INSECT NET: A new graduate training program to increase access and use of automated insect monitoring systems

Insects play a critical role in human and ecological health, from supporting terrestrial food webs to vectoring diseases. Anthropogenic change has led to dramatic changes in abundance and distributions of insect species around the world. By developing intelligent and autonomous cyber-physical systems that monitor, map, and ultimately predict changes in insect species at spatial and temporal scales suitable for human intervention, we can better define the drivers shaping insect population dynamics and distributions to more effectively serve growers, land managers, public health specialists, conservationists and policymakers. Here, we will discuss strategies for providing graduate student training opportunities to support transdisciplinary and convergence research that spans entomology, ecology, engineering, computer science, data science, and decision support tool development, to design monitoring systems that address unique and individualized stakeholder needs. We will highlight the recently funded INterdisciplinary Studies in Entomology, Computer Science and Technology NETwork (INSECT NET) NSF Research Traineeship program at Penn State and discuss opportunities to ensure this training is accessible to diverse populations.