Molly Bechtel (left) and Kelsey Lyberger (right), assistant professors in CISA’s School of Applied Sciences and Arts, hold tick and mosquito samples used in a new medical and veterinary entomology course that gives students hands-on experience identifying insects and ticks that spread disease in people and animals. Photo by ASU

Arizona State University’s College of Integrative Sciences and Arts (CISA) launched an immersive entomology course in fall 2025 that gives students direct, real-world laboratory and field experience.

Assistant Professors Kelsey Lyberger and Molly Bechtel developed the new entomology course with a training grant awarded by the Pacific Southwest Center of Excellence in Vector-Borne Diseases, funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention via UC Davis.

ABS 494 Medical and Veterinary Entomology positions students to contribute to vector surveillance, disease ecology and preventive programs. Under the leadership of Lyberger and Bechtel in the School of Applied Sciences and Arts, CISA is building capacity in vector research and applied biosciences that align with public and animal health needs. In this context, their vector research focuses on studying insects and ticks that transmit diseases, aiming to understand how they spread illness and how to control or prevent it.

Lyberger and Bechtel designed the new class as a special topics offering that blends lab work and field practice. Students learn to identify and analyze insects and ticks that carry pathogens affecting humans and animals, thereby bridging classroom learning with critical public health work.

“By pairing fieldwork with practical lab skills, students can move directly into public health and veterinary roles, tackling vector-borne disease,” Lyberger said.

In fall 2025, the inaugural cohort traveled to Maricopa County Environmental Services to see vector surveillance in action and performed identification exercises in the lab, bringing theoretical knowledge to life in a practical application.

The new entomology class gives students a foundation in the techniques, critical thinking and context that vector science demands. Lyberger and Bechtel are shaping the course to scale with the goal of enabling more students to engage in research, collaborate with local public health partners and move into roles that address emergent ecological health challenges.

Their integrative approach underscores CISA’s mission to combine applied scholarship and experiential learning. It builds a pipeline of talent ready to confront real public and animal health threats in the Valley, the region and beyond.

Read more about Lyberger’s innovative mosquito research in an ASU News article. The Lyberger Lab for Evolutionary Ecology focuses on eco-evolutionary responses of mosquitoes and other aquatic species to environmental change, such as heat and urbanization.

If you are interested in joining Lyberger’s and Bechtel’s research efforts, contact them at [email protected] or [email protected] to learn more.