May Berenbaum

May Roberta Berenbaum (born 1953) is an American entomologist whose research focuses on the chemical interactions between herbivorous insects and their host-plants, and the implications of these interactions on the organization of natural communities and the evolution of species.

Berenbaum graduated summa cum laude, with a B.S. degree and honors in biology, from Yale University in 1975; she attended graduate school at Cornell University and received a Ph.D. in ecology and evolutionary biology in 1980.^[1]

Since 1980, Berenbaum has been a member of the faculty of the department of entomology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and has served as head of the department since 1992.^[2] In addition to her research, she is devoted to teaching and to fostering scientific literacy. In 1996, she was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.^[3] she is the recipient of the 1996 Entomological Society of America North Central Branch Distinguished Teaching Award and has authored numerous magazine articles, as well as three books about insects for the general public. She has also gained some measure of fame as the organizer of the Insect Fear Film Festival at the University of Illinois, an annual celebration of Hollywood's entomological excesses.^[1]

In September 2007, a scientist's report found that a virus may be the cause of colony collapse disorder, a phenomenon causing the sudden and widespread death of honeybee populations. Dr. W. Ian Lipkin, a Columbia University epidemiologist stated that the finding used a new genetic technique and statistics to identify Israeli acute paralysis virus as a potential cause of massive deaths of worker bees. Jerry Hayes, chief of the apiary section of Florida's Agriculture Department confirmed the study but stressed that it is just part of the problem. Berenbaum, a University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign entomologist found that colony collapse disorder is only the latest devastating problem of bees and other pollinator populations across North America. CCD destroyed 50%–90% of commercial honeybee hives in the U.S.

Berenbaum received the 2009 Public Understanding of Science and Technology Award from the American Association for the Advancement of Science.^[1]

She also had a character in The X-Files named after her: Dr. Bambi Berenbaum, a famous entomologist and love-interest of Agent Mulder.^[4]

In March 2011, she was awarded the University of Southern California's Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement.^[5]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} "Berenbaum to be honored for efforts in public understanding of science". University of Illinois. http://news.illinois.edu/news/10/0217berenbaum.html. Retrieved 2010-05-18. 
2. ^ Department of Entomology - University of Illinois
3. ^ "Book of Members, 1780–2010: Chapter B". American Academy of Arts and Sciences. http://www.amacad.org/publications/BookofMembers/ChapterB.pdf. Retrieved June 15, 2011. 
4. ^ "To Bee or Not to Bee". Scientific American. http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=to-bee-or-not-to-bee-09-08-21. Retrieved 2010-05-18. 
5. ^ "Leading Entomologist and Bee Expert Awarded Prestigious 2011 Tyler Environmental Prize". http://www.usc.edu/admin/provost/tylerprize/press/pr2011.html. Retrieved 2011-03-28. 

External links

• Works by or about May Berenbaum in libraries (WorldCat catalog)

Persondata
Name	Berenbaum, May
Alternative names
Short description	American entomologist
Date of birth	1953
Place of birth
Date of death
Place of death