Each year, invasive pests and plant diseases destroy 20% to 40% of world crop production, costing the global economy about $290 billion, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. So, it’s up to entomologists like Alana Jacobson to keep crop pests at bay.
Jacobson, a College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences alumna and associate professor of entomology at Auburn University, has spent the past decade investigating pest management problems at local, regional, national and international scales, while working to find solutions for issues related to sustainable agricultural production and feeding the growing population.
Jacobson, who hails from Phoenix, developed an interest in studying insects while in a high school magnet program for agricultural sciences. That interest ultimately brought her to NMSU, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in agricultural biology from the Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Weed Science in 2004.
“I like working on problems associated with insects that transmit viruses because they’re so complex,” she said. “There are so many different interactions with insects and plants that it’s a unique and challenging area to work on.”
Jacobson later completed a master’s degree in entomology at Purdue University and earned a Ph.D. in entomology from North Carolina State University.
In 2014, she joined Auburn University as an assistant professor in the College of Agriculture, where she teaches and oversees a research lab. Much of her current research focuses on better understanding vector-virus interactions responsible for transmitting plant pathogens.
“NMSU was a good place for me at the time and gave me a good foundation in the agricultural sciences,” she said. “The interdisciplinary nature of the Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Weed Science allowed me to learn about all aspects of pest management – not just one area. Being in that department gave me a well-rounded background that prepared me to move forward in whatever direction I wanted to.”
Jacobson said she has many fond memories of NMSU and New Mexico, where she built lasting friendships as an undergraduate student. Even now, many years later, she makes sure to to catch up with former NMSU classmates and professors at academic conferences.
"There’s still a cohort of friends that I keep in touch with to this day,” she said. “I don’t think you can mention living in New Mexico without the food and Hatch green chile. I miss New Mexican food to this day.”
A version of this story first published in the spring 2023 issue of ACES Magazine. For more stories, visit https://nmsu.news/ACES-Mag-Spring-2023.