Dr. Bob Peterson is a professor of entomology at Montana State University, where he leads the research and teaching program in agricultural and biological risk assessment. More specifically, the program is centered on comparative risk assessment and includes biotechnology risk, invasive species risk, and pesticide risk. Additional research areas include insect ecology, plant-stress ecophysiology, and integrated pest management. Bob has authored or co-authored 104 peer-reviewed publications, 13 book chapters, and one book.
He teaches undergraduate and graduate courses, including environmental risk assessment, insect ecology, and various special-topics graduate courses. He also directs MSU's online MS program in environmental sciences. He received a B.S. in entomology from Iowa State University (1987), and an M.S. (1991) and PhD (1995) in entomology from the University of Nebraska.
Bob joined ESA in 1985 and has been actively engaged in both program and governance activities consistently throughout his membership. He has been a contributing co-editor of American Entomologist since 2001 and served as Program Chair of the ESA annual meeting in 2007. From 2010-2012, he served on the ESA Governing Board, representing the P-IE Section, and was a member of the Executive Committee of the Governing Board. From 2012-2013, he served as Chair of the ESA Presidential Committee on Science Policy that created the Society's external engagement focus and Science Fellowships. In addition, he has organized numerous scientific symposia within ESA and served on many committees at the Branch, Section, and ESA-Central levels.