Zihan (Lilac) Hong 洪子涵

Zihan (Lilac) Hong 洪子涵

University of Washington

I am a PhD student in Quantitative Ecology and Resource Management (QERM) at the University of Washiongton. My interests lie in using quantitative methods to address both basic and applied ecological questions, with a particular focus on climate change, biodiversity, and conservation issues. My current research in the Landscape Ecology and Conservation Lab centers on assessing species’ vulnerability to climate change. Before joining UW, I earned my M.S. from Purdue University and my B.S. from Cornell University in Entomology, where I focused on integrated pest management of agricultural pests.

🔥 News

📖 Educations

  • 2023.09 - (now), Ph.D., Quantitative Ecology and Resource Management (QERM). University of Washington, Seattle, Washington.
  • 2020.08 - 2022.12, M.S., Entomology. Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana.
  • 2018.08 - 2020.05, B.S., Entomology. Cornell University, Ithaca, New York. Magna cum laude with Distinction in Research. Minor: Plant sciences, Education.
  • 2016.09 - 2020.06, B.Ag.Sc., Plant Protection. Zhejiang University, Hangzhou.

💻 Internships

  • 2023.04 - 2023.09, Data Analyst. International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Rome, Italy.

📝 Publications

  • Z Hong, DS Richmond, & EY Long. (2025). Modeling the seasonal activity and infestation risk of Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae) in U-pick blueberry orchards in Indiana, USA. Journal of Economic Entomology, 118(6), 3066–3075. https://doi.org/10.1093/jee/toaf237
  • Z Hong, AP Michel, & EY Long. (2023). Optimizing a rapid LAMP assay for discrimination of Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae) from common drosophilids captured in monitoring traps from the Midwest, United States. Journal of Economic Entomology, 116(4), 1391–1397. https://doi.org/10.1093/jee/toad105
  • Z Hong, & EY Long. (2021). Updates on Spotted-wing Drosophila (SWD) activity in Indiana blueberries. Purdue University Facts for Fancy Fruit Newsletter, 21(8).

💬 Presentations & Invited Talks

  • 2025.12, Bird Population Trends Align with Species Distribution Models. College of the Environment Symposium, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington. In-person poster presentation.
  • 2025.11, Evaluating the Predictive Accuracy of Climate-based Species Distribution Models. 19th Annual Graduate Climate Conference 2025. Woods Hole, Massachusetts. In-person poster presentation.
  • 2022.11, (Second prize) Evaluating the accuracy and sensitivity of a DNA-based assay for discriminating Spotted-wing Drosophila from common drosophilids in Indiana. The Entomological Society of America Annual Meeting, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Oral presentation.
  • 2022.11, Research updates on Spotted-wing Drosophila in Indiana. Blueberry Growers of Indiana meeting. Demotte, Indiana. Oral extension talk.
  • 2022.03, (First prize) Seasonal activity and infestation of Indiana blueberry varieties by Spotted-wing Drosophila (Drosophila suzukii). North Central Branch of the Entomological Society of America 77th Annual Meeting. Minneapolis, Minnesota. Oral presentation.
  • 2021.11, Activity and Infestation Risk of Spotted-wing Drosophila (Drosophila suzukii) on Indiana Blueberries. The Entomological Society of America Annual Meeting. Denver, Colorado. Virtual poster presentation.

🎖 Honors & Awards