Timothy D. Paine, ESA Fellow (2006)

Dr. Timothy D. Paine, a professor at the University of California, Riverside (UCR), was elected as Fellow in 2006.  He is widely recognized for his work in landscape and forest entomology, and the IPM of woody ornamentals.  His research has developed successful biological control projects and explored the biology and ecology of invasive pests and their interactions with other species.

Dr. Paine was born in 1951 in Delano, CA.  He received a B.A. in history and a B.S. in entomology in 1973 from the University of California, Davis (UCD).  He went on to complete a Ph.D in entomology in 1981 from UCD under the tutelage of Dr. Martin Birch.  Soon thereafter he became a postdoctoral scientist at the University of Arkansas in Dr. Fred Stephen’s lab.  In 1986, he returned to California and became an assistant professor at UCR, followed by advancement to associate professor in 1992, and full professor in 1995.  

Dr. Paine has mentored 17 graduate students and over 40 undergraduate students.  He has taught several courses at UCR including, Introduction to Organismal Biology; Introduction to Evolution and Ecology; Ecology, Population Genetics, and Pest Management; Insect Ecology; Philosophy and Pedagogy of Teaching Undergraduate Life Sciences; and Natural History of Insects.  His teaching evaluations frequently receive outstanding scores, and he received the UCR Distinguished Teaching Award in 2004 and the UCR Innovative Teaching Award in 2010.  He received the ESA Pacific Branch’s Distinguished Teaching Award four times in 1995, 1997, 2006, and 2011.  His services to the entomology department at UCR include vice chair (1994–1997) and chair (1997–2003).  He was also the director of the UCR Center of Invasive Species (2003–2005), director of the UCR biological sciences undergraduate major (2009-2011), program leader for Agricultural Policy and Pest Management for the UC Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources (2005–2009), and divisional dean for Agriculture and Natural Resources in the UCR College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences.  

Dr. Paine has written over 200 refereed journal publications, book chapters, proceedings, technical papers, and edited two books.  Since becoming an ESA member in 1975, he has received many honors from ESA including the Recognition Award in Urban Entomology (1999), the Distinguished Achievement Award in Horticultural Entomology (2009), and has served as President of the Pacific Branch (1999–2000).  He also became a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2005.

Dr. Paine’s research focus is to improve pest management through a better understanding of the biology, ecology, and physiology of herbivorous insects and their interactions with host plants, competitors, and natural enemies.  Research projects include the management and control of two exotic cerambycid wood borers, a leaf-feeding weevil, three lerp-forming psyllids on eucalyptus, ash whitefly, and pine bark beetles, which are all devastating insect pests of urban forests.  In addition, Dr. Paine’s lab has done studies in landscape and nursery ecology in the key insect pests of woody plants.  Dr. Paine’s achievements go far beyond his research.  His mentoring, teaching, and outreach efforts have set him apart as one of the preeminent entomologists in his field.

(updated June, 2012)