Who We Are

Daniel Williamson, PhD, MPH

Medical Entomologist / Epidemiologist

Daniel has worked in the vector-borne disease field since 2012. He has worked on international projects and assignments for the Arizona State Health Department, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, and the National Center for Atmospheric Research. He obtained a Bachelor of Science from Arizona State University in microbiology with an emphasis on infectious disease. He then completed a Master of Public Health degree at the University of Arizona in infectious disease epidemiology with a concentration in vector-borne disease. In 2023 he completed a PhD in medical entomology and a graduate certificate in geographic information systems at the University of Arizona.

Steven Young

Chief Laboratory Scientist, Programs Manager

Steve has extensive experience in many areas of public and private vector control. Working as a field technician and supervisor for six seasons in Colorado; then as a laboratory technician, and laboratory technologist for nearly nine years in Arizona, he has a vast knowledge in the many aspects of integrated mosquito management and arbovirus surveillance. He has assisted in numerous academic and government research studies in both the United States and internationally. Steve has volunteered his time improving access to vector control services for many years, training vector professionals across Arizona in vector identification, arbovirus testing, and insecticide resistance. He completed a Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies in Emergency Management in 2020.

Charlie Leight/The Republic

Sarita Mendez

Chief Field Specialist

Sarita has multiple years of experience in entomological field surveillance. She has conducted investigations on pine bark beetles in southern Arizona in conjunction with the University of Arizona and the University of California at Davis and has led mosquito surveillance projects within multiple counties in Arizona. She is skilled in sample preservation, species identification, GIS application, and data analysis. She obtained a Bachelor’s in Science, Technology, Health, and Society from the University of Arizona with a focus on the relationship between human health and environmental risks.

Joshua Arnbrister, MS

Medical Entomologist / Staff Scientist

Joshua began his career in vector control in 2016, after graduating with a bachelor’s in Zoology, with a focus on entomology, from Oregon State University. He worked as a vector control technician in Clackamas County before moving to Tucson to pursue a master’s degree in medical entomology. He completed his master’s in 2020 and has since started working on a doctorate in medical entomology. His work focuses on community outreach and vector disease education, field surveillance, arthropod disease testing, and insecticide resistance testing.

Mara Short

Medical Entomologist / Staff Scientist

Mara is a medical entomologist and tick researcher from Albuquerque, New Mexico. Their bachelor’s degree is from Macalester College in Saint Paul, where they majored in Biology and American Studies. In their 8 years as an entomologist, they've worked in collections, forest entomology, a butterfly garden, and a mosquito and sand fly lab at the National Institutes of Health. They are currently working towards a PhD in Entomology at the University of Arizona, researching the genetics and ecology of the brown dog tick, Rhipicephalus sanguineus. Outside of work, their interests include art, running, roller skating, and disco.

Bailey Payne

Medical Entomologist / Staff Scientist

Bailey has worked with vector-borne diseases since 2020. They graduated with a bachelor’s in animal science, with a focus on microbiology and biochemistry, from New Mexico State University. Bailey worked as a research technician in a virology lab in New Mexico before moving to Tucson to pursue a PhD in medical entomology. Their work focuses on insecticide resistance in mosquitoes, and are skilled in sample collection, species identification, and genomic sequencing.