Department of Chemistry

RIVERSIDE, Calif. — Jocelyn Millar, a professor of entomology and cooperating faculty member in the Department of Chemistry at the University of California, Riverside, has been awarded the Silver Medal for career achievement by the International Society of Chemical Ecology (ISCE).

Awarded first in 1986, the ISCE Silver Medal is the society’s highest honor. It is awarded annually to scientists who have made outstanding contributions to chemical ecology, the study of chemicals that mediate interactions between living organisms.

Millar is the second person at UC Riverside to receive the medal; in 2009, Ring Cardé received the honor.

“This is fantastic news and very well-deserved recognition for Dr. Millar,” said Rick Redak, chair of the Department of Entomology. “The Silver Medal award is testimony to his outstanding competence and a lifetime of accomplishment within the area of chemical ecology. This award not only honors Jocelyn but also is a testament to the department’s strength in chemical ecology and behavior.  We are privileged and lucky to have Dr. Millar as part of our team.”

The Silver Medal is the ISCE’s highest honor.PHOTO CREDIT: I. PITTALWALA, UC RIVERSIDE.

Millar’s research primarily focuses on how insects use odors and tastes for communication. Nearly all types of insects use chemical signals for a wide variety of functions such as communicating location, species, sex, reproductive status, and alarm. Millar’s research group identifies these signals and determines their functional roles. His research team then exploits this information to develop practical applications for detecting and managing insect populations.

“I was tremendously honored and pleased to have my group’s research selected for this award by the members of the professional association that has the best understanding of the work that we do and its implications,” Millar said. “It confirms to us that yes, we have made contributions that our peers consider valuable, and we have made a difference.  It also must be realized that this has been very much a collective effort: to date, I have coauthored papers with almost 400 other researchers, including my students, postdocs, and research associates, and numerous collaborators across the country and around the world.”

In addition to chemical ecology, Millar’s group has worked on the control of invasive pests with natural enemies, and on vibrational signals that some insects use for communicating via transmission of the signals through plant tissues. He has published more than 270 scientific papers, 25 book chapters and review articles, and four edited books.   He has presented or been a coauthor on more than 200 invited and more than 300 submitted presentations at statewide, national, and international conferences.

Millar’s group has been previously honored by awards from the Entomological Society of America, including the Recognition Award in Entomology (2001), the Entomological Foundation’s Team Award in Integrated Pest Management (2006), the Entomological Foundation’s Award for Excellence in Integrated Pest Management (2008), and the ESA Pacific Branch’s C. W. Woodworth Award.  He was elected as a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2003 and of the Entomological Society of America in 2013.