York Lecturer Series

Dr. Robert L. Metcalf is a rarity--a brilliant scientist and educator whose genius I.Q. and total recall for complex systems in chemistry, toxicology, entomology, and biology have made him a world leader in pesticide biochemistry and environmental fate. His concern for the environment has led him to pioneer entire new areas of insect control science. He holds eight patents, has received eleven major national and international awards, and has written more than 380 scientific publications, including three books. His textbook Destructive and Useful Insects (Metcalf, Flint, and Metcalf), is still used by most entomologists in the field.

Dr. Metcalf's work has greatly influenced pest alleviation in public health fields, as well as crop and animal protection. His many graduate students have gone on to establish outstanding careers in both industry and academia, influencing environmental toxicology worldwide. Early in his career, his outstanding contributions were so widely recognized he was honored with election to the National Academy of Sciences.

Dr. Metcalf launched his professional career in 1945 at the Tennessee Valley Authority, moving three years later to the University of California, Riverside. During his twenty years at Riverside, Metcalf published 172 scientific papers, 31 of them while serving as Vice Chancellor--an accomplishment unique for an administrator. In 1968, he moved to the University of Illinois, where he currently holds six professorships.

Metcalf's early research interests at Riverside included the chemistry and mode of operation of organophosphorus and carbamate insecticides. His work at Riverside led directly to the development of several important carbamate insecticides, including Sevin. He also pioneered studies on the development of insect resistance, selectivity of pesticides, and the need for rapid degradability in the environment.

At the University of Illinois, Dr. Metcalf conducted ground breaking work on the biomagnification of pesticide chemicals in model ecosystems, movement of pesticides through biological systems, and biochemical accumulation in soil, water, plants, and animals. Awareness of the environmental and toxicological drawbacks to many pesticides prompted Metcalf to turn his attention toward defining ecosystem threats and developing alternative pest-control methods to reduce pesticide use. He has been vitally concerned with the World Health Organization's project to eradicate malaria and other insect-transmitted diseases. His work has significantly affected the teaching of modern economic entomology and insect toxicology and physiology.

Dr. Metcalf's leadership in the fields of pesticide biodegradation is particularly important for Florida, where toxicology plays a major role in agricultural development. Florida is faced with continuous introduction of new pests, including some of the most destructive pests in the world, many of which--the Mediterranean fruit fly, the Formosan termite, and citrus canker, for example-- require stringent control methods to deter their spread.