Dr. Held received his PhD in Entomology in 2003 from the University of Kentucky, and has also served as an Extension Specialist at the Coastal Research and Extension Center, Mississippi State University. In 2015 he was invited to be on a California Dept of Food and Agriculture Science Advisory Panel, as part of the Pest Detection and Emergency Panel for Japanese beetle. He has published multiple invited book chapters and articles related to his expertise, has supervised both graduate and PhD students, and taught advanced courses in Economic Entomology, General Entomology, and Landscape Entomology. Dr Held and his students also deliver science-based programing to several national, regional, and in state Green Industries organizations. Additionally, Dr. Held organizes and conducts various outreach efforts to increase entomological literacy. His areas of research interest include ecology and management of phytophagous insects particularly those pest attacking turfgrass and ornamental plants, as well as plant-insect interactions, insect behavior, and ecotoxicology.
