BIO: Mike is a native of southwestern Iowa. He graduated from the University of Northern Iowa in 1977 with a B.A. in biology and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in entomology from Iowa State University in 1982 and 1986, respectively. Following the completion of his Ph.D., he served as a postdoctoral research associate at South Dakota State University, Brookings, South Dakota. In March of 1988, he began his extension entomology career at the University of Illinois. His primary research and extension interests have revolved around the management of the western corn rootworm. In 2008, Mike began serving as a program leader in the Energy and BioSciences (EBI) Institute at the University of Illinois. His EBI team is focused on discovering pests that may influence the biomass production of crops such as switchgrass and Miscanthus that ultimately could serve as feedstocks for the production of biofuels. In 2008, it was Mike's honor to serve as President of the Entomological Society of America, the largest professional society of entomologists in the world. He currently serves as a Professor in the Department of Crop Sciences and as Assistant Dean for the Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension Program, College of ACES, University of Illinois.