Expert in insect systematics brings international perspective to book series
Annapolis, MD; July 30, 2019—Daniel Whitmore, Ph.D., Diptera curator at the State Museum of Natural History in Stuttgart, Germany, has been selected as the new editor-in-chief of Thomas Say Publications, a line of peer-reviewed books published by the Entomological Society of America.
Daniel Whitmore, Ph.D.
The ESA Governing Board has approved Whitmore to succeed James B. Woolley, Ph.D., who will step down at the end of 2019 after a distinguished term of service. The Thomas Say Editorial Board launched an open search for Woolley's successor in January.
"Dr. Whitmore has a versatile skill set in entomology, taxonomy, and publishing that is perfectly suited to the role of leading Thomas Say Publications," says ESA President Bob Peterson, Ph.D. "My colleagues and I on the ESA Governing Board look forward to what his passion and perspectives will bring to Thomas Say as he builds on the foundation set by Dr. Jim Woolley."
Thomas Say Publications publishes peer-reviewed Monographs, Proceedings, and Memoirs in the field of entomology, with a focus on insect taxonomy and systematics. Recent Thomas Say Publications include The Cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadoidea: Cicadidae) of North America North of Mexico, Second Edition; Pegs, Pouches, and Spines: Systematics and Comparative Morphology of the New World Litter Bug Genus Chinannus Wygodzinsky, 1948; and Memoirs of Black Entomologists: Reflections on Childhood, University, and Career Experiences.
Whitmore brings more than 15 years of professional experience in entomology and taxonomy to the position, as well as a capacity for connecting with the research community across international borders, having held professional roles in Italy, Denmark, the United Kingdom, and Germany since 2003.
"The Editorial Board of Thomas Say Publications is thrilled to welcome Dr. Whitmore as its next editor-in-chief," says Thomas Say Editorial Board Chair Kateryn Rochon, Ph.D. "We are confident that his experience and vision will move Thomas Say Publications forward through the many challenges facing the book-length publishing world. The Editorial Board is grateful for the excellent work of Dr. Jim Woolley and the opportunity for both editors to work closely together during the transition."
Whitmore's term as Thomas Say editor-in-chief begins January 1, 2020, and will last four years.
"It is an honor for me to take over the editor-in-chief role for Thomas Say Publications, a book series that stands out for the high quality of its taxonomic and historical content on insects," says Whitmore. "At a time when insect decline is becoming an increasingly alarming reality, I look forward to upholding the series as an ideal venue for the publication of much-needed taxonomic revisions, of North American taxa and taxa from other geographic regions."
Whitmore's career in entomological research and collections began in 2003 at the National Forestry Service in Italy, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at the Natural History Museum of Denmark in 2012. He then joined the Natural History Museum of London in 2013 as curator of Diptera, where he served for five years before moving to his current role as curator of Diptera at the State Museum of Natural History (Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde) in Stuttgart, Germany, in 2018. He is a subject editor for Zootaxa and past subject editor for ZooKeys and the Biodiversity Data Journal, and he co-edited the monographs Biodiversity of Marganai and Montimannu (Sardinia): Research in the framework of the ICP Forests network, published by the National Forestry Service of Italy in 2011, and Research on the Terrestrial Arthropods of Sardinia, published as a special issue of Zootaxa in 2009. He is fluent or conversational in five languages—English, French, Italian, Spanish, and German—and holds a master's degree in natural sciences (2004) and a Ph.D. in zoology (2011) from the Sapienza University of Rome.
CONTACT: Joe Rominiecki, jrominiecki@entsoc.org, 301-731-4535 x3009
ABOUT: ESA is the largest organization in the world serving the professional and scientific needs of entomologists and people in related disciplines. Founded in 1889, ESA today has more than 7,000 members affiliated with educational institutions, health agencies, private industry, and government. Headquartered in Annapolis, Maryland, the Society stands ready as a non-partisan scientific and educational resource for all insect-related topics. For more information, visit www.entsoc.org.