Jeff Tomberlin

Associate Professor and Program Director - Forensic and Investigative Sciences Program

Undergraduate Education

B.S. Biological Sciences The University of Georgia 1993

Graduate Education

Ph.D. Entomology The University of Georgia 2001

M.S. Entomology Clemson University 1996

RESEARCH EMPHASIS:

His areas of interest and expertise are the ecology and biology of flies associated with decomposing matter. Primarily, his research falls into two categories, 1) determine proper methods for suppressing fly populations associated with animal waste on confined animal facilities, 2) understanding the biology of insects that colonize human remains in order to assist law enforcement personnel in estimating the time of colonization of a corpse in order to provide a minimum postmortem interval.

 

 

TAMU Lab and Research

 

Labs

The Department of Entomology occupies 42,000 square feet of laboratory, office, and classroom space in the Heep Center, built in 1977. Additional office and research space is available in the 17,600-square-foot Entomology Research Laboratory and in the 14,400-square-foot Biological Control Facility. In addition to the state facilities at College Station, a major USDA entomology research laboratory is located on campus. Members of the department’s graduate faculty are also stationed at nine modern, well-equipped regional research centers located in major agricultural areas in the state, enabling interested students to carry out research programs at these off-campus locations.

Specialized facilities available within the department include an entomological research collection of more than 2.7 million curated specimens, greenhouses, walk-in and individual-temperature/photoperiod programmable chambers, computer terminals and printers, a photographic darkroom, federally approved maximum quarantine facilities, an NIH-approved P3 containment facility for virology research, and equipment for a full range of biochemical, physiological, and toxicological investigations. Also available on campus are the Electron Microscopy Center, the Data Processing Center, a 2.2-million-volume library, and a nuclear reactor.

 

The Mission of TAMU Research

The mission of the Department is to “to create and implement knowledge that improves lives”. The primary strength of the Department is our collective expertise to address diverse questions that span across programmatic areas and affect most aspects of human endeavor.

Faculty, students and staff conduct discovery, transitional, and applied entomological research, which is delivered to Texans and the world, through educational outreach, classroom teaching, and distance education.

While research projects are as numerous and diverse as the faculty, research professionals and students within the Department, several programs are unique, not only for a department of entomology but also for most universities.

• Discoveries on the structure, regulation, and function of biological molecules within arthropods continue to provide unique insights and applications to human, animal and plant health.
• The Texas A&M University Insect Collection is the centerpiece of entomological systematics as it houses more than two million curated specimens and serves as a foundational piece to understanding biological diversity.
• Transitional research programs elucidating the interactions of arthropods with their environment and each other are essential to understanding the dynamics of arthropod systems. Often, this knowledge is used in creating novel, environmentally friendly approaches to controlling arthropod pests of plants, animals, and man. Indeed, discovery and transitional research supplies the infrastructure for designing and testing hypothetical control systems.
• The Extension faculty and agents within the Texas IPM Program conduct research that evaluates and tailors new discoveries to provide immediate benefit in improving health, the production of food, fiber, and ornamentals, and quality of life.
• The Apiary Inspection Service supports applied research, conducts educational programs, and provides a vital regulatory role in serving the Texans interested in bees.

The collective strength of the diverse research programs are nationally recognized for their innovation and productivity in advancing science and its application to the benefit of economic growth, global health, social development, and the environment.