معرفی
Leyla Valdivia Kaufman is a Research Fellow in the Department of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences (PEPS) within the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, where she leads the Insect Ecology and Integrated Pest Management Lab.
Her academic credentials include a Ph.D. from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and an M.Sc. from Wageningen University. Her research focuses on insect ecology and biological control systems, with particular expertise in parasitoid-host dynamics, non-target risk assessment for biological control agents, and integrated pest management strategies for tropical agricultural systems.
Analysis of her publication record reveals consistent contributions to understanding parasitoid ecology in island ecosystems, with emphasis on Hawaiian endemic species conservation, nectar resource utilization by natural enemies, and validation of risk assessment models. Her work bridges theoretical ecology with practical pest management applications, particularly in papaya and other tropical crops.
- Best PEPS Entomology Graduate Student Oral Presentation (2007)
- Minoru Tamashiro Endowment for Urban and Agricultural Entomology Travel Award (2006)
- Best PEPS Entomology Graduate Student Poster Presentation (2006)
- Minoru Tamashiro Prize in Urban and Agricultural Entomology (2005)
- OAS-LASPAU Fulbright Scholarship (2003) [declined]
Dr. Kaufman has mentored students through teaching roles in PEPS 363 (General Entomology) and PEPS 422 (Biocontrol of invasive species), while her research has been supported by multiple competitive fellowships including Nuffic and International Potato Center funding. Her current projects focus on thrips management in papaya, validation of risk assessment models for biological control, and post-release monitoring of biological control agents against papaya mealybug and Erythrina gall wasp.
She directs the Insect Ecology and Integrated Pest Management Lab, which conducts field and laboratory research on biological control systems and integrated pest management strategies for Hawaiian agricultural systems, with strong emphasis on ecological validation and non-target impact assessment.
