The Department of Entomology at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville

 

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James W. Austin
Ph.D. with Dr. Szalanski
Graduated May 2005
Current Position
 Assistant  Research Professor
ADDRESS : Department of Entomology
Texas A&M University
TAMU 2475
College Station, TX 77843
   
PHONE: 979-845-1038
FAX:
E-MAIL: j-austin@neo.tamu.edu

 

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EDUCATION:

  • B.S. Entomology, Texas A&M University 1991
  • M.S. Entomology, University of Nebraska 1999
  • Ph.D. Entomology, University of Arkansas 2005

RESEARCH PROJECT:

  • Genetic Variation and Molecular Systematics of Economically Important termite species of The South Central United States.

CAREER GOALS:

  • To conduct research on economically or medically important insect species which occupy the urban landscape.

RECENT PUBLICATIONS:

  • Austin, J. W., A. L. Szalanski, R. H. Scheffrahn, and M. T. Messenger. 2005. Genetic variation of Reticulitermes flavipes (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) in North America using the mitochondrial rRNA 16S gene. (accepted)
  • Austin, J. W., A. L. Szalanski, R. H. Scheffrahn, M. T. Messenger, S. Dronnet, and
    A.-G. Bagnčres. 2005. Genetic Evidence for the Synonymy of Two Reticulitermes Species: Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar) and Reticulitermes santonensis (Feytaud). Ann. Entomol. Soc. Amer. 98: 395-401.
  • Scheffrahn, R.H., J. Krecek, A.L. Szalanski, J.W. Austin, and Y. Roisin. Synonymy of two arboreal termites (Isoptera:Termitidae: nasutitermitinae): Nasutitermes corniger from the Neotropics and N. polygynus from New Guinea. Florida Entomologist 88: 28-33.
  • Scheffrahn, R.H., J. Krecek, A.L. Szalanski, and J.W. Austin. Synonymy of the neotropical arboreal termites, Nasutitermes corniger and N. costalis (Isoptera: Termitidae), with evidence from morphology, genetics, and biogeography. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 98: 273-281.
  • Scheffrahn, R.H., J. Krecek, B. Maharajh, N.-Y. Su, J.A. Chase, J.R. Mangold, A. L. Szalanski, J.W. Austin, and J. Nixon. 2004. Establishment of the African termite, Coptotermes sjostedti (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae), on the Island of Guadeloupe, French West Indies. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 97(5): 872-876.PDF
  • Szalanski, A. L., J. W. Austin, R. H. Scheffrahn, and M. Messenger. 2004. Molecular diagnostics of the Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae). Florida Entomologist 87(2) 145-151.PDF
  • Austin, J.W., A.L. Szalanski, and B.M. Kard. 2004. Distribution and genetic variation of Reticulitermes (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) in Oklahoma. Florida Entomologist 87(2)152-158. PDF
  • Austin, J.W., A.L. Szalanski, and M.T. Messenger. 2004. Genetic variation and distribution of the subterranean termite genus Reticulitermes (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) in Arkansas and Louisiana. Florida Entomologist. 87(4): 473-480.
  • Szalanski, A. L., R. H. Scheffrahn, J. W. Austin, J. Krecek, and N.-Y. Su. 2004. Molecular phylogeny and biogeography of Heterotermes (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) in the West Indies. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 97(3)556-566.PDF
  • Austin, J. W., A. L. Szalanski, R. E. Gold, and B. T. Foster. 2004. Genetic variation and geographical distribution of the subterranean termite genus Reticulitermes in Texas. Southwestern Entomologist 29 (1) in press, PDF
  • Austin, J.W., A.L. Szalanski, and B.J. Cabrera. 2004. A phylogenetic analysis of the subterranean termite family Rhinotermitidae (Isoptera). Annals of the Entomological Society of America. 97(3) 548-555.PDF
  • Szalanski, A.L., J.W. Austin, and C.B. Owens. 2003. Identification of Reticulitermes spp. (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) by polymerase chain reaction - restriction fragment length polymorphism. Journal of Economic Entomology. 96(5): 1514-1519.PDF
  • Uva, P., J. Clement,. J.W. Austin, V. Zaffagnini, A. Quintana, and A.G. Bagneres. 2003. Origin of a new Reticulitermes termite (Isoptera, Rhinotermitidae) inferred from mitochondrial DNA data. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 30: 344-353. PDF
  • Austin, J.W., A.L. Szalanski, P. Uva, A. Bagneres, and A. Kence. 2002. A comparative genetic analysis of the subterranean termite genus Reticulitermes (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae). Annals of the Entomological Society of America. 95: 753-760.  

