Special Saturday’s Series, LSU Museum of Natural History, Baton Rouge, LA, 2016
- “Avoiding Predators and Finding Food” Guest Lecture, General Entomology ENTM 7001, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 2016
- “Live Insect Presentation” Louisiana State University, AgCenter AgMagic, Baton Rouge, LA 2016
- “Insect Metamorphosis” Invited speaker, River Oaks Elementary, Baton Rouge, LA, 2016
- “Optimal Foraging Theory” Guest Lecture, Insect Behavior ENTM 4100, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 2015
- “Introduction to Insects” St Francis Xavier Catholic School Kindergarten, Baton Rouge, LA, 2015
- “Insects in Flight” Boy Scouts of America, Tunica District Summer Camp, Baton Rouge, LA, 2015
- “Insects in Flight” University Laboratory School, Mad Scientists Camp, Baton Rouge, LA, 2015
- “Live Insect Presentation” Louisiana State University, AgCenter AgMagic, Baton Rouge, LA 2015