Hermiston’s newest entomologist is perfectly at home

When Alexzandra Murphy left her hometown to follow her dream of being an entomologist, she never knew the path she was beginning would lead her right back to where she grew up.

As a child in Hermiston, Ore., long before she knew what an entomologist was, Murphy found bugs fascinating. In high school, she started working summers at the Hermiston Agricultural Research and Extension Center. She assisted station scientists with integrated pest management research, where part of the draw was collecting insects for various studies.

When she graduated from Hermiston High School in 2002, her outstanding scholastic career earned her several scholarships. Murphy received her bachelor's degree in Entomology from Oregon State University in 2006, graduating with a perfect 4.0 grade-point average and winning the Clara H. Waldo and E.A. Cummings Outstanding Student Award. She was one of the last undergraduate students to earn an entomology degree from OSU before the program was discontinued.

Her next step was to pursue an advanced degree. Initially, she wanted to stay in the region, but advisors urged her to pursue opportunities from outside the region, says Murphy.

"They told me I had to leave," she says.

Murphy found a new home at Purdue University, where she earned her doctorate in Entomology in 2011. She was named Outstanding Doctoral Student and, once again, graduated with a 4.0 GPA.

Starting her job search, Murphy focused on the Pacific Northwest: Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. She wasn't sure she'd find a suitable position in her ideal area, but much to her surprise, she found an opening in a place she felt right at home – Hermiston.

"I didn't think I'd actually be accepted, but I applied anyway," Murphy says. "When they offered it to me, I couldn't really say no," Murphy said.

This summer, Murphy has been working on determining the economic threshold for the beet leafhopper, an insect that can transmit harmful bacteria to potatoes. In the lab and the field, she's trying to establish the point at which the cost of using pesticides to destroy the pests outweighs the damage done by the pests.

"She's really thorough, making sure her work is correct," says OSU Extension entomologist Silvia Rondon, Murphy's supervisor. "I'm sure she will do really well with her research here."

Murphy couldn't be happier to be back. Extension work, which lets her interact with growers, suits her, and Hermiston-area growers will likely benefit from the homegrown-scientist.

"It's fun because I get to explain what I'm doing, and then deliver the results directly to the end users. I really, really, really like that," she says. "You get to see what their biggest challenges are, so you know your research will directly affect them."

Author: Rachel Beck