RECENT PRESENTATIONS:

  • Austin, J.W., A.L. Szalanski, and J.L. Etheridge. 2005. Reticulitermes Mississippiensis (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae): A new subterranean termite from Mississippi. South Eastern Branch-Entomological Society of America meeting, Tunica, MS.
  • Austin, J.W., and A.L. Szalanski. 2004. Molecular Identification and Phylogenetics of Economically important termites. National Conference on Urban Entomology, Phoenix, AZ.
  • Szalanski, A.L., and J.W. Austin. 2004. Genetic variation in Reticulitermes termites from the United States: Evidence of 4 New species. NCB-ESA meeting, Kansas City, MO.
  • J. W. Austin and A. L. Szalanski. 2003. Molecular Genetic Variation of Reticulitermes termites from the United States. ESA National Meeting, Cincinnati, OH.
  • A. L. Szalanski, R. H. Scheffrahn, J. W. Austin, B. J. Cabrera, and N-Y. Su. Tracing the origins of an exotically introduced termite to the Florida: Molecular Identification of Heterotermes sp. 2003. ESA National Meeting, Cincinnati, OH.
  • Szalanski, A.L. and J.W. Austin. 2003. Genetic variation in Reticulitermes termites from North America. Annual Meeting of the Kansas (Central States) Entomological Society meeting, Manhattan, KS.
  • Austin, J.W., C.B. Owens, and A.L. Szalanski. 2003. Population genetics and molecular diagnostics of Reticulitermes termites from Texas (Poster), SEB-ESA meeting, Baton Rouge, LA.
  • Szalanski, A.L., and J.W. Austin. 2002. Molecular diagnostics of termites using PCR-RFLP (Poster).  SEB-ESA meeting, Little Rock, AR.
  • Austin, J.W. & A.L. Szalanski. 2001.  Genetic Variation in the Rhinotermatid Termite Genus Reticulitermes From Asia, Europe, and North America (Poster). ESA National Meeting, San Diego, CA.
AWARDS:
  • 2005-University of Arkansas, Dale Bumpers College of Agriculture, Food, and Life Sciences, Dale Bumpers Distinguished Doctoral Scholar
  • 2004-University of Arkansas, Department of Entomology John S. Heiss Fellowship for outstanding academics and Research
  • 2004 - Pi Chi Omega National Student Scholarship in Urban Pest Management
  • 2004 - University of Arkansas, Department of Entomology Dwight Isley Award
    for outstanding PhD student
  • 2003 -The Larry Larson Graduate Student Leadership Award for Applied Entomology, ESA Annual Meeting, Cincinnati, OH.
  • 2000 -J. William Fulbright Student Fellowship, Ankara, Turkey.
  • 1998 -Jeffrey P. LaFage Graduate Student Research Award, ESA-American Phytopathological Society Annual Meeting, Las Vegas, NV.
  • 1998- National Conference on Urban Entomology Student Scholarship, San Diego, CA.

NOTABLE:

  • 2002-present  Graduate Research Assistant, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR.
  • 2001-2002 Teacher, TED College, Ankara, Turkey
  • 2000-2001 J. William Fulbright Student Researcher, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey.
  • 1999-2000 Teacher Kent English, Ankara, Turkey
  • 1996-1999 Graduate Research assistant, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE.
  • 1993-1996 General Manager ABC Aggieland Pest Control, College Station, TX.
  • 1991-1993 Technicial Director ABC Pest and Lawn Services, Dallas, TX.

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James W. Austin