Michigan State University professor takes lead role at magazine for insect science
Annapolis, MD; January 26, 2021—Zsofia Szendrei, Ph.D., associate professor and vegetable entomologist at Michigan State University, has been named the next editor-in-chief of American Entomologist, the Entomological Society of America's quarterly membership magazine. Szendrei will serve as co-editor-in-chief in 2021 alongside current editor-in-chief Kevin Steffey, Ph.D., who will step down at the end of the year.
The ESA Governing Board approved Szendrei's selection last week after an open search was conducted in late 2020 by an appointed search committee. Steffey has served at the magazine's helm since 2017 and led the publication to new heights, including an award-winning, cover-to-cover redesign in 2019.
"American Entomologist is a dynamic publication with uniquely broad appeal in the field of insect science, and Dr. Szendrei is a dynamic scientist and communicator who will steer the magazine to continued success and innovation," says ESA President Michelle Smith, BCE. "My colleagues and I on the ESA Governing Board are excited to have Zsofia stepping into this role, and we are deeply grateful to Dr. Kevin Steffey for his transformative tenure with American Entomologist."
American Entomologist is a print and online magazine that shares relevant information and thought-provoking dialogue about the practice, value, and impact of insect science across a diverse entomological community. The magazine's lineage dates back to 1955, when it was first published under its original banner of Bulletin of the Entomological Society of America.
Szendrei brings more than 15 years of professional experience in entomology to her new role, with a diverse background in research, extension, and teaching, as well as in scientific publications and communication. Last year, she launched a podcast titled "Bug Talk," with students and colleagues from the MSU Department of Entomology. Szendrei will be the first woman to serve as editor-in-chief of American Entomologist.
Jessica Ware, Ph.D., ESA vice president and chair of the search committee for the co-editor-in-chief position, says Szendrei's creative and innovative approaches for the future of the magazine impressed the committee. "Dr. Szendrei is an excellent communicator with strong editorial skills that she will bring to American Entomologist," Ware says. "She is an exciting addition to a publication team that is already reaping the rewards of ongoing reimagining in terms of content and format, and the search committee felt strongly that Zsofia has a diversity of skills that will lead the magazine in further positive directions."
Szendrei will take on a four-year term with American Entomologist, beginning this month as co-editor-in-chief with Steffey and continuing as sole editor-in-chief for the remainder of the term.
"I'm excited and honored to be the new co-editor-in-chief for American Entomologist," Szendrei says. "While most of my experiences are related to publishing in scientific journals, I am looking forward to taking on a magazine editorial role and learning from Dr. Kevin Steffey and the team at AE. Thanks to these experts, I'm sure my transition into this position over the next year will be a smooth process."
Szendrei's career in entomology began in 2005 with a postdoctoral research position with the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service in Beltsville, Maryland. She followed that with a research associate role at Rutgers University in 2008 and then joined the faculty of Michigan State University (MSU) in 2009. She has served in her current role there as associate professor and vegetable entomologist (50 percent extension, 40 percent research, 10 percent teaching) since 2015. Szendrei has served as a subject editor for ESA's journal Environmental Entomology since 2015 and has been a member of the journal's editorial board since 2018. Szendrei earned her master's degree in horticulture in Hungary in 2001 and her Ph.D. in entomology at MSU in 2005.
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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 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.
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.