Ph.D. Biochemistry. 1989. Univ. of Arizona, Tucson AZ
B.Sc. General Studies. 1982. Univ of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta Canada
My lab research investigates the role of hemocytes (insect blood cells) in an insect's immune response, focusing on the tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta, and mosquitos. We are characterizing several hemocyte proteins that change in abundance or distribution during the immune response of M. sexta or mosquitos. In addition, we have recently been exploring the effect of divalent cations on M. sexta hemocyte behavior.
I have also starting investigating the ecology of mosquitoes in southern Arizona.
Another area of interest is Environmental Ethics, particularly those aspects of Environmental Ethics which interface between science and philosophy, empirical data and theory. The specific topics I have been exploring including wildlife conservation in Africa, ecofeminist issues in developing countries, Tragedy of the Commons scenarios, the use of transgenic cotton, and mosquito management issues.
Willott, E. 2006. Approaches to mosquito management
in the Southwest. Southwest Hydrology 5(1), 24-25 and 32.
Willott E, Tran HQ, Nguyen
YT. 2004. Effects of bacteria and TLCK on hemocyte morphology of Manduca
sexta. Abstracts of Papers of the American Chemical Society
227: U429-U429 177-CHED Part 1.
Zinser M, Ramberg F, Willott E.
2004. Culex quinquefasciatus (Diptera : Culicidae) as a potential
West Nile virus vector in Tucson, Arizona: Blood meal analysis indicates
feeding on both humans and birds. Journal of Insect Science
4: Art. No. 20.
Willott E. 2004. Restoring
nature, without mosquitoes? Restoration Ecology 12 (2): 147-153.
Willott E, Hallberg CA, Tran
HQ. 2003. Influence of calcium on Manduca sexta plasmatocyte
spreading and network formation. Abstracts of Papers of the American
Chemical Society 225: U491-U491 905-CHED Part 1.
David Schmiddtz and Elizabeth Willott. 2003. Reinventing
the commons: an African case study. U.C. Davis Law Review
37 (1) 203-232.
Willott E, Hallberg CA, Tran
HQ. 2002. Influence of calcium on Manduca sexta plasmatocyte
spreading and network formation. Archives of Insect Biochemistry
and Physiology 49(4): 187-202.
Schmidtz, D., and E. Willott. 2002. Tragedy of the commons. In Blackwell
Companion to Applied Ethics, edited by Kit Wellman and Ray Frey.
Willott, E., and H.Q. Tran.
2002. Zinc and Manduca sexta hemocyte functions. Journal
of Insect Science 2: Available online: http://insectscience.org/2.6
Hessler, Kristen and Elizabeth Willott. 2002. Feminism and Ecofeminism.
Original Essay. in Environmental Ethics: What really matters; what really
works. D. Schmidtz and E. Willott, eds. Oxford University Press
Carrière K, Dennehy TJ, Pedersen B, Haller S, Ellers-Kirk
C, Antilla L, Liu YB, Willott E,
Tabashnik BE. 2001. Large-scale management of insect resistance to
transgenic cotton in Arizona: Can transgenic insecticidal crops be
sustained? Journal of Economic Entomology 94(2): 315-325.
Willott, E. 2001. Human Population Trends: 1960 to 2000. Common Ground: An interdisciplinary Journal of the Environment. http://commonground.umfk.maine.edu/issues/ Reprinted in Environmental Ethics: What really matters; what really works. D. Schmidtz and E. Willott, Oxford University Press (2002) pages 274-283.
Grimes, WJ., and E. Willott,
M. LaPointe, J Katcher. 2001. Honors Biology at the University of
Arizona, A Unique Approach. The National Honors Report, 22(2)
Summer 2001, 20-24.
Wiegand C, Levin D, Gillespie JP, Willott
E, Kanost MR, Trenczek T. 2000. Monoclonal antibody MS13 identifies
a plasmatocyte membrane protein and inhibits encapsulation and spreading
reactions of Manduca sexta hemocytes. Archives of Insect
Biochemistry and Physiology 45(3): 95-108.
Meyer-Fernandes JR, Lanz-Mendoza H, Gondim KC, Willott
E, Wells MA. 2000. Ectonucleotide diphosphohydrolase activities
in hemocytes of larval Manduca sexta. Archives of Biochemistry
and Biophysics 382(1): 152-159.
Willott E, Lowenberger C,
Christensen BM, Kanost MR. 1995. Monoclonal antibodies against Manduca
sexta hemocytes bind Aedes aegypti hemocytes: Characterization
of six monoclonal antibodies that bind hemocytes from both species.
Developmental and Comparative Immunology 19(6): 451-461.
PUBLICATIONS-BOOKS
Schmidtz, D. and E. Willott, editors (2002) Oxford University Press. Environmental
Ethics: What really matters; what really works. This is an anthology of
approximately 66 papers (383,000 words) with introduction and commentaries
written by the editors.
On-Line Publications
Restoring Nature, Without Mosquitoes
Discusses some of the history of mosquito-human interactions in the U.S., introducing readers to the literature on environmental ethics particularly the idea of values and disvalues in nature and the need to address both in education settings.
It will appear in Restoration Ecology.
An Introduction to Environmental Ethics
Introduces the field of environmental ethics and some of the key concepts and concerns addressed by the field.
It is the first chapter in the anthology: Environmental Ethics: What Really Matters, What Really Works, edited by Elizabeth Willott and David Schmidtz and published by Oxford University Press, 2002.
ARGUMENT: Why argue? Why would you want to do it better? How you can do it better.
Written for undergraduate students taking their first philosophy course, this is designed to get them to consciously question what paradigms they may have about "arguing" and help them develop skills for effective arguing. It provides citations for other resources.
Human Population Trends: 1960 to 2000. (PDF is available by clicking on Table of Contents)
Willott, E. (2001). Common Ground: An interdisciplinary Journal of the Environment. Reprinted in Environmental Ethics: What really matters; what really works. D. Schmidtz and E. Willott, Oxford University Press (2002) pages 274-283.
Meant to bring general readers current on world population trends. We are not in the world envisioned by Ehrlich and Hardin in the late 1960's and early 1970's. There are grounds for concern and yet grounds for optimism regarding human population.
Population 2006 Update
This powerpoint presentation gives more current information regarding human population.
Reinventing the Commons: An African Case Study
Discusses the organization of the Sabi Sands Game Preserve: what factors motivated formation of Greater Kruger National Park and Sabi Sands. What obstacles threaten long-term sustainability; what organizational structures suggest the commons may succeed in persisting. A PDF including figures is available on request (willott@email.arizona.edu).
