Nathan Derstine ’10, a chemical ecologist and physiologist whose research focuses on insect pheromones, was recently recognized for his groundbreaking work on how bees, wasps, and other insects communicate. He received the Early Career Award from the International Society of Chemical Ecology (ISCE) at its annual meeting held in New Zealand this past August. 

The award recognizes “cutting-edge research in any area of chemical ecology performed by the new generation of scientists” and is open to researchers within 10 years of earning their PhD, according to . It honors Derstine for “his outstanding achievements in advancing our understanding of the plasticity and regulation of chemical signals governing social behavior in insects.”

What is chemical ecology?
Chemical ecology is the study integrating chemistry and biology to examine the chemical interactions among organisms and their environment. It includes signaling processes and communication between individuals, for instance in pheromone responses. ()

“There are so many remarkable and excellent researchers who are equally, if not more, deserving of this award, so I didn’t expect to get it,” Derstine said. “I’ve had the opportunity to work on a wide array of projects with a lot of great mentors, and it feels very affirming to be recognized for all the work I’ve done and put in over the years.”

Along with receiving the award, Derstine was invited to present a plenary lecture on his research at the conference, with all travel, accommodation, and conference fees fully covered. “It was a great trip,” he said. “It was cool to see New Zealand and connect with a different group of chemical ecologists. It’s always rewarding to put a face to the names of the papers you’ve read.”

He arrived back in the U.S. two days before fall classes started at the , where he teaches as a visiting assistant professor of biology. Since moving to the city this summer, he’s been approached by more than one solicitor who’s knocked on his door and offered to spray for bugs. “I always have to tell them that they’re barking up the wrong tree,” he said.

Planting the seeds

Derstine said he’s always been interested in biology, but had never thought of himself as an entomologist or “insect person.” “In retrospect, I realize I may have had a unique background compared to others,” he said.

His parents were beekeepers for as long as he’s been alive—his father Kenton, professor emeritus at Eastern Mennonite Seminary, maintained a few bee hives on the 91����Ƶ Hill back in the day—“so I grew up doing it and never thought of it as anything other than normal,” he said.

While at 91����Ƶ, most of his student research was with Roman Miller, professor emeritus of biology, on how plant hormones affect the development of reproductive organs in mice. He got involved in Professor Matthew Siderhurst’s entomology research and spent two summers as a student at a U.S. Department of Agriculture lab in Hilo, Hawaii, where he worked to identify and develop strategies for managing invasive pests such as the little fire ant. 

“That was the seed of where it all began, through my involvement with Matt,” said Derstine, who remains in close communication with the professor.

He said that 91����Ƶ’s small class sizes, as well as the biology program’s exclusive focus on undergraduate students, helped him form close connections with faculty and allowed him to gain hands-on experience working alongside professors as they conducted research projects. “That’s a big benefit,” he said. “There’s no doubt that there’s a very direct link between my experiences and the network of people I now know, who have helped me not only get a job but also continue to provide mentorship and guidance.”

After graduating from 91����Ƶ with a biology degree in 2010, Derstine worked for two years as a research technician with Siderhurst at the lab in Hawaii before deciding to pursue graduate school. He earned a master of science from Simon Fraser University (Vancouver, Canada) in 2016. From 2017 to 2018, he conducted research on the spotted lanternfly at a USDA lab in Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts. He earned his PhD in entomology from Pennsylvania State University in 2023. 

He has also studied and contributed to research papers on yellowjackets and bumblebees, fruit-piercing moths, coffee berry borers, coconut rhinoceros beetles, and fruit flies.

Derstine fondly recalled spending long hours at Suter Science Center identifying specimens for an insect collection and late nights in the basement of Sadie Hartzler Library studying with friends. He returned to campus in March 2024 to lead a Suter Science Seminar talk on the “Sociality and Evolution of Reproductive Signals in Bees.”

“I loved my time at 91����Ƶ,” he said. “I couldn’t imagine it any other way.”

Read more…

By Kate Elizabeth Queram, Daily News-Record

When Shenandoah Valley Children’s Choir member Nikita Burke first heard that the group would be traveling to Hawaii in July to participate in the 2009 Pacific Rim Children’s Chorus Festival, she knew instantly that she wanted to go. The 10-day trip included multiple cultural excursions (such as learning traditional Polynesian dances, hiking Oahu’s Diamond Head volcanic cone and visiting Pearl Harbor) as well as the opportunity to perform foreign-language songs with 11 other children’s choirs and Burke, 15, viewed it as a must-do.

"Obviously, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," she said.

Jaymie Inouye and fellow members of the Shenandoah Valley Children’s Choir sing during their trip to Hawaii in July. Members of the choir learned traditional dances, hiked Oahu’s Diamond Head volcanic cone and visited Pearl Harbor, in addition to performing foreign-language songs. (photo courtesy Daily News-Record)

Burke’s only potential roadblock was funding. Choir members are required to pay their own way, and the cost of the trip, including airfare and lodging, was around $2,800. Luckily, Burke was raised on a Dayton dairy farm and is used to hard work, so taking on odd jobs to earn the money wasn’t out of the ordinary.

"I get paid some for milking cows," she said. "I babysat a few times. I did housework, yard work, things like that. It took me like the entire last summer and this year to save up the money. And it was definitely worth it."

Rewarding experience, says White

It’s an opinion shared by Julia White, the choir’s founder and director, who said that the festival’s blend of musical and cultural immersion makes it a deeply rewarding experience for Valley children.

"It’s so substantive and so educational," she said. "There were kids from dairy farms from around here doing these Tahitian hip-swinging dances, and it was very stretching for some of these kids who had never been out of the country, never been on an airplane, seeing these dark-skinned Tahitian men doing these fierce war dances … or the little girls learning how to do the stone dances from different islands, it was very, very stretching."

Members of the Shenandoah Valley Children’s Choir performed during the 2009 Pacific Rim Children’s Chorus Festival in Hawaii in July. (photo courtesy Daily News-Record)

Learning the pre-selected festival music in time was also a push for the group, according to White. The repertoire included 14 songs in 11 languages, including Hawaiian, Samoan and Chinese, all of which the choir had to learn in 10 rehearsals.

"It was a real push. It was much more rigorous than our usual semester in terms of amounts of music and languages and parts," said White, adding that the choir members also held their own rehearsals in June. "They had extra practices. It was a huge stretch for all the kids and I think they would all say that it was hugely rewarding, too."

Phenomenal response to performances

If the response from the festival concerts’ audience is any indication, the hard work paid off. Held on the trip’s last two nights, the concerts give the participating choirs a chance to perform for each other. White’s group was given the last performance slot on the second night; a distinction she said was an honor.

"That was a vote that we were a good choir and they wanted to end all of that with our choir," she said.

And the audience response was phenomenal, she added. "From all the choirs there, we got huge applause and standing ovation, which no other choir did. Sometimes the kids in the Valley don’t realize what we have here, and when we go out and see us compared to other groups, they go, ‘Oh, I didn’t know.’ They look at the whole program differently."

Forty-eight members of the celebrated Shenandoah Valley Children’s Choir (SVCC), their director, Julia White and 36 adult chaperones and companion travelers will participate in the Pacific Rim Children’s Chorus Festival being held July 13-23 in Honolulu, Hawaii.

The Pacific Rim Festival is designed to provide treble children’s choirs, grades 6 through 12, an opportunity to experience the cultures of the Pacific Rim countries through their choral music repertoire in an interactive, non-competitive, creative environment.

Choristers (l. to r.) Ellie Weaver, Stephanie Kozel, Emma Potter, and Kelsey Landes enjoy the SVCC’s 2005 trip to the Pacific Rim Festival.

The SVCC has held six practices this spring and will rehearse again nightly July 7-10 before leaving for the trip July 13. They will sing selections from many countries, including Japan, Philippines, Korea, Canada, Colombia, China, Samoa, New Zealand, Mexico, and the US, including Hawaii.

“Many choir members have worked really hard, doing jobs and saving money to go,” Ms. White said. “Some have never flown before, so that will be an adventure in itself, and singing 14 songs from memory in nine different languages is no small feat.”

In addition to performing at two major Hawaii concert venues with 12 children’s choirs (around 400 choristers) from the US and Canada, SVCC members will learn Polynesian dances with native instructors, practice text and language with native speakers, observe ethnic music and dance performances of Pacific Rim culture, and make indigenous instruments at the Polynesian Culture Center.

“This is such a stretching experience for our children, and friendship and cooperation are at the center of all of the activities,” White said. “We look forward to sharing our music and what we have learned with our home audience in August.”

The SVCC will present a concert 7 p.m. Aug. 14 in 91����Ƶ’s Lehman Auditorium featuring the songs and dances in costume that they perform at the festival. Hawaiian decorations will grace the stage, and a reception will follow. The program is open to the community and tickets will be available at the door – adults $12, seniors and students $10, children 12 and under $7.

How non-native insects can be introduced into habitats and sometimes become serious pests is the subject of the next Suter Science Center seminar at 91����Ƶ.

Matthew Siderhurst, an assistant professor of chemistry at 91����Ƶ, will speak on the topic, “The Smells of Invasion: Chemical Ecology of Invasive Insects in Hawaii,” 4 p.m. Monday, Nov. 12 in room 104 of the Suter Science Center.

Dr. Siderhurst, who joined the 91����Ƶ faculty in 2006, has done major study on the ecosystems of Hawaii and the impact of non-native insects on the people and agricultural areas there.

He will describe his research and efforts to develop tools for invasion prevention and control strategies, improve early detection of new invaders and track established invaders.

Damage in Billions

“Damage, losses and control costs from non-native insects are estimated at $20 billion annually, along with the displacement and destruction of native species,” Siderhurst said, noting that “invasive species are the single greatest threat to Hawaii’s economy and natural environment and to the health and lifestyle of the people there.”

Refreshments will be served 15 minutes prior to the presentation. Admission to the program is free.

For more information, contact Dr. Roman J. Miller, 540-432-4412; e-mail millerrj@emu.edu.