Dr. Blair Siegfried, professor and chairman of the Entomology and Nematology Department at the University of Florida, was elected as Fellow in 2019. He is widely recognized for his research on insecticide resistance evolution and management as well as the environmental consequences of insecticide use.
Siegfried was born in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in 1959. He received his B.S. in biology from Lock Haven University (1981), where a summer internship at the Mountain Lake Biological Station fostered his interest in entomology and evolution. He earned his M.S. from the University of Florida in 1984, studying bark beetle chemical ecology, and his Ph.D. in entomology from Pennsylvania State University in 1989, where his research focused on the relationship of insect herbivory to insecticide susceptibility and resistance evolution. He also received postdoctoral training at Cornell University, where his interests in understanding insecticide resistance evolution became solidified. He was appointed assistant professor at the University of Nebraska in 1990, with research and teaching responsibilities in insecticide toxicology, and was promoted to associate professor in 1995 and full professor in 1999. In 2008, he was awarded a Charles Bessey Professorship for an exceptional record of distinguished scholarship or creative activity. In 2015, Siegfried moved to the University of Florida, where he assumed responsibility for administration of the Entomology and Nematology Department.
Siegfried's research interests involve fundamental questions about the evolution and management of insecticide resistance and the environmental impacts of pesticide use. To this end, he has secured more than $10 million in funding from federal, corporate, and state agencies. His efforts have provided the foundation for establishing an internationally recognized program in resistance management and environmental protection that has attracted attention from industry to develop new technologies and from regulatory agencies seeking his advice on registration of these technologies. Over the course of his career, Dr. Siegfried's scholarship in research has resulted in 197 published peer-reviewed articles, 14 invited reviews and book chapters, and an additional 18 technical articles and proceedings. His work has resulted in two published patents, with an additional seven active patent applications.
During his nearly 30-year career, Siegfried has actively and broadly worked to promote the profession and visibility of entomology. His accomplishments include the direct influence and mentoring of 31 graduate students, 15 postdocs, and nine international scholars who have gone on to careers in academia, industry, and medicine. He has been actively involved with service and leadership and has participated on science advisory panels, international advisory boards, and numerous university committees. He has served ESA in a number of roles, most recently as vice president and president of the Physiology, Biochemistry, and Toxicology Section.
Siegfried has been married to Sidney Baum-Siegfried for 33 years, and his son Ethan resides in Lincoln, Nebraska, where he works for the public school system in special education. Siegfried and his wife enjoy exploring the waterways and coastal areas of North Florida and cultivating the natural diversity of his backyard.
(updated September 2019)