Marshall, Stephen A.

views updated

Marshall, Stephen A.

PERSONAL:

Education: University of Guelph. B.Sc., 1977, Ph.D., 1982; Carleton University, M.Sc., 1979.

ADDRESSES:

Office—University of Guelph, 50 Stone Rd. E., Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER:

University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada, Department of Environmental Biology, assistant professor, 1982-87, associate professor, 1987-1994, professor, 1994—.

WRITINGS:

The Genus Trachyopella Duda (Diptera-Sphaeroceridae) of the Holarctic Region, Museo regionale di scienze naturali (Turin, Italy), 1985.

Insects: Their Natural History and Diversity, with a Photographic Guide to Insects of Eastern North America, Firefly Books (Buffalo, NY), 2006.

SIDELIGHTS:

Stephen A. Marshall is a writer and educator with a specialization in environmental biology. He received his undergraduate degree in agricultural biology from the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada, then went on to earn a master's degree from Carleton College in Minnesota before returning to the University of Guelph for his doctorate. He remained at the University of Guelph following his graduation, joining the faculty of the department of environmental biology, and working his way up from assistant professor to associate professor, becoming a full professor in 1994. Marshall's primary areas of research and academic interest include biology, taxonomy, phylogeny, and the zoogeography of parasitic and saprophagous flies, teaching courses pertaining to field entomology and the diversity of the insect population.

In addition to devoting himself to research and his educational duties, Marshall has written books inspired by his studies on the world of insects, including The Genus Trachyopella Duda (Diptera-Sphaeroceridae) of the Holarctic Region and Insects: Their Natural History and Diversity, with a Photographic Guide to Insects of Eastern North America. Insects, the less scientific of the two volumes, is geared more toward a general-interest readership than toward the academic or research communities. In it, Marshall examines the extreme diversity of the insect population, noting that, unlike other species, they clearly dominate the population of the planet as a whole, with insects making up approximately eighty percent of the numerous known species. The book breaks down the different classifications of insects, such as cockroaches, termites, grasshoppers, crickets, wasps, bees, ants, and so on, and also goes into depth regarding the differences between these groups, both in behavior and in purpose. Marshall discusses roles that each insect type plays, whether helpful or hindrance, both within the species itself and within nature as a whole, such as the pollination of crops or the spread of disease. Many color photographs are included, both for identification of the species and subspecies, and to see examples of the insects in their natural environments. In a review for Booklist, writer Nancy Cannon remarked that the volume is "notable for its numerous color photographs, accessible language, and relatively simple-to-use identification keys." Annette Aiello, reviewing for the Library Journal, opined that the work is "bigger, prettier, and more comprehensive than any previous publication on insects and will be useful to amateur and professional alike." American Scientist contributor William E. Conner remarked: "This is an outstanding contribution to entomology. It will play an important role in the training of insect lovers for the foreseeable future."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

American Scientist, September 1, 2006, William E. Conner, "Gestalt Entomology," p. 470.

BioScience, December, 2006, "Insects for Everyman," p. 1015.

Booklist, October 15, 2006, Nancy Cannon, review of Insects: Their Natural History and Diversity, with a Photographic Guide to Insects of Eastern North America, p. 92.

Choice: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries, November, 2006, P.K. Lago, review of Insects, p. 456.

Library Journal, September 15, 2006, Annette Aiello, review of Insects, p. 87.

Quarterly Review of Biology, March, 2007, Matthew L. Froister, review of Insects, p. 58.

Science Books & Films, July 1, 2006, Marvin K. Harris, review of Insects, p. 160.

SciTech Book News, March, 2007, review of Insects.