03/28/2026
Emily Ta, University of California Riverside – Pi Chi Omega Norm Ehmann Scholarship Recipient
My name is Emily Ta and I am currently a third-year Ph.D. candidate in Dr. Chow-Yang Lee’s urban entomology lab at the University of California, Riverside. My research focuses on German cockroach behavior towards insecticides. A lot of emphasis is focused on physiological insecticide resistance mechanisms on German cockroaches to understand why chemical control has failed. However, not many studies focus on the behavioral aspects of German cockroaches exposed to insecticides. Behavior is an important aspect to study because these different insecticide formulations target and manipulate the behavior of German cockroaches to control them. Therefore, my research focuses on the behavioral response of German cockroaches towards insecticidal gel baits, specifically focused on foraging behavior to baits, associative learning, and electrophysiology. My goal is to provide valuable insight in improving pest management.
Doing a Ph.D. is like running a marathon. It is a long journey filled with challenges and excitement, and I experienced that in 2025. It was filled with upward progression of my research, failed experiments, meaningful connections with pest management professionals, and impactful volunteer service to the entomology community.
In 2025, I made progress in my associative learning behavior experiments on German cockroaches. I was conducting an experiment to see if it is possible for German cockroaches to learn to associate a gustatory cue to intoxication from the insecticide bait. My beginning experiments did not successfully show associative learning, but these failed experiments led me to develop an improved experimental design, which I look forward to conducting in the future. In addition, I made progress in my electrophysiology work. My goal for this is to look at the German cockroach neural response towards professional-grade insecticide gel baits using GC-FID-EAD. I worked with one of my guidance committee members, Dr. Ikju Park, to set up a new GC-FID-EAD and GC-MS systems in his lab. During this process, I experienced some setbacks in troubleshooting errors that I had with the FID chromatogram peaks, which I believe provided me with a great opportunity to learn the ins and outs of this system that I was working with for the first time. Also, I am grateful to have the opportunity of being trained by Dr. Peter Ockenfels, who is a chemical ecologist and developer of Syntech equipment used for electrophysiology work for insects. Without their help, I would not have made it this far in my electrophysiology work.
Another big obstacle that I had during this marathon journey was passing my qualifying exam. Passing the qualifying exam is one of the most challenging obstacles in a Ph.D. program in the United States. During this process, I learned that to be a well-rounded Ph.D. student in urban entomology, you not only have to have a strong background in your own research focus, but you must be well diverse in other fields. While I was preparing for my exams, I studied medical and veterinary entomology, the history of urban entomology, the psychology side of associative learning, and more. However, this exam not only evaluated the breadth and depth of my knowledge, but it challenged me on the way how I critically think as a researcher. After passing my exam, I will continue to study in fields outside of my work to become a better-rounded urban entomologist.
An exciting part of my year was getting the opportunity to shadow pest management professionals and to collect German cockroaches in the field for the first time. Our lab reached out for a German cockroach field collection opportunity with a pest control company called IPM4YOU in San Diego, California. The graduate students in our lab and I were able to collect two field-resistant strains of German cockroaches. The most valuable and eye-opening learning experience was talking with the pest management professionals to hear their challenges with controlling German cockroach, bed bug, and rodent infestations. Insecticide resistance in German cockroaches and bed bugs was the major challenge that they faced. Bait shyness was the major problem in controlling rodents. Looking at the living conditions and pest infestations of the low-income households made me reflect on the work that I do, which was another confirmation that improving pest management for the public is such a critical goal.
During 2025, I continued my involvement in outreach and volunteer service for our entomology community. My lab and I led our Urban Entomology booth and Great Cockroach Race during the annual Riverside Insect Fair, where thousands of community members attend to learn about insects. Our Urban Entomology booth placed second place, which was a great accomplishment in getting more people to learn about urban pests and how to properly control them. In addition, I continued my leadership service as Secretary and Social co-chair for the UCR Entomology Graduate Student Association (EGSA), where I was able to plan events for the entomology department to build meaningful connections. I also was involved in planning and running student activities and programs at the national level for ESA as the MUVE Student Affairs Committee Representative. Lastly, I was elected Vice-Chair for the ESA Student Affairs Committee, which I am happy to continue my service in assisting students in their professional and career development.
Although the marathon run had both ups and downs, there were more ups that occurred. For example, I co-authored a paper on a comparison of professional-grade cockroach gel baits against brown-banded cockroaches and German cockroaches. Not a lot of efficacy work has been done on brown-banded cockroaches, so this was important information for stakeholders. I also received two scholarship awards: Carl Strom Western Exterminator Scholarship during the UCR Urban Pest Conference and the Alate Award during the ESA 2025 annual conference. Both awards and the Pi Chi Omega Norm Ehmann scholarship all helped in my research and professional development. They provided me with financial support and, most importantly, professional connections with urban entomologists and pest management professionals. When receiving the Pi Chi Omega Norm Ehmann scholarship, I had the opportunity to speak to John Adams, who was the founder of Adams Pest Control in Melbourne, Australia. He shared with me his passion for urban entomology and his continuous support for young urban entomologists to improve pest management. I would like to thank all the donors who support student awards to continue our research in urban entomology. In conclusion, I look forward to continuing my Ph.D. marathon to accomplish my research, outreach, and service goals in urban entomology.
Image 1 is of Emily and the Lee Lab graduate students collecting German cockroaches in the field.
Image 2 is of the Lee Lab setting up their Urban Entomology booth at the 2025 Riverside Insect Fair.
Image 3 is of Emily receiving the Alate Award from ESA President Lina Bernaola, Ph.D. at the ESA 2025 Annual conference in Portland, Oregon.