Michael J. Raupp, ESA Fellow (2015)

Dr. Michael J. Raupp, Professor and Extension Specialist in the Department of Entomology at the University of Maryland, was elected as Fellow in 2015. He is known as "The Bug Guy" for his efforts in educating the public about the natural history and behavior of insects through his books, videos, blog, and appearances on both radio and television.

Dr. Raupp earned both a B.S. in animal science in 1975 and an M.S. in entomology in 1977 from Rutgers University. His Ph.D. in entomology in 1982 would herald a lifelong career at the University of Maryland (UMD). He served as Department Chair and Associate Dean and Extension Director at Maryland, and as President of the ESA Eastern Branch in 2004.

Dr. Raupp’s extension programs provide training on the theory and practice of integrated pest management to green industry professionals and the general public. His research programs focus on global change issues, including invasive species and urbanization. His professional and extension achievements include nearly 300 publications and 1,100 presentations. He taught courses in insect pest management, biology, extension entomology, and a number of advanced seminars and colloquia. Since 1983 he has mentored numerous graduate students in Entomology and the UMD Biological Sciences Graduate Program, Behavior, Ecology, Evolution, & Systematics. A regular guest on National Public Radio (NPR), Dr. Raupp has appeared on all major television networks in the United States and on several abroad, and has been featured on National Geographic, Science Channel, and PBS NewsHour. His “Bug of the Week” website (www.bugoftheweek.com) demystifies insect behavior and natural history for thousands of viewers weekly in 87 countries around the world. His YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/user/BugOfTheWeek) brings viewers upclose to glimpse moments in the daily lives of featured arthropods. His most recent book, 26 Things that Bug Me, introduces youngsters to the wonders of insects and natural history, while Managing Insect and Mites on Woody Landscape Plants is a standard for the arboricultural industry.

Dr. Raupp has received numerous regional and national awards for excellence in extension programming and media communications, including the Secretary of Agriculture’s 1996 Award for Environmental Protection, the 2009 ESA Distinguished Achievement Award in Extension, the 2012 R.W. Harris Author’s Citation from the International Society of Arboriculture, the 2015 Maryland Board of Regents’ Award for Excellence in Public Service, ESA Eastern Branch's 2016 L.O. Howard Award, and the 2016 Research Communicator Impact Award from the UMD Division of Research. 

(updated November, 2016)