Angela Mech

Angela Mech is an Assistant Professor of Forest Entomology at the School of Biology and Ecology, University of Maine, within the College of Natural Sciences, Forestry and Agriculture. Her work is supported by the Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station, and she contributes to the Hatch project ME022327 focused on early detection of forest insect outbreaks. She is based in Deering Hall and Winslow Hall, Orono, ME.

Her educational background includes a Ph.D. from the University of Georgia, completed in 2015.

Dr. Mech is a disturbance ecologist whose research centers on the impacts of invasive insect species on forest ecosystems. She investigates how biotic and abiotic factors—such as climate change and environmental conditions—affect insect population dynamics and their interactions with tree hosts. Her work integrates data science and statistical modeling to explore theoretical and applied questions in invasion ecology, forest health, and pest management. She has developed the iTree Pest Predictor, a tool launched in 2023 to assess the potential impact of non-native insects on North American trees.

Her research program emphasizes practical applications, including field trials on Highmoor Farm to test commercial products against browntail moth infestations and foliage collection on the Dwight B. Dermitt Forest for bioassays. These efforts support the development of management strategies to mitigate the effects of invasive forest pests.

• Released iTree Pest Predictor in 2023 (notable research tool for predicting non-native insect impact on North American trees)

Dr. Mech divides her professional time equally between teaching and research. She advises no students are listed in the provided text, but her research is grant-supported through the Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station. She is actively involved in ongoing projects aimed at early intervention in forest pest outbreaks and advancing predictive modeling in ecological systems.

Her work is conducted through collaborations with the Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station and field sites such as Highmoor Farm and the Dwight B. Dermitt Forest, where applied research on browntail moth and other forest pests is carried out.