For World Mosquito Day, Gulf South VECTOR highlights the importance of mosquito control with a new educational video. Honoring Sir Ronald Ross’ discovery of malaria transmission, the initiative continues building regional capacity to prevent vector-borne diseases and protect communities across the Gulf Coast.
At the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) 2025 Annual Educational Conference (AEC), held July 14–17 in Phoenix, Arizona, vector and pest control prevention played an important role in educating professionals. A preconference workshop, From Blueprint to Action: Building and Managing an Effective Vector Control Program,
Cook’s Pest Control strengthened its longstanding partnership with Florida A&M University through two campus visits in 2025, connecting students with internships, career pathways, and professional development opportunities. These engagements highlight growing industry–university collaboration and expanded experiential learning options for FAMU’s entomology and agribusiness students.
The closure of the Walter Reed Biosystematics Unit ends decades of critical mosquito taxonomy and systematics research. With staff gone and online resources removed, only the Smithsonian-held collection remains—leaving a major gap in national vector research capacity and the tools that supported global public health
Internships in vector control give students essential, hands-on public health experience—from fieldwork and surveillance to community engagement. Alexandros Pavlakis’ journey from intern to entomologist shows how these opportunities build practical skills, deepen scientific understanding, and prepare future professionals to protect communities from vector-borne diseases.
The Gulf South VECTOR project strengthens vector-borne disease prevention across the Gulf Coast through regional needs assessments, workforce training, and standardized, multilingual education for professionals and students.
To support the Gulf South Vector Project’s mission, it’s essential to understand the term vector. In public health, a vector is any organism, such as mosquitoes, ticks, or fleas, that transmits pathogens and diseases from one host to another. These small but dangerous carriers are
Mosquito control programs vary widely across the country, creating gaps in awareness, coordination, and effectiveness. The CDC-funded Gulf South VECTOR initiative aims to strengthen regional capacity and standardize training, evaluation, and partnerships in vector-borne disease prevention. This webinar highlights the challenges posed by inconsistent programs
The Gulf South VECTOR collaborative works to improve regional capacity for vector-borne disease surveillance and control through coordinated training, program evaluation, and CDC-supported partnerships.
Faye Golden was honored with the AAPSE Fellow Award, the association’s highest recognition, for her decades of service and dedication to advancing pesticide safety education.