Department Mission & Values

Department Mission: Our mission is to generate and communicate basic and applied scientific knowledge of insects and arthropods that helps improve human well-being through breakthroughs that address human health, agriculture, and the environment; to prepare, train and inspire students of all backgrounds to fulfill their personal goals and make meaningful societal contributions; and to engage our citizens and policy-makers in making informed proactive decisions that enhance the benefits, minimize the detriments, and balance trade-offs posed by insects and other arthropods.

Department Vision: We see a future where high-impact science that leverages our collective expertise on arthropod biology helps address and solve grand societal challenges in agriculture, the environment, and human health.

UW-Madison Department of Entomology visual guide to values and unacceptable behaviors. Click for full-size version.

Code of Conduct: Everyone in the UW-Madison Department of Entomology has the right to work in a safe environment free from discrimination, harassment, bullying, and violence. The department has developed an official code of conduct, which lays out the standards that we expect everyone in the department to uphold, and the Guidelines for graduate students and advisors. Additional details can be found in the visual guide above and the full code of conduct can be found here.

Department Diversity Statement: We see diversity as a source of inspiration, innovation and strength. As part of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the Department of Entomology is committed to create a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background–people who serve Wisconsin and the world. We believe that diversity is inextricably linked to our mission of furthering the science and public understanding of entomology through student learning, public service, and the professional development of students, staff and faculty.

Department Statement on Racial Inequality and Injustice: The UW-Madison Department of Entomology has issued a statement on racial inequality, injustice, and police brutality.  The full letter can be read here.

Land Acknowledgement Statement: The University of Wisconsin-Madison occupies Ho-Chunk Land, a place their nation has called Teejop (Day-JOPE) since time immemorial. In an 1832 treaty, the Ho-Chunk were forced to cede this territory. Decades of ethnic cleansing followed when both the federal and state government repeatedly, but unsuccessfully, sought to forcibly remove the Ho-Chunk from Wisconsin.

This history of colonization informs our shared future of collaboration and innovation. Today, UW-Madison respects the inherent sovereignty of the Ho-Chunk Nation, along with the eleven other First Nations of Wisconsin.

Please take a moment to consider the many legacies of violence, displacement, migration and settlement that bring us together here today. And please join us in uncovering such truths every day.