Staff from the Navy Entomology Center of Excellence (NECE), located in Jacksonville, Florida, participated in the American Mosquito Control Association’s (AMCA) 89th meeting held in Reno, Nevada, February 27th - March 3rd, 2023.

Since 1938, AMCA serves as the preeminent professional engagement for vector control specialists, health science researchers, educators, industry leaders, and students in vector biology. Over 900 participants from all over the world attended the conference, including 48 exhibitors.

During the conference NECE personnel provided an educational booth to showcase NECE’s initiatives to attendees. Additionally, NECE junior officers used this opportunity as a recruiting platform to educate interested individuals about the Health Services Collegiate Program (HSCP) which offers a financial incentive for advanced degrees in entomology. Upon graduation, students commission as an officer in the Medical Service Corps of the U.S. Navy.



Cmdr. Ian Sutherland, Officer in Charge of NECE, participated in an invitation-only panel, led by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), for the latest state and interagency developments and programs in the field of insecticide resistance. This is a critical obstacle in the management of vectors, and NECE leads the Department of Defense (DoD) capacity to detect and respond to this growing threat to operational readiness. During the annual meeting, Lt. Edward Traczyk, Assistant Department Head of Research and Development, represented NECE’s Research and Development Department and highlighted the unit’s advances in its capabilities and insecticide resistance research utilizing the cutting-edge, next generation platform housed within NECE’s Insecticide Resistance Response System (IRRS).

Dr. James Cilek, a civilian entomologist with NECE, also presented findings on research evaluating the effectiveness of specialized mosquito netting titled, ‘Evaluation of Deltamethrin-Impregnated Screening for Localized Reduction of Mosquitoes in Deployed Settings.’ Lt. j.g. Sierra Schluep, NECE’s Acting Science Director and Testing and Evaluation Department Head, represented NECE at the Young Professionals committee meeting which assists and brings people from all backgrounds together who have been involved in the industry of public health for less than 5 years.

“Attending AMCA is a critical partner building initiative for us,” said Schluep. “As our capabilities grow, our capacity to contribute to public health by supporting interagency collaborative efforts evolve. Here, we stay informed on the innovations of vector control and integrate these tools and knowledge to better protect our warfighters.”



NECE is the Navy and Marine Corps’ Center of Excellence for operational entomology located at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, FL. NECE’s unique DoD mission is to develop and evaluate novel products, pesticides, and technologies to better protect deployed forces from vectors of disease. NECE also provides operational medical entomology and pest management training to DOD military and civilian personnel and is the program manager for all Navy shipboard pest management. NECE plays a key role in supporting national strategic interests though engagement and exchange with foreign health and military partners.
https://www.med.navy.mil/Navy-Marine-Corps-Public-Health-Center/Field-Activities/Navy-Entomology-Center-of-Excellence/