News – WilsonLab

January 5, 2026

Welcome to our new MS students, Natalie and Kayla!

January 2, 2026

2026 is starting off well! Our paper showing that diuron made a cyanobacterial bloom worse was just accepted!

Le, V. V., M. F. Gladfelter, A. P. Belfiore, R. P. Buley, E. G. Fernandez-Figueroa, and A. E. Wilson. 2026. Diuron has no effect on the toxigenic cyanobacterium, Microcystis, relative to two other common algaecides: a field mesocosm experiment. Aquaculture Reports 46:103360.

December 18, 2025

Matt was selected as the 2025 Swingle Award winner for PhD students in our school! Congrats, Matt!

December 10, 2025

Another successful holiday cookie swap. Grateful for my students sharing such delicious treats with others. The candy bar fudge was my favorite. Excited about what 2026 has in store for us.

Had a chance to give a talk at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill last week. It was awesome. Thanks, Joe Brown, for the chance to return to UNC. I also was able to take my daughter for a formal campus tour with a special trip to the Dean Dome. The Word War III event was legendary. Go tar heels!

November 26, 2025

Peyton has successfully passed her MS defense. Awesome!

November 10, 2025

The Gulf of America Alliance posted a nice press release about our new EPA project focused on using engineering approaches to reduce eutrophication of important coastal systems around the Gulf.

November 5, 2025

I am psyched to report that students in my meta-analysis class have produced three more papers. Amazing group of students!

Mahas, J. W., A. E. Wilson, T. D. Steury, and A. L. Jacobson. In press. Association of plant pathogen vectors and vector-borne plant pathogens with landscape composition: a meta-analysis. Environmental Entomology.

Folorunso, T. R., M. Sundaram, N. Potnis, L. Stevison, L. G. Eckhardt, and J. R. Willoughby. In press. Quantifying the influence of genetic factors and life cycle strategies on plant pathogens virulence and disease severity. Journal of Plant Pathology.

Mwema, T., S. Zohdy, M. Sundaram, C. A. Lepczyk, L. Narine, and J. R. Willoughby. 2024. A quantitative and systematic analysis of Anopheles stephensi bionomics and control approaches. Acta Tropica 260: 107431.

September 29, 2025

Michael has just published his second chapter looking at the effects of repeated copper sulfate treatments on water quality. Low dose copper supports healthy zooplankton communities that can control phytoplankton!

McDonald, M. B., A. V. Hennessey, P. P. Johnson, M. F. Gladfelter, K. L. Merrill, S. E. Tenison, S. S. Ganegoda, T. C. Hoang, H. A. Torbert, B. H. Beck, and A. E. Wilson. 2025. Repeated low-dose copper algaecide treatments promote beneficial phytoplankton and zooplankton communities. Journal of Environmental Management 394: 127502.