Kenneth Raffa, professor emeritus of entomology, received the 2018 Plant-Insect Ecosystems (P-IE) Lifetime Achievement Award in Entomology from the Entomological Society of America (ESA) at their annual meeting last week. The P-IE Lifetime Achievement in Entomology Award recognizes the career of an entomologist who has greatly contributed to the advancement or promotion of entomology, and has been an inspiration to others.

Raffa first joined the entomology department in 1985, and he retired in 2018. He studied how insects and plants interact, which involves chemical ecology, microbial symbiosis, natural resource conservation and management, and integrated pest management. He also examined how outbreaks interact with fire and a changing climate.

Among many other awards, Raffa earned several honors from CALS including the Glenn Pound Outstanding Researcher Award, the Robert G.F. and Hazel T. Spitze Land Grant Faculty Award for Excellence in Combined Research, Teaching and Outreach, and the Beers-Bascom Professorship in Conservation. Collectively, his more than 275 peer-reviewed papers have been cited more than 9,000 times. He taught three popular courses and, throughout his career, mentored more than 35 Ph.D. and master’s degree students. He was highly engaged in outreach, serving on the Wisconsin Invasive Species Council to protect endangered pollinators, and he frequently worked with local and national media outlets to communicate with the public.