On July 1, 2025, Vinisha Singh Basnet successfully defended her Master’s thesis in Entomology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Her thesis, titled “Evaluating Behavioral Avoidance and Horizontal Transmission of Beauveria bassiana in Bed Bugs (Cimex lectularius) Across Spatially Complex Environments”, investigates how bed bugs interact with fungal biopesticides in spatially complex arenas. Her work advances our understanding of bed bug behavior and offers important insights for pest management in real-world environments.
Vinisha is currently pursuing a PhD in Urban and Regional Planning. Her doctoral research bridges entomology, urban studies, and political ecology to examine the social and ecological dimensions of bed bug infestations in low-income housing. Drawing on methods from both entomology and planning, she explores how urban pest challenges intersect with issues of housing inequality.
Congratulations, Vinisha! We’re excited to see where your research leads next.