Developing dynamic solutions for devstating pest problems
Arnol Gomez, Graduate Student
Arnol graduated from Zamorano University in 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in Agronomy and Crop Sciences. His interest in entomology in horticultural systems began with his undergraduate thesis, where he examined thrips species diversity on olericulture crops and associated weeds. Prior to that, he gained foundational experience in the Biological Control Laboratory at Zamorano through the university’s learning by doing program, where he worked with natural enemies, entomopathogenic fungi, and entomopathogenic nematodes used in integrated pest management programs.
He later served twice as a visiting scholar in the Canas Lab at The Ohio State University, contributing to ornamental crop efficacy trials, insect colony rearing, thrips field assessments, and pepper weevil monitoring.
Arnol is now a PhD candidate in his fourth year in the Department of Entomology at The Ohio State University, working under Dr. Ashley Leach in the Specialty Crop Entomology Lab. His research focuses on developing resilient integrated pest management programs for vegetable production, with emphasis on the interaction between reduced risk insecticides, cultural control tactics, and biological control. He has led multiple field and laboratory studies evaluating thrips management, natural enemy conservation, fertility interactions, and mulch mediated pest suppression.
