CLAIR McKITTRICK RECEIVES
THE AMERICAN ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY'S
2007 CALVERT AWARD

In 1987, the American Entomological Society initiated the Calvert Award to be presented to a young person who has demonstrated outstanding accomplishments in insect-related study. The Award is named in honor of Dr. Philip P. Calvert who joined the Society as a teenager, later became its president, and was a member for 74 years. As Professor of Biology at the University of Pennsylvania and an Associate of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, Dr. Calvert played an important role in stimulating an interest in insects among young people.

This year, the twenty-first Calvert Award was presented to Clair McKittrick, from Colts Neck, New Jersey, a seventh grade student at Cedar Drive Middle School in Colts Neck. Her project was entitled, “A Behavioral Study of Attractants and Repellants to Periplaneta americana.” Her project was selected from among about 20 insect-related science projects presented at the annual Delaware Valley Science Fairs held April 4 at the Valley Forge Convention Center. The judges for the award, Hal White, Chris Taylor and Elizabeth Burdick, were impressed that Clair's project was a continuation of her last year's project, which demonstrated her interest and persistence. They were also impressed with the methods she devised to evaluate the response that cockroaches had to different substances.

All students were honored at the Calvert Award ceremonies held April 27 at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia. Dr. Susan King, president of the American Entomological Society, presented them with certificates of accomplishment and memberships in the American Entomological Society. William also received a $100 check. Tim Harper, John Coffey, and Andy Styer, a sixth-grade team were runner's up and each recieved $50 checks and memberships in the Society. William Hocheimer, who recieved the Calvert Award last year and could not receive it again, was awarded an Honorable mention for his continued study of the DNA taxonomy of geometrine moths. Renee Hadley also received an honorable mention for her project on the competition for wood resources between two species of termites.

(Larger images of all pictures can be obtained by clicking on an image.)


Clair McKittrick, 2007 Calvert Award winner, with her project entitled, "A Behavioral Study of Atractants and Repellants to Periplaneta americana."

Tim Harper, Andy Styer, and John Coffey, a team
that was the runner up in this year;'s Calvert Award.
Teir Project was, "Is Cobb's Creek Polluted"


Susan Whitney King, President of the American Entomological Society with Clair McKittrick, winner of the 2007 Calvert Award.
Susan Whitney King, President of the American Entomological Society, and Hal White, A Calvert Award Judge, with Andy Styer,Tim Harper, and John Coffey, the runners up for the 2007 Calvert Award.

The featured speaker for the evening was James M. Carpenter, Curator of Hymenoptera, Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, who spoke about Wasp Nest Architecture.  Wasp nests from the Academy's collection festooned the meeting room and others were on display. The meeting also featured a special 25-year service award to Joseph Sheldon, past president of the Society, who is retiring from messiah College and moving to the State of Washington where he and his wife will live in and environomentally-designed house with a minimal carbon footprint.


  



Yellow Jacket nests from the Academy of Natural sciences of Philadelphia hang from the ceiling for the April 27, 2007 AES meeting.

Clair McKittrick discusses her project with Jon Gelhaus and Bill Day.
 Andy Styer, Tim Harper, and John Coffey discuss their project with Bill Day.


Jon Gelhaus, Joe Sheldon, and Paul Schaefer discussing the wasp nests in the background.

Bill Day, Ken Franks, and Jason Weintraub examining the largest know nest of a Bald-faced Hornet.

Greg Cowper and Faith Keuhn at the April 25, 2007 AES meeting.

Joe Sheldon  being presented with a 25-year AES service award.
Close-up of Joe Sheldon's certificate.
Clair McKittrick discusses her project with Jon Gelhaus and Bill Day.

Calvert Award Home Page
Created 27 April 2007, Last up dated 27 April 2007 by Hal White [halwhite at udel.edu]
Copyright 2007, The American Entomological Society