May Berenbaum

May Berenbaum, PhD, has been on the faculty of the Department of Entomology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign since 1980, serving as head since 1992 and as Swanlund Chair of Entomology since 1996.

Berenbaum’s current research addresses insect-plant co-evolution, which is applicable to sustainable management practices for natural and agricultural communities. Her research has produced more than 230 refereed scientific publications and 35 book chapters, and she was the inspiration for Dr. Bambi Berenbaum’s character on The X-Files television show. She was the sinner of the 2014 National Medal of Science, the 2011 Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement, the 2009 Public Understanding of Science and Technology Award fromThe American Association for the Advancement of Science, and is a member of the National Academy of Sciences.

She received her bachelor’s degree from Yale University and a PhD in ecology and evolutionary biology from Cornell University.