Meet Kelsey Tobin, Ph.D., assistant professor at the University of Idaho, specialist in forest entomology, avid outdoors adventurer, and subject of the next installment of our “Standout Early Career Professionals” series.

By Zach Cohen, Ph.D.

Editor’s Note: This is the next article in the “Standout ECPs” series contributed by the Entomological Society of America’s Early Career Professionals (ECP) Committee, highlighting outstanding ECPs that are doing great work in the profession. (An ECP is defined as anyone within the first five years of obtaining their terminal degree in their field.) Read past articles in the Standout ECPs series.

Kelsey Tobin, Ph.D., is currently an assistant professor of forest health at the University of Idaho, where her research program examines insect and disease outbreaks in western conifer forests. Her work spans insect and pathogen behavior, plant responses to biotic stressors, and chemical ecology. Before joining the University of Idaho, Kelsey was a postdoctoral fellow at Cornell University, where she studied integrated pest management in tree fruit systems under Monique Rivera, Ph.D. She earned her doctorate in forestry and natural resources from Purdue University, working with Matthew Ginzel, Ph.D., on the chemical ecology and behavior of ambrosia beetles affecting black walnut.

Cohen: How did you get into entomology?

Tobin: I started my undergrad career as pre-med and quickly realized that was not the field for me. I was not sure what to do, but knew I loved science and felt like I had to decide quickly. After talking to my advisor, she offered me a technician position in her forest entomology lab (shoutout Dr. Anne Ray) and on day one I knew I wanted to be an entomologist.

What do you do in your current job?

I recently started as an assistant professor of forest health at the University of Idaho (UI). My appointment is split between research, teaching, and extension, so I stay pretty busy!

Kelsey Tobin, Ph.D., is currently an assistant professor of forest health at the University of Idaho, where her research program examines insect and disease outbreaks in western conifer forests. She earned her doctorate in forestry and natural resources from Purdue University. Here, she presents research to walnut researchers gathered at Purdue in 2022.

What is the most rewarding part of your job?

The most rewarding part of my job so far is getting to have a career in something that I love. I enjoy research that can translate directly to applied forest management, teaching future foresters about insects and disease, and working with landowners and foresters on maintaining healthy forests for the future.

What is the most challenging part of your job?

I am a brand-new faculty member, so I have found the transition from postdoc to faculty to be a bit tricky, especially with some of the funding uncertainties we are all facing right now. I have relied heavily on my previous mentors, UI colleagues, and my early career forest entomologist friends (you know who you are) to answer all my questions and just help me navigate through this process.

What do you see yourself doing in the future?

I see myself continuing to build a career in forest entomology that combines basic and applied research, collaboration, and outreach to support healthy and resilient forest ecosystems. In the future, I hope to develop a research program focused on understanding insect–forest interactions and translating that knowledge into practical management strategies for land managers, agencies, and communities.

I am especially interested in work that helps address emerging challenges such as invasive species, climate-driven changes in insect dynamics, and maintaining long-term forest health and sustainability. Ultimately, I hope my work contributes not only to scientific understanding but also to effective, science-based forest management that has a meaningful real-world impact.

Who inspires you to do what you do?

There are a lot of people that have inspired me and continue to inspire me in this field. I have many friends, family, students, and colleagues that probably don’t even know the impact they have had on me and my career, and I couldn’t be more grateful to them.

In her free time, Kelsey Tobin, Ph.D., assistant professor at the University of Idaho, enjoys hiking, kayaking, and “really any outdoor activity,” she says. Here, Tobin hikes in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in southern Utah.

What would you do if you weren’t working in entomology?

Ooh, tough question. If I could do it all over again and had to pick something different, I would probably go into something nutrition or health related. Even though I ditched the pre-med track, I still am fascinated by the human body and how it functions.

Do you have time for any hobbies?

Oh yes, my hobbies include tennis, hiking, kayaking—really any outdoor activity. I am also attempting to learn how to crochet, but I am really bad at it.

What is your advice for other ECPs?

I would say get involved in as many things as you reasonably can to get experience in different committees and organizations and to meet the other cool entomologists out there! You cannot do this job alone, and there is a great network of support out there to help you.

What is your favorite arthropod and why?

I am definitely biased towards beetles: rhinoceros beetles, harlequin beetles, tortoise beetles! It’s really impossible to choose a favorite.

Are there any exciting directions that you think entomology is headed?

One of the most exciting directions in entomology is the rapid integration of new technologies and interdisciplinary approaches into research and pest management. Advances in areas such as remote sensing, genomics, artificial intelligence, molecular diagnostics, and data modeling are allowing us to study insect populations and ecosystem interactions at scales that have never been possible. I am especially excited about how these tools can support more sustainable and targeted pest management strategies across forest, agricultural, and urban ecosystems.

At the same time, I think the field is becoming increasingly collaborative, bringing together entomologists, ecologists, climate scientists, and land managers to address complex environmental challenges.

Thanks Kelsey! Learn more about Kelsey Tobin’s work via LinkedIn, Google Scholar, and ResearchGate.

Zachary Cohen, Ph.D., is a postdoctoral researcher Florida Atlantic University’s Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. Previously, he worked in a postdoctoral role at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service in College Station, Texas. He currently serves as the Southwestern Branch representative to the ESA Early Career Professionals Committee. Email: [email protected].

All photos courtesy of Kelsey Tobin, Ph.D.