UW Entomology

    University of Wisconsin-Madison

    UNIVERSITY of WISCONSIN-MADISON UW-MADISON

    Daniel Young

    he/him

    Professor and Director of the Wisconsin Insect Research Collection (WIRC)

    Interests: Teaching Entomology, Systematics of Coleoptera

    young@entomology.wisc.edu

    (608) 216-4756

    Young Lab Website

    Wisconsin Insect Research Collection

    445 Russell Labs
    1630 Linden Dr
    Madison, WI 53706

    Type:
    Prof. Daniel Young

    Faculty Profile

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    Affiliations

    I have directed the Wisconsin Insect Research Collection (WIRC) since 1993, overseeing activities of the Academic Curator, student employees, and volunteer, setting and administering WIRC policies and long range plans, developing and approving budget expenditures, and preparing proposals for outside funding. I also serve as Chair to the UW Natural History Museums Council.

    I focus primarily on the systematics, taxonomy, phylogeny, biodiversity, and natural history of insects, with an emphasis on Coleoptera. I am the world expert on Pyrochroidae and Ischaliidae and will continue my “regional-to-international” research focus for these taxa.

    I have a growing international research project on the anthicid genus Lemodes; I presently hold about a dozen undescribed species from New Guinea and biogeographically related Pacific island archipelagos. In 1997, I was invited to deliver a symposium paper entitled: “Wisconsin’s Species Diversity: The State of Scientific Knowledge.” In doing so, I entered into a new direction for personal research and undergraduate-graduate training. Wisconsin’s insect fauna is very poorly known compared to those of neighboring states and the region. The absence of a Wisconsin insect inventory has contributed to a critical lack of consideration of insects from biodiversity or conservation biology standpoints and the equally dangerous scenario of habitat management recommendations in these arenas based upon but a few insect species.

    My presentation, identified three research priorities: 1) basic taxonomically and habitat/site based sampling and inventory work, 2), training the future generation of taxonomic experts that will be increasingly called upon to form research partnerships with ecologists and conservation biologists, and 3) supporting the state’s natural history collections as the repositories of our natural heritage, to insure their necessary growth, and to support data management (bioinformatics) that is inherently a part of their use. These three priorities have accounted for at least half of my efforts during the past 12 years and will continue to do so.

    Publications

    Online Profiles

    Recent Publications

    Selected Publications

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    Teaching

    I teach ENT 302, Introduction to Entomology; the course serves as prerequisite for virtually all other entomology courses. It runs at capacity both fall and spring semesters each year, 100+ students/year. I also teach ENT331, Taxonomy of Adult Insects, ENT 432, Taxonomy and Bionomics of Immature Insects, and ENT 468, Studies in Field Entomology (our departmental “Capstone course”): I developed and teach ENT 701, our Advanced Taxonomy series, including course devoted to Coleoptera, Diptera, and Hemiptera.

    About five students/year work with me in ENT 699, Directed Study and I rotate through our Graduate Seminar Series, ENT903. Dr. Goodman and I developed and teach ENT 875 for high school teachers who teach Advanced Placement Biology. Dr. Goodman and I also participate in “Grandparent’s University”; we have offered an “entomology major” for the past three years.

    Mentor Teaching: I serve as advisor for entomology undergraduate majors (15-20 students/year); I am also faculty advisor for our Undergraduate Entomology Club.

    Teaching Schedule

    • ENT 302: Introduction to Entomology, Fall and Spring Semesters
    • ENT 331: Taxonomy of Adult Insects
    • ENT 375: Insect Biodiversity
    • ENT 432: Taxonomy and Bionomics of Immature Insects
    • ENT 468: Studies in Field Entomology
    • ENT 701: Advanced Taxonomy
    • ENT 903: Graduate Seminar Series

    Courses Taught

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    Selected Honors and Awards

    • Driesbach Memorial Award, Michigan State University, Department of Entomology, “In recogni­tion of outstanding accomplishment in the area of general entomology”
    • Excellence in Teaching Award, University of Wisconsin, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences
    • Distinguished Achievement Award in Teaching, Entomolog­ical Society of America
    • Distinguished Teaching Award, University of Wisconsin‑Madison (“Chancellor’s Award”)
    • Special Achievement Award, “Greatest Contributions by a single Author” (for American Beetles book project; presented by Coleopterists’ Society)
    • Honorary Member, The Coleopterists Society

    Professional societies:

    • American Entomological Society
    • Coleopterists’ Society
    • Entomological Collections Network
    • Entomological Society of America
    • Insecta Mundi (Center Systematic Entomol.)
    • Michigan Entomological Society
    • Pacific Coast Entomological Society
    • Soc. Preservation Natural Hist. Collections
    • Entomological Society of Washington
    • Wisconsin Entomological Society
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