The Advanced Taxonomic Training video series was produced as a component of a 2012 Farm Bill 10201 Cooperative Agreement entitled "Delivery of Taxonomic Training through Distance Education." Mr. Joel Floyd, Domestic Diagnostics Coordinator for USDA-APHIS-PPQ is the overall federal leader for the project. Project coordination was provided by Dr. Amanda Hodges, DPM Director, University of Florida (UF); Dr. Alma Solis, former USDA-ARS-SEL Research Leader; Dr. Gary Miller, USDA-ARS-SEL Research Leader; and Dr. Greg Hodges, Bureau Chief for Entomology, Nematology, and Plant Pathology, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Plant Industry (FDACS-DPI). The goal of the project was to provide engaging and interesting hands-on video tutorials for taxonomic groups that are important to USDA-APHIS-PPQ identifiers and state or university taxonomists.
As a component of the project, two intensive video-filmed workshops were hosted at the University of Florida on Aphididae, Aleyrodidae, and Coccoidea (May 2013) and Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha and Pentatomidea (August 2013). UF Co-PIs Ms. Stephanie Stocks, Assistant-In, Extension Scientist and Dr. Stephen McLean, former UF Post-Doctoral Associate, provided local arrangements coordination for the workshops and filming events. Former UF employee Stephen Thornton filmed the workshops and provided expert video editing services. Ms. Stephanie Stocks coordinated the post-production review of the final filmed videos.
The videos featured expert lectures and hands-on training by Dr. Ian Stocks, FDACS-DPI; Dr. Greg Evans, USDA-APHIS-PPQ; Mr. John Dooley, USDA-APHIS-PPQ; Dr. Gary Miller, USDA-ARS-SEL; Dr. Susan Halbert, FDACS-DPI; Dr. Charles Bartlett, University of Delaware; Dr. Joe Eger, Dow Agrosciences; and Dr. Stuart McKamey, USDA-ARS-SEL.
The following UF, Entomology and Nematology and DPM students or staff participated in the videos: Gurpreet Brar, Lyle Buss, Carla Burkle, Tamika Garrick, Eric LeVeen, Annika Minott, Ashley Poplin, and David Sekora.
