Publishing, science communication experience brought to magazine's leading role
Lauren A.
Esposito, Ph.D.
Annapolis, MD; May 21, 2026—Lauren A. Esposito, Ph.D., an entomologist specializing in arachnology and evolutionary biology, has been named the next editor-in-chief of American Entomologist, the Entomological Society of America's quarterly membership magazine.
The ESA Governing Board approved Esposito's appointment to the role after an open search was conducted in spring 2026 by an appointed search committee. Esposito will succeed Rebecca A. Schmidt-Jeffris, Ph.D., who resigned from the position in December 2025.
"Dr. Esposito is a respected leader in our field for her ability to communicate about entomology and champion the people who practice our science every day," says ESA President Melissa W. Siebert, Ph.D., BCE. "She is ideally suited to guide and shape ESA's premier publication for the insect science community."
Siebert also thanked Schmidt-Jeffris for her leadership of the magazine during her tenure and May Berenbaum, Ph.D., for serving as interim editor in early 2026.
Published both in print and online, American Entomologist features in-depth exploration and thought-provoking dialogue about the practice, value, and impact of insect science across a diverse entomological community. The magazine traces its history to 1955, when it was first published under its original banner of Bulletin of the Entomological Society of America.
Esposito will serve a four-year term as American Entomologist editor. She brings nearly 20 years of experience in scientific research, publishing, and administration to the role. Her research has focused on evolutionary biology in arachnids, but she has also worked or volunteered in numerous roles in science communication, education, and inclusion.
"The Entomological Society of America has been my academic home for my entire career. I am so excited to serve in this role, and I am looking forward to continuing American Entomologist's incredible legacy of sharing the wonder and diversity of our science," Esposito says. "I won't be doing it alone—I'll be leveraging a network of new voices from our across fields to join forces with the amazing community of existing contributors."
Based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Esposito recently completed more than a decade of service as the curator and Schlinger chair of arachnology at the California Academy of Sciences. While there, she also served as director of research experiences for undergraduates (2019–2025), director of the Islands 2030 initiative (2021–2024), and science lead on the editorial board of the Academy's bioGraphic magazine (2017–2023). In 2025, she served as a rotating program director for the National Science Foundation's Division of Environmental Biology. Esposito is the creator of the LGBTQ+ visibility campaign 500 Queer Scientists and co-founder and executive director of Islands & Seas, a nonprofit supporting scientific research and education on Mexico's Baja Peninsula.
In publishing, Esposito has served in associate editor roles with ESA's Insect Systematics and Diversity as well as with Bioscience, Systematic Biology,and Current Research in Insect Science. With ESA, she has volunteered for roles on the Insect Decline Task Force, the Annual Meeting Rainbow Mixer, and EntoMentos.
Esposito earned a B.S. in biology (2003) at the University of Texas at El Paso and an M.S. in ecology and evolutionary biology (2010) and Ph.D. in biology (2011) at the American Museum of Natural History and City University of New York.
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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 nearly 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.
American Entomologist is the quarterly magazine for members of the Entomological Society of America. The magazine publishes articles and information of general entomological interest and includes columns, features, research, book reviews, letters to the editor, and obituaries. For more information, visit https://academic.oup.com/ae, or visit www.insectscience.org to view the full portfolio of ESA journals and publications.