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With the tremendous amount of interest in the Ross Taylor Bell and Joyce Rockenbach Bell Research Grant in 2023, The Coleopterists Society is pleased to announce that two awards will be given this year! There were 17 applications submitted this year from around the world including North America, Japan, Nepal, South Africa, Europe, Australia, and four from Latin America. The awardees are:

Dr. Lawrence Kirkendall and Dr. Thomas Atkinson for their project titled “Synopsis of the Platypodinae of Brazil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)”. This project involves the principal investigators travelling to Ilha Solteira, Brazil to work on the taxonomy of a large collection of platypodines assembled by Dr. Carlos Flechtmann and housed in the Faculdade de Engenharia – Câmpus de Ilha Solteira (São Paulo State University).

Dr. Cristian Beza-Beza for his project titled “Curation and study of the personal collection of Pedro Reyes-Castillo at the Colección Entomológica del Instituto de Ecología (IEXA): continuing the legacy of biodiversity research in Passalidae”. This project involves bringing together several taxonomic experts and students to the Instituto de Ecología in Xalapa, Mexico to work on the taxonomy and catalog the recently donated collection of passalid beetles from the late Pedro Reyes-Castillo.

We would like to thank Joyce Bell for making this grant possible with her generous donation to The Coleopterists Society in memory of her husband, Ross Bell. This grant is awarded on April 23rd, 2023, which would have been Ross’s 94 th birthday.

The Coleopterists Society is pleased to announce that Dr Scott Gilmore (@gilmore_scott) has been awarded the second Ross Taylor Bell and Joyce Rockenbach Bell Research Grant! His project titled “Creation of Pictorial Keys to the Elateridae of British Columbia” involves a visit to the Canadian National Collection and to the Spencer Entomological Collection at the University of British Columbia to examine museum specimens of Elateridae from British Columbia, as well as two collecting trips to locations in Canada where limited collecting of Elateridae has been done. We would like to thank Joyce Bell for making this grant possible with her generous donation to The Coleopterists Society in memory of her husband, Ross Bell. This grant is awarded on April 23rd, which would have been Ross’s 92nd birthday.

The Coleopterists Society is pleased to announce that Society-branded merchandise is now available in partnership with EntoPOC!

For a variety of hats, t-shirts, mugs, etc. click here.

The Coleopterists Society (TCS) values all aspects of diversity. Our global membership means each of us have our own unique experiences, opportunities, and challenges. Today we stand in solidarity with our peers, mentors, and the community, acknowledging that Black Lives Matter in society and therefore in science. Racism and prejudice continue to harm scientific endeavor and we are committed to offering support.

As a professional society, we do not tolerate prejudice and discrimination. We must ensure all our fellow entomologists, and the wider community we interact with, are treated with respect and equality. We reflect on our own past actions and their alignment with these values, and encourage our membership to hold others, including TCS leadership, accountable. We stand together for diversity and inclusion.

Society Council Members will continue to listen and learn, striving to be a more inclusive society. The Committee Improving Inclusiveness and Diversity (CIID) was formed at our 2019 business meeting. This committee has been working on recommendations to foster greater inclusivity and opportunities for scientists from underrepresented minority and disadvantaged communities. Recommendations will be reviewed by Council and voted on at the annual meeting in November.

We recognize a committed effort is needed to recruit, retain, and support diversity in our membership and leadership. The advancement of Coleopterology is made better by a diverse and inclusive community. TCS offers funding for youth, undergraduate and graduate students, as well as professional development opportunities in service roles open to all members. Beetles themselves are one of the most diverse forms of life on earth and it is the appreciation of diversity that drew many of us to the field. TCS members who would like to provide CIID with ideas and suggestions should contact Committee Chair Beulah Garner [beulahlah@me.com] or President Andrew Smith [asmith@unl.edu].

The Coleopterists Society Council

The Coleopterists Society is pleased to announce that Dr. Marcin Kamiński and Mr. Ryan Lumen have been awarded the inaugural Ross Taylor Bell and Joyce Rockenbach Bell Research Grant! Their project titled “Unraveling the diversity of Helopinina Latreille (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae): an illustrated catalogue of the subtribe and initial taxonomic revision” involves collections work in the Ditsong Museum (South Africa) and Purdue University (Indiana, U.S.A.). They will be studying a large historical collection and recently collected DNA-quality specimens to produce a catalog, identification guide, and preliminary taxonomic work on this subtribe. We would like to thank Joyce Bell for making this grant possible with her generous donation to The Coleopterists Society in memory of her husband, Ross Bell. This grant is awarded on April 23rd, which would have been Ross’s 91st birthday.