Personnel
Personnel
Primary Investigator
Dr. Terri Billeisen
Dr. Terri Billeisen is an Assistant Extension Professor and Director of Undergraduate Programs in the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology at NC State University. Her research spans insect pollinator dynamics, biological control for red imported fire ants and ground pearls, refining management approaches for common turf insect pests and biology, and ecology and behavioral study of the annual bluegrass weevil pest complex. She teaches and coordinates up to six Agricultural Institute, undergraduate and graduate courses each year with topics ranging from pesticide utilization and ornamental and turf insect management to agricultural formulations. She is also the Program Leader for the Agricultural Formulations program at NC State. Recent work in extension includes two recent extension publications that assist with insect identification in managed green spaces.
Staff
Ana Sapp
Ana Sapp earned her M.S. in Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology from NC State in 2025, where she studied how oil and gas development and urban growth impact freshwater turtles. An Ecology Wildlife Foundation Fellow, she also holds a B.S. in Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology with a minor in Art and Design, which sparked her interest in combining science with creative communication. Her background includes fieldwork in the Amazon and across the southeastern United States. In the Billeisen Lab she contributes to experimental trials, data collection, and extension material development while applying her skills in photography and design to research and outreach. Outside of work, she is an artist, musician, and naturalist with a growing fascination for insects—her favorite being the eastern beach tiger beetle.
Emily Roeder
Emily Roeder is a research technician responsible for designing and implementing experimental trials, managing data collection, developing extension materials, and overseeing lab operations. She earned a B.S. in Entomology and Nematology from the University of Florida and previously worked with FDACS-DPI and the Florida State Collection of Arthropods, gaining experience in specimen curation, regulatory entomology, and outreach. Her work has ranged from field research across the U.S. and Peru to museum curation and co-authoring publications, reflecting her dedication to both applied and systematic entomology. An alumna of Alpha Zeta and a board member of the Center for Systematic Entomology, Emily is committed to combining research and education to make insect biology accessible and engaging.
Students
PhD.
Lily Deeter
Lily Deeter is a scale-insect (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha) enthusiast in both the Billeisen Lab and the Powell Lab. Her current research focuses on the control and phylogenetics of ground pearls (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Margarodidae), a scale insect family containing devastating turf pests (Eumargarodes laingi and Dimargarodes meridionalis) in North Carolina. She also curates the North Carolina State University slide collection, which houses over 200,000 glass slide-mounted specimens. Lily developed her interest in scale insects while working first as a slide technician, and eventually as an identifier, of scale insects and whiteflies (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) in the FSCA and FDACS-DPI. She has a B.S. in Horticultural Sciences from the University of Florida.
M.S.
Mike De Luca
Mike De Luca is a master’s student in the Billeisen Lab at NC State University studying the annual bluegrass weevil, Listronotus maculicollis (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), a key pest in cool-season turfgrass systems. Alongside his graduate research, he works for Syngenta, where he focuses on turf insect management and product development. Mike brings extensive industry experience and a practical perspective to the lab’s work, bridging academic research with applied pest management. He is passionate about developing sustainable control strategies for turfgrass pests and strengthening connections between research, education, and industry practice. Mike earned his Bachelor’s of Applied Science in Agronomy at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia.
Undergraduate
Past Students and Employees
Faculty
- Dr. Rick Brandenburg, William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor
Staff
- Brian Royals, Research Specialist
- Aidan Royals
- Andrew Clarke
- Danny Reiland
- Hallie Coffelt
Graduate Students
- Gram Grant, M.S. (2026)
- Lauren Kilpatrick, M.S. (2020)
- Dr. Laurie Hamon, Post-Doc (2022-2023)
Undergraduate Students
- Justin Brooks
- Juju Carabetta
- Esme Chiara
- Alex Flentje
- Grant Goodman
- Nick Sessoms
- Sean Stoyko