Center for the Humanities and the Public Sphere

On October 4 and 5, 2018, the University of  Florida George A. Smathers Libraries and the  Emerging Pathogens Institute are hosting a  symposium in honor of Dr. Melvin J. Fregly in  Smathers Libraries Room 100.

This  symposium is intended to address social,  cultural, and scientific issues raised by mosquito-borne illness, a subject that is vitally important to public health in Florida, the southeastern United States, and Latin America. It will highlight and discuss interdisciplinary approaches by bringing together experts in different fields to describe how each discipline addresses these problems, and in the process, promote discussion among participants as to how interdisciplinary collaboration can enhance the development of innovative solutions. It also will feature current research addressing concerns about emerging mosquito-borne pathogens.

• Dr. Gordon Patterson, a historian from the Florida Institute of Technology, whose work focuses on vector control and the history of mosquito control
• Dr. Phil Lounibos of the Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory who works on insect ecology and behavior, especially as applied to mosquito vectors of human diseases
• Dr. Chelsea Smartt, also from of the Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory, who studies virus-vector interactions
• Capt. Jeffrey Stancil, commander of the Navy Entomology Center of Excellence (NECE